Speech by the Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Education and Research, Thomas Rachel (MdB), in the German Bundestag on November 19, 2020.
Dear Madam President! Dear Colleagues! Federal Minister Karliczek is currently on the budget committee, where she is fighting for more funds for education and research and therefore cannot be here in plenary.
Ladies and gentlemen, what is the situation? There are currently around 300,000 schoolchildren in quarantine. That is not even 5 percent of the students in Germany. In other words: 95 percent of the pupils go to school as normal – of course always with the familiar rules: keep your distance, wash your hands, wear mouth and nose protection, ventilate regularly -; because we want schools to stay open during the pandemic as long as it is somehow responsible, ladies and gentlemen.
After all, it is about the right of students to education. The point is that all pupils have the chance of a good education, and it is about families being able to rely on their children being looked after well and reliably in schools, especially the smaller ones. We accept all efforts to achieve this. To do this, we reduce social contacts elsewhere. In return, we expect many others to face significant cuts in their lives. I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart that especially those who have been severely affected economically and socially are ready to support the social consensus for open schools and daycare centers.
We learned from the first wave of pandemics in spring. Back then the schools had to be closed overnight. Distance learning was organized from home, often improvised. We are in a different situation today. Most of the schools are open. Pupils and teachers can also be reached via distance learning. The federal and state governments, school principals and teachers used the summer months.
Where are we now In order to keep the schools open, the federal states have decided on a step-by-step plan. Depending on the development of the dynamic infection process, the federal states have decided on measures for four different scenarios: first, regular operation under pandemic conditions, second, restricted regular operation, third, an alternating model with division of learning groups and alternation of face-to-face and distance teaching, and fourth, distance teaching. School closings are only possible as a last resort if the pandemic no longer allows it.
Dear Sir or Madam, The federal government is making more money available for schools than ever before in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. In the end it will be 6.5 billion euros for the School DigitalPact alone, and that is truly a huge number.
In the pandemic, we need digital opportunities more urgently than ever. That is why the ruling coalition stepped up again in the summer. With 500 million euros, we are providing digital devices for schoolchildren who do not have their own device so that all children and young people can participate in digital lessons. We equip the teachers with laptops with 500 million euros, and we pay the administrators with 500 million euros so that the digital technology really works and the teachers are relieved of this task.
None of these are actually federal tasks. But we don’t ask about that in this crisis. We act as a federation, and we help this governing coalition.
Act, by the way, our schools do that too. The teachers are doing great things on site these days to enable good lessons in corona times.
The school administrators do great things to reorganize school operations again and again. The pupils also make their contribution: They wear masks in the hallways and in the schoolyards. That’s why I tell you: don’t downplay the commitment of all those who keep this business going!
Since you are shouting so loudly, I address myself to the representatives of the Left Party: You are the Minister of Education in Thuringia. Thuringia has only spent 150,000 euros in state funds in the DigitalPakt Schule and has not called on any federal funds.
Other countries are significantly faster and better at supporting their schools. Take a look at the facts in the federal states.
Dear Sir or Madam, Children are not the drivers of the infection process.
But the students are an essential part of the infection process, as the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina has once again underlined recently. This is shown by the figures from other European countries, but also current figures from the Robert Koch Institute for Germany. If we look at the infection numbers among 10 to 19 year olds, we find that they are particularly serious. I think this topic therefore deserves special attention, especially in the discussion of the responsible federal states.
Ladies and gentlemen, these are not normal times, but rather extraordinary times. We have to adjust the measures against the pandemic again and again, readjust again and again depending on the situation, in order to enable good education even in times of Corona.
Thank you very much.
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