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Hesse’s minister of education, Alexander Lorz, speaks about masks in class, lack of experience and the fear of chaos. And why schools now have to open to everyone.
Minister, in your most recent interview with the FR, you called the idea of opening primary schools for two weeks on a trial basis before the start of the summer holidays, “exciting”. You did that too and received a lot of criticism. Teachers protested that they did not want to be guinea pigs. Are you starting the experiment 2.0 with the school opening for everyone?
The very new assessments from the virological side that children under ten contribute less than expected to the spread of the virus were exciting. This has put us in a position to be responsible for opening up primary schools to all pupils. Of course, I understood and understood the debates that arose from it. But all of our opening steps out of lockdown, not just in school, are an expression of the gradual approach back towards normality.
But now the large-scale trial of the school opening starts on Monday in Hesse with 760,000 students and 60,000 teachers as participants.
This is neither an attempt nor a specifically Hessian idea. It is the common line of all 16 countries that we consider it responsible to go into regular operation on all five days a week after the summer vacation. Some countries have already gone ahead on this path. Nobody has absolutely reliable experience. We always take a step forward, observe and evaluate whether we have to take the step back or can go a step further. We just can’t wait to research this virus enough to know exactly what will happen with each of our steps. By then we would no longer exist as a society.
Start of school in Hessen: Are return travelers and Corona shaking regular operations?
The start of school coincides with the wave of travelers returning, especially from risk areas. Don’t you have to fear that this will bring a lot of corona cases into schools and that we will soon be faced with chaos?
I believe that we have to separate here. Practically all cases of infection that have existed so far have been brought into the schools from outside. So there was no noteworthy outbreak in the school itself. That means that we have to protect the schools in advance. So I am very happy that we have the mandatory test for returnees from risk areas. If this first “line of defense” works, the risk is already significantly reduced.
In Bavaria it didn’t work for now, even positive test results came too late. Isn’t it too risky to sit in the classroom without the previously required distance and not to wear a mask in class?
I understand the concerns that people worry. But in class, the mask is a considerable burden, also physically, it hinders learning as well as social interaction, it is pedagogically counterproductive in every respect.
Corona measures in schools: The mask requirement at school start in Hesse
They have ordered that masks must be worn in all schools, except in class. Does such a general arrangement make sense in view of the diversity of schools? In some schools the hallways are wider and airier than the classrooms themselves.
The mask requirement generally applies. However, in precisely such constellations, the individual school can deviate from this if it takes this step together as a school community. This freedom only exists in Hessen. Incidentally, there is no ban on wearing masks. Anyone who wants to use them in class can do that. Of course, this also applies to the teachers. We have provided the schools with sufficient masks and other protective equipment and are constantly supplying them.
The SPD and the left, parents and teachers’ associations are calling for a step-by-step plan, such as in Bavaria or Thuringia, which regulates what has to happen in a school district when there are certain numbers of infections. Why doesn’t this exist for schools in Hessen?
Schoolchildren need direct contact with each other and with their teachers, of that Hesse’s Minister of Education, Alexander Lorz, is certain.
© picture alliance/dpa
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There is also a step-by-step plan in Hesse with threshold values from which the health authorities take drastic measures. But the health authorities have expressly advised against automatically ordering certain measures if this value is exceeded. The infection situation on site can be very different. That’s why you have to be able to react flexibly to it. In addition, the schools are familiar with the possible scenarios for school organization that may result from this. We worked out and discussed them together in the concept group at the end of the old school year. We have also made a variety of documents and aids available to the schools for this purpose. How to react to a new infection situation on site, however, is primarily in the hands of the local health department. Should the infection situation worsen, we may have to return locally to splitting classes, setting up fixed study groups, mixing face-to-face and distance teaching, restricting teaching to major subjects and so on. A mask requirement in class can then also be an issue. I hope it won’t be necessary, but I’m not ruling it out either.
Learning at a distance – Can Hesse’s schools absorb failures due to Corona?
How well are Hessen’s schools prepared to offer distance learning? It can quickly happen that individual students or entire study groups have to stay at home because of an infection. Is there a threat then that these will be left behind from learning, as was often the case in the last half of the school year?
The schools are definitely better prepared than in March. We have newly connected many schools to the school portal, which is also being expanded. The school authorities are currently buying equipment for needy students, and these should soon be available nationwide. Above all, we have given intensive thought to how the children who have to continue to be taught at home can be supported even better. This means that teachers now have to give regular feedback.
How many pupils are exempt from school attendance anyway because they or close relatives belong to a risk group?
That was four to five percent at the end of school.
There is a flyer and information on how to deal with symptoms of illness and colds in children and adolescents in day-care centers, day care centers and schools: https://t.co/CinzUwCe2x #Snupfenflyer @reghessen @msi_bw pic.twitter.com/SvRqD8RUkm
– Hessian Ministry for Social Affairs a. Integration (@SozialHessen) August 13, 2020
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So more than 30,000.
Yes, and I don’t think that number will go down much either, because hardly anyone will want to frivolously keep their child away from studying in school.
Video systems that would be needed to connect students to the classroom or to reach entire classes are by no means widely available.
We are working to ensure that the Hessian school portal also offers this function.
When will that be the case?
We assume that this will be available in the second half of the school year. Until then, teachers can also use commercial offers, which are numerous on the market. We have obtained a corresponding approval from the data protection officer for this and will also provide the money for it. In addition, we will assign teachers who are also absent from school for health reasons specifically to teach these children and young people.
School start in Hessen: “We cannot wait until Corona is gone”
How many teachers belong to a risk group and are allowed to stay at home?
We do not yet have any reliable figures on this, as those affected can still report this on the Monday on the day the school starts. Before the holidays, the rate was around ten percent. We have received the first signals that the requirement for a certificate will significantly reduce the number, as has happened in other countries.
What are your thoughts on Monday?
I am a positive thinking person. Our society has mastered the corona pandemic impressively so far. This also applies to schools. Nevertheless, Monday is a special situation. One message is very important to me: We cannot expect our children to wait until the Corona problem has been resolved. Interview: Peter Hanack
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