Erfurt (dpa / th) – Despite the very high number of corona infections in large parts of Thuringia, student and parent representatives argue against nationwide school closings after the end of the Easter holidays. “The be-all and end-all must be to ensure as much presence as possible,” said the deputy state spokesman for the Thuringian high schools, Roul Rommeiß, of the German press agency.
It is true that there should not be lessons in schools at any price. But the application of strict hygiene concepts and school closings in the areas hardest hit by the pandemic are better than nationwide school closings. The state student representative for high schools, Leon Schwalbe, expressed a similar opinion. Both called for more effort in testing and more creativity in finding ways to avoid school closings.
Schwalbe said that it would be better to close schools in all of Thuringia, if it were to rely on alternating lessons and to suspend classroom teaching in counties or urban districts with particularly high corona incidences. “But that has to be done consistently,” he said. For example, the fact that schools in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district were reopened for at least some grade levels in mid-March, although the district is a Corona hotspot, was not responsible.
From the perspective of the student council, it was a mistake to transfer the decision-making authority over local school closings back from the state to the municipalities. It is better if the Free State decides on local school closings.
On the other hand, Rommeiß said that, in his opinion, it had proven itself that the municipalities in Thuringia are now deciding on school closings again. “Responsibility on site is definitely the right way to go.” This Thursday, the federal states want to hold a conference of ministers of education about how to proceed in schools under pandemic conditions in the next few weeks.
In order to ensure as much classroom teaching as possible after the end of the Easter break this week, it is important to test consistently in schools, said Schwalbe. So far, there are still too great differences between schools when it comes to testing. That is unacceptable. Everyone who enters a school at the beginning of a week must be tested for a possible corona infection “to ensure that no infected people are sitting in the classrooms,” said Schwalbe.
Rommeiß called for more space outside school buildings to be used than before in order to create enough space for classroom teaching and fixed groups. “Often there is not enough flexibility to react on site.”
According to the latest figures from the State Chancellery, the seven-day incidence in Thuringia was just under 190 new infections within seven days per 100,000 inhabitants. The national average was around 110. However, the data are only partially comparable with the even higher figures from before Easter, because fewer tests were carried out or samples were analyzed during the holidays.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210408-99-121860 / 3
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