Frankfurt / Main (dpa / lhe) – With a view to the return of numerous classes to the Hessian schools next Monday, the Education and Science Union (GEW) is calling for more protective equipment. There was a lack of filter and ventilation systems, said Roman George, advisor for education policy at GEW Hessen, the German press agency. Some school authorities refused to do this on principle. The fact that grades 1 to 6 now receive face-to-face and distance learning in an alternating model is to be welcomed, but should have been implemented much earlier. There was still a lack of staff and clear regulations for emergency care.
Since the state of Hesse has only suspended the compulsory attendance up to grade 6 since December, the parents have left the decision whether their children go to school. Many primary school classes have therefore been more than half full in the past few weeks despite the corona lockdown. In the first lockdown, however, the group of eligible parents was clearly delimited. “That would help reduce contacts,” said George.
According to estimates, 20 to 30 percent of students now have large gaps, and it is particularly important for them to return to face-to-face classes. They should receive support in small groups during the phases in which their classmates are at home. Some schools offer this, elsewhere this will not be possible due to a lack of staff. The GEW suggests that student teachers should also be employed here. Postponing holidays or skipping them is not a solution.
There are still problems with the video conference system integrated into the school portal, which does not run smoothly, and with the computer equipment of many children. “Some families only have smartphones, but they can’t be used in class,” said George. Although the country has bought several thousand devices, many of them have not yet been issued because there are no administrators who can make them ready for use.
The GEW also calls for alternate classes for the final classes who currently have classroom teaching. They would be divided into two rooms and taught by only one teacher. “You are alone half the time, but you are at greater risk of infection,” said George. “A regulated change model for everyone from the start would have made more sense.”
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210218-99-487953 / 2
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