Among our German neighbors too, the question of reopening schools in the midst of a coronavirus epidemic is debated. The announcement by Angela Merkel on April 30 that a decision will not be made until May 6 has made many netizens understand that Germany is "back-pedaling" on the subject.
In fact, some students have already resumed lessons (or will resume them this Monday) and the calendar will be, as in France, progressive.
Retropedal Germany on the reopening of schools
"Germany has decided to postpone its decision on the reopening of schools, Denmark having noticed an increase in infections two weeks after bringing the children back" #Coronavirus https: // t. co / 03xY2AcW5A
On April 30, the German Chancellor held a videoconference with officials from the sixteen Länder (the major regions that make up the country). While a decision to reopen the schools was expected after the meeting, it was postponed to a week later on May 6. On that day, a new meeting will be held between Angela Merkel and regional leaders. They are committed to preparing projects that will pave the way for "a gradual opening of schools, nurseries and a gradual resumption of sports activities".
Study on the contagiousness of children
Some Länder, which have strong autonomy, have already announced their own calendar. Even though the meeting around the Chancellor was still in progress, North Rhine-Westphalia planned to gradually reopen for all students from May 11. What the leaders nuanced soon after.
Angela Merkel may have been influenced by the results, released the day before, of a study conducted by the famous virologist Christian Drosten and on the contagiousness of the youngest. "No significant difference between children and adults," tweeted the scientist this April 30. In other words, children infected with the virus could infect others as well as adults during the contagious period. With two differences: children have symptoms of the disease less often, and younger children may be less aware of the need to pay attention to their behaviors.
Viral loads by PCR as seen in our laboratories. No significant difference between children and adults. Age categories: Kindergarten (KG), Grade school (GS), Highschool (HS), etc. with age ranges and (counts). https://t.co/xunzyHEi47 pic.twitter.com/je73hsKrZb
- Christian Drosten (@c_drosten) April 29, 2020However, some students have already resumed classes. In Bavaria, those who are at the end of their college or high school and who have to take, for example, their Abitur (the equivalent of the bac) returned to class on April 27. Being in the oldest category of pupils, they "can apply infection protection rules more responsibly than younger children," says the Bavarian Ministry of Education and Culture on its site.
Hundreds of thousands of students resume Monday
As in elementary school in France from May 11, classes work in smaller groups and the rules of social distancing must apply. If the mask is not generally compulsory at school, many regions impose it on school transport, notes the daily Der Münchner Merkur.
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In other Länder, notably the one including Berlin, the recovery will take place this Monday, May 4. This will affect several hundred thousand students (135,000 in Rhineland-Palatinate alone, located on the French border, where 145,000 reusable and washable masks have already been distributed to schools). There too, the pupils who are preparing to resume lessons are those who are at the end of the cycle, in primary or in high school. In other words, and as summarized by the weekly Die Zeit, "all those for whom the last weeks of the school year are important".