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Primary school class in Hamburg: Parents' associations are calling for the "physical and mental integrity" of teachers, students and their families to be protected
Photo: Christian Charisius / dpa
While the country is to go into a limited shutdown again in November, one aspect enjoys political priority: schools and daycare centers are to remain open.
The Prime Ministers and the Federal Chancellor agreed on this on Wednesday.
In doing so, they not only focused on the participation and education of children, but also on the interests of the economy: parents should be able to continue working - and thus be relieved.
The week-long school closure from March "put the families under enormous stress," said Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann, explaining the decision.
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The parents, however, are stressed again this time - because they are increasingly concerned about health protection in schools.
Parents' associations from all over Germany launched a petition to the German Bundestag on Wednesday calling for "quick action" "to protect the physical and mental integrity" of teachers, students and their families.
Long list of demands
The education ministers did not follow the recommendation of the Robert Koch Institute and repeatedly criticized representatives of various state parents 'associations and the Federal Parents' Council.
They demanded,
to reduce the classes again,
to equalize local traffic
To enable hybrid teaching in shifts,
hire more staff,
Install plexiglass dividers and air filters,
To provide masks, devices and additional rooms
the parents' care needs as well
to take into account the needs of pupils with increased educational needs.
In essence, they are concerned with "joint action and regular voting", the initiators announced - and they criticize the fact that politicians have not yet responded to their demands and concerns.
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Trade unions and teachers' associations also criticize the unrestricted opening.
In view of the increasing number of infections, no "keep it up!"
said GEW chairwoman Marlis Tepe.
"If open schools and day-care centers are to have the highest priority for social reasons, teachers must be given special protection. The employees use their health to achieve this goal," said the Education and Science Union.
Doubts about the "lockdown light"
Like the parents' associations, she asked to follow the recommendations of the RKI and to reduce the size of the classes from year 5 and to teach some digitally in order to keep the distances.
The primary schools, however, should "stay open as long as possible."
The demands from the Association for Education and Upbringing and the German Teachers' Association sound similar.
They welcomed the fact that the schools should remain open - but not at any price.
"I would like to doubt whether a lockdown light can work if the schools are largely excluded," said the President of the German Teachers' Association, Heinz-Peter Meidinger, of the "Passauer Neue Presse".
"Wherever the number of new infections goes through the roof, alternating operation with halved classes is certainly the best preventive option to prevent complete school closings."
These would be unavoidable if the infection process became completely uncontrollable.
Fear of your own courage
A certain fear of one's own courage also resonates in politics.
Federal Education Minister Anja Karliczek said that it had to be clarified how school operations would be adapted to the worsened infection situation.
"This must be decided by the countries that can best assess the situation in the regions," said Karliczek.
"At the same time, an expansion of the mask requirements will have to be considered in order to create a kind of safety buffer for school operations."
She clearly welcomed the decision to keep it open, but said the schools should "not continue to become corona hotspots".
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The schools are very aware of their responsibility, especially in the next few weeks, said Schleswig-Holstein's Education Minister Karin Prien.
The mask requirement in class has been extended and applies from a certain incidence value to the lower classes.
"As a mother in particular, it was very difficult for me to decide whether to wear a mask in primary schools," said Prien.
But it is "the more proportionate means than closing the primary schools".
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