Feller against school closures after the summer holidays

Created: 07/05/2022, 16:38

Chairs stand on tables in a classroom.

© Sebastian Kahnert/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa/Symbolbild

The new NRW school minister Dorothee Feller wants to avoid school closures in North Rhine-Westphalia after the holidays as far as possible.

The CDU politician, who was previously the district president of Münster, announced this on Tuesday in Bochum.

She will inform everyone involved in school life at the end of July about the necessary corona protection measures.

Bochum – Classes begin in NRW on August 10th.

Feller took over the post of school minister a week ago, succeeding Yvonne Gebauer (FDP), who had repeatedly been criticized for often providing very short-term information.

Feller said she had set up a Corona Coordination Council in her ministry, which also included representatives from the Ministry of Health.

This should develop a concept for safe school operations in autumn and winter and enable faster decisions.

She relied on the participation of parent, teacher and student associations.

Children and young people have suffered significantly from school closures in the past pandemic years, and many are also mentally stressed.

According to current federal law, it is currently not even possible to close schools, said Feller.

In the meantime, the prerequisites for hybrid or digital teaching have been created in many cases.

In the past it has been shown that corona tests and masks could contribute to safe teaching if the infection process requires it, she said - without being specific.

Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) emphasized two weeks ago: “The schools would be the very last thing we close.

And I personally don't think that will be necessary.” dpa