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Empty classroom in North Rhine-Westphalia: Christmas holidays due to the corona pandemic from December 21
Photo:
Caroline Seidel / dpa
In North Rhine-Westphalia, students can start the Christmas holidays earlier due to the corona pandemic.
In order to give the families the most carefree Christmas possible, the decision was made to open December 21st and 22nd, said NRW School Minister Yvonne Gebauer (FDP) to the WDR.
So Friday, December 18th, will be the last day of school this year in NRW.
In the coming days she wants to clarify with teachers, parents and pupil associations how the failure in the current school year can be compensated and how emergency care can be ensured on December 21 and 22, Gebauer said.
Normally the winter holidays did not start until December 23rd.
Early holiday start should reduce infections at Christmas
North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU) brought an earlier start of the winter school holidays in NRW by two days into play on Tuesday.
The background to the considerations is that people should limit their contacts as much as possible a few days before Christmas so that there are no infections at family celebrations.
Gebauer spoke of a "pre-quarantine" that she wanted to implement.
Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) had commented positively on the approach.
"That is certainly part of the debate," said Spahn on Wednesday in the program "Frühstart" on the TV channels RTL and ntv.
Planability is important for parents, children and teachers.
"That would be the case with such a measure."
That could also be part of the debate on Monday, when the country leaders and Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) discuss the next steps to combat the pandemic.
According to the German Teachers' Association, more than 300,000 schoolchildren are currently in quarantine across Germany after local corona outbreaks.
The number of teachers in quarantine is currently up to 30,000.
As a result, more and more schools are being closed all over Germany, said teacher association president Heinz-Peter Meidinger.
It has not been conclusively clarified whether children are less likely to be infected with the virus and therefore pose a lower risk of further transmission.
However, some research had indicated it.
One reason could be a receptor through which the virus enters the body and which is not often present in children.
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