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Classroom teaching?
For now it will probably stay with closed schools (symbol picture)
Photo: Hans Punz / picture alliance / dpa
According to the will of the education ministers, the 16 federal states should be able to decide for themselves when to start partially opening schools.
This emerges from the resolution of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK), which on Monday discussed a joint approach for the time after the Christmas holidays.
The KMK's plan provides for a three-stage process.
"If the measures decided in December 2020 are relaxed, the schools must be there from the start," demands the KMK.
However, the ministers emphasize that it is not that far yet: In their deliberations they came to the conclusion that the lockdown measures decided in December "in Germany or in individual countries" would initially have to be continued.
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That means: Germany's schools are expected to be closed longer than previously planned to contain the corona pandemic.
The current shutdown will run until January 10th.
The decision on how things will proceed afterwards will not be made by the education ministers, but by Angela Merkel and the heads of government of the countries who will meet on Tuesday.
The KMK recommends agreeing on a multi-stage opening mechanism for the coming weeks.
"If the situation in the individual countries allows," says the KMK, the schools can gradually be reopened:
In
stage one of
the plan, the students in grades 1 to 6 should first go back to school.
The older adolescents stay in distance learning.
In
level two
, there should then be supplementary alternating instruction at the general and vocational secondary schools from grade 7.
The aim here is a significant reduction in class sizes.
Only the
third stage
provides for the full return of all students to face-to-face classes.
Exceptions should be made beforehand for final classes so that their preparation for exams can be "appropriately" accompanied.
This applies to pupils who are aiming for the secondary school leaving certificate (class 10) or the Abitur (class 12 or 13 depending on the type of school and state).
Chancellor Angela Merkel and the 16 prime ministers want to decide on Tuesday whether to continue the corona measures.
"Suspended compulsory attendance or distance teaching in schools over a longer period of time does not remain without negative consequences for the educational biographies and social participation of children and young people," warned the ministers of education as a precaution.
"Face-to-face teaching is and will remain the best option for learning success," commented Baden-Württemberg's Minister of Education, Susanne Eisenmann (CDU), on the KMK plan.
And immediately teased the heads of government: "I hope that the Prime Minister's Conference and the Chancellor will also take this into account."
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him / Reuters / dpa