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Children in primary school (in Neumünster, archive picture)
Photo: Frank Molter / picture alliance / dpa
Pisa coordinator Andreas Schleicher, director of education at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), has joined the debate on school closings.
In particular in Berlin and Baden-Württemberg, but also in other federal states, there is currently a dispute over whether face-to-face teaching is acceptable again from next Monday.
Andreas Schleicher
Photo: Stephanie Pilick / picture-alliance / dpa
Schleicher said he believed the Berlin Senate's plans to gradually open schools despite the extended shutdown to be correct.
“There are always difficult considerations.
But, especially in the first years of school and life, face-to-face teaching is simply irreplaceable, ”the educational researcher told rbb-Inforadio.
"In this respect, the approach in Berlin, if the health situation allows, is very sensible, that you start quickly with the smallest children, even in limited classes." Education is always relationship work and not just imparting knowledge, said Schleicher.
The Berlin Senate decided on Wednesday to gradually offer alternating classes again from January 11th, i.e. a combination of learning at home and in schools in small groups.
The graduates should make the beginning.
A week later, primary school students in grades 1 to 3 will follow.
After the winter holidays, it is hoped that classroom teaching will be back to normal for everyone from February 15, as before the shutdown.
The plans aroused criticism, for example, from the GEW teachers' union, parent and student representatives.
Protest of the school administrators
According to a report by the rbb evening show, there is also considerable resistance to the plans from some school administrators.
Several high schools in the Neukölln district protested to the education administration and demanded that distance teaching be extended to at least January 18.
Everything else is too risky and cannot be conveyed, according to the urgent application from the high schools.
A headmistress in Treptow-Köpenick even announced that she would not open her facility on Monday, contrary to the requirements of the Senate.
Schleicher said that one could not expect independent learning at home, at least with primary school children.
For this reason alone, face-to-face teaching is necessary in the first few years of school.
Here, digital knowledge transfer could "not achieve very much".
In the higher age groups, on the other hand, alternating lessons and digitization could bring more.
Schleicher demanded as much replacement lessons and additional offers as possible during the vacation periods nationwide.
"Now simply to say that the school year is lost and we'll just add that on top of it at some point is not an acceptable solution."
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him / dpa