Everything is not that bad yet.
The nationwide seven-day incidence is in the lower double-digit range, and the intensive care units are not overly occupied.
Most of the students are still in vacation mode, only in Berlin, Brandenburg, Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have lessons already started again.
North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister and CDU Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet announced that classroom teaching should take place everywhere after the holidays.
"We cannot expect the children or the parents to spend any more time homeschooling and distance learning."
The Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs is also still quite optimistic about the new school year and is hoping for regular face-to-face lessons.
The educational associations, on the other hand, already suspect or fear what the schools will really expect in autumn
.
("That's going on")
Those who feel they don't belong are often afraid to go to school.
At least this is often the case with gifted people.
The psychologist Sebastian Renger knows how they can be helped
.
("Good to know").
Get through the time well.
And if you would like to point out topics that we should take a closer look at, please send us an email.
Feedback & suggestions?
The team from »Kleine Pause«
Susmita Arp, Silke Fokken, Armin Himmelrath, Miriam Olbrisch
That's going on
1. Criticism of the Standing Conference
The education ministers of the federal states see the schools as well prepared for the new school year.
The concepts for infection protection have been "significantly expanded".
Schools are "safe places even in times of the pandemic".
Therefore, schools should and can take place in face-to-face classes, according to a current resolution of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK).
However, several educational associations accuse the KMK of not taking the pandemic seriously enough. Heinz-Peter Meidinger, President of the German Teachers' Association, told the Tagesspiegel that the federal states had once again failed to prepare for various pandemic scenarios. "We warn against becoming careless in schools and completely surrendering control of the infection process in the fourth wave."
Udo Beckmann, head of the Association for Education and Upbringing, also says that the start of school was not fully prepared. The seven-day incidence is growing faster and earlier than last year, especially among 10- to 34-year-olds. »We still miss different scenarios that clearly describe what the KMK intends to do in which pandemic development. It is not enough to continue to rely on the principle of hope, ”said Beckmann. Schools have not yet been adequately equipped with air filters, there is no two-week safety phase with two mandatory tests per week, mask requirement and keeping a distance. In addition, there are still problems with digitization. »It is very clear that no one can stand up at the moment and promise a continuous and normal school operation,without burning your fingers. "
2. Corona vaccinations as a prerequisite for classroom teaching?
The Standing Vaccination Commission has not yet issued a general recommendation for children from the age of twelve to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
But in the meantime the question has arisen whether in future only those children and adolescents who are vaccinated will be allowed to attend classroom classes.
The Federal Parents' Council has a clear opinion on this: The government should not make a vaccination against the coronavirus a prerequisite for learning in school, board member Ines Weber told the editorial network Germany.
Many parents are very skeptical about the vaccination offer.
Studies on the tolerability and long-term effects of vaccinations in children and adolescents were still lacking.
However, parents felt they were under increasing pressure to have their children vaccinated so that they could go to school.
North Rhine-Westphalia has already clearly positioned itself on this question.
In the state, vaccination will not be a requirement for classroom teaching.
The reverse also applies: Those who have been proven to have been vaccinated or have already recovered from the corona virus no longer need to take part in the two weekly corona tests, said School Minister Yvonne Gebauer (FDP).
What else?
In
Bavaria
, several AfD members of the state parliament have submitted an urgent application against the planned Islamic classes. The popular lawsuit is intended to prevent Muslim pupils from being able to choose the compulsory elective subject "Islamic lessons" from the new school year onwards. This should be offered as an alternative to the subject ethics.
In
Baden-Württemberg
, Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) has drawn the anger of many teachers. With the sentence "A lot doesn't help much," said the Prime Minister, it doesn't matter how many teachers there are, it depends on the quality. In-service training for teachers and quality assurance should be improved. Educational associations spoke of a "under-complex view of Mr. Kretschmann". Gerhard Brand, the state chairman of the Association for Education and Upbringing (VBE) scoffed: "Mr. Kretschmann is as good as a brick in swimming when it comes to planning teacher requirements."
In
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
, only a few young people want to be vaccinated against the corona virus at schools, according to a nationwide survey.
The pupils' willingness to vaccinate is therefore six percent.
Good to know
Exceptionally bright children do not automatically get through school well.
Why is that?
And what should teachers do?
Sebastian Renger does research on particularly gifted people - and has answers.
You can find the interview with the scientific director of the German Center for Talent Research and Promotion here.
The good news at the end
School social work is being expanded in Berlin.
From now on, every public school in Berlin should be able to call on the help of at least one school social worker.
In addition, the native languages of the pupils are to be strengthened in the capital.
In addition to subjects such as Turkish, Arabic and Kurdish, selected schools now also offer Polish, Russian and Vietnamese.
The next newsletter will be on August 24th.
Ideas, suggestions, feedback?
We look forward to receiving mail to kleinepause@newsletter.spiegel.de.
