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"Heavy burden on all areas of life": classroom in Thuringia (archive image)
Photo: Bodo Schackow / DPA
The first federal state is saying goodbye to the »schools are safe« dogma of the Standing Conference (KMK): In Thuringia, the Christmas holidays are initially being extended by two days, after which distance learning is on the agenda for all children and young people until mid-January.
Only students in some final grades can be exempted from this.
That was decided by the Thuringian state cabinet.
"We have to assume that all areas of life will be severely stressed by the new Omikron variant of the coronavirus in January," said Minister of Education Helmut Holter (left).
The new, much more contagious virus mutation changes the situation dramatically: »I assume that by January at the latest in Germany and Thuringia further measures will be taken, not just in schools, and that the education sector will not be the only one that needs to be restricted. «
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With this, Holter shows a sense of reality that the state school ministers have so far refused - at least publicly.
"The commitment to open educational institutions really unites us in the KMK," its president, Brandenburg's education minister Britta Ernst (SPD), announced in mid-December.
The new Omikron variant does not change anything about that.
Minister wants to give orientation
Other state ministries also said that school closings are not an option, which is why they don't even think about it.
However, Britta Ernst immediately countered her statement by sending the students in Brandenburg to the Christmas holidays almost a week earlier.
Thuringia is now the first federal state to say goodbye to the hope of regular school operations after the turn of the year.
After the distance learning phase, there should then be alternating lessons »if possible in smaller learning groups«.
Helmut Holter received support for his course from the state parents: According to an MDR report, they had previously advocated distance learning after the Christmas holidays.
He knew about the effects of distance and alternating classes on families, said Holter.
He hoped, however, with the decisions "to give schools and families a bit of orientation for the upcoming difficult phase about what to expect." At the moment, it is not yet possible to estimate how long the restrictions will be necessary.
The decision of the state cabinet is to be implemented in the coming days with a new infection protection measures ordinance in the country.
Then the entry ban for schools will also be expanded: As before, people with symptoms of illness are not allowed to go to the school premises.
In addition, this prohibition then also applies to everyone "who refuses to take part in testing and / or who refuse to wear a mask," says the decision.
And: Such pupils then have no right to emergency care.
