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Bettina Stark-Watzinger wants to declare educational institutions critical infrastructure
Photo: IMAGO/Chris Emil Janssen / IMAGO/Chris Emil Janssen
Gas prices are skyrocketing – and supply is also threatened.
In view of these possible bottlenecks, Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger warned against restricting teaching.
"During the pandemic, I campaigned to include educational institutions in the critical infrastructure," said the FDP politician to the "Rheinische Post".
“Even now, special attention should be paid to them so that there are no teaching restrictions or even cancellations,” said the minister.
That is the lesson from the pandemic-related school closures.
Many schools actually need a new heating system
High energy prices and the threat of shortages are having an increasing impact on Germans' everyday lives.
Prosperity is dwindling, in many places the only thing that helps is doing without.
In Saxony, a housing association has already reduced the supply of around 300 apartments with hot water because of the high prices.
Germany's largest housing group Vonovia also announced that it would turn down the heating system during the night hours.
Numerous swimming pools are threatened with closure due to rising energy costs.
Energy saving potentials should of course be used, the minister told the newspaper.
However, this is already an issue in many schools and universities.
The head of the GEW education union, Maike Finnern, also told the »Rheinische Post« that many schools have long been using energy sustainably and responsibly.
However, many schools are also ailing, not built energy-efficiently and heating systems need to be modernized.
In addition, the fear of bottlenecks in the gas supply has recently intensified, because the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, which is important for Germany, is to be completely canceled for maintenance from July 11th.
The German authorities fear that Russia will then shut it down for longer than is actually necessary for political reasons.
Most recently, Moscow had drastically reduced the amount of gas flowing through the pipeline to Germany.
apr/dpa
