The schools in the Freising district will initially be spared distance teaching.
The district administrator and the health department speak out against another class division.
District
- The schools in the district are initially spared distance teaching - although this is actually provided for in districts with an incidence value of over 50 in the "three-step plan" of the Ministry of Education and Research.
There is, however, a margin of discretion - and the Health Department and District Administrator Helmut Petz have used it: For the time being, face-to-face classes will remain in all schools until the autumn break.
Nothing will change in terms of the mask requirement during lessons - even for primary school students.
The district office announced that there is no legal way of ordering an exception here.
District Administrator Petz: Infection numbers in schools are very low
The decision to continue classroom teaching is “in the interests of the children and parents,” says District Administrator Helmut Petz.
The decision was made to keep classroom teaching for two reasons: On the one hand, the schools would hardly have been able to organize the changeover until Monday, argues Petz.
“They're already skiddling anyway.” Second point: Since there is only one week of school operation before the autumn break, you couldn't have changed.
Because the number of infections in schools is very low, the district administrator continues, the decision for face-to-face teaching is also justifiable and “quick action is not urgently required”.
"Schools are not sources of infection"
"We are really relieved by this decision," says the headmaster of the Lerchenfeld Middle School, Thomas Nistler, "the effort would not have been justified for five school days either." Leave the autumn holidays like that.
“Schools are not sources of infection,” says Nistler, and that has now been scientifically proven.
Now you can use the autumn vacation time to prepare for partial closings if the number of infections continues to rise.
If it does come to that, Nistler is considering changing it on a daily basis.
"Then we won't lose the students for a whole week like they did at the end of the previous school year."
In any case, the Lerchenfeld Middle School strictly adheres to the hygiene concept.
This means that all pupils and teachers must wear a mask: "Everyone in the staff room also wear mouth and nose protection." This is also important for older teachers.
"Every teacher prefers to see their students in the classroom"
Kerstin Rehm, Chairwoman of the Staff Council at the Freising State Education Authority, was surprised by the decision of the District Office.
Due to the 7-day incidence of over 50, she would have expected the school classes to be split if the minimum distance of 1.50 meters in classrooms could not be maintained.
"But I have confidence in the authorities and the medical professionals that they have made a responsible decision here." Especially when there are no cases of infection at all in schools, it makes sense to stay in classroom teaching.
"Every teacher prefers to see their students in the classroom."
At the same time, Rehm expects the decision-makers to "hook up" immediately if the number of infections should continue to increase significantly or if a corona herd should develop in a debt.
“Because your health has priority.
In view of the already acute shortage of staff, we cannot afford even more sick teachers. "
"In exceptional situations, normal lessons are not possible"
The reactions Rehm receives from teachers result in a two-part mood.
"There are teachers who are afraid of being infected, but also those who are more concerned about how they should be given a possible double burden of face-to-face and online lessons."
If at some point there should still be class splits, the schools would also have to be reduced by bureaucracy and the lesson tables for teachers would have to be reduced accordingly, demands Rehm.
“Because normal lessons are not possible in exceptional situations.” She pays the school principals great respect.
"They haven't had a vacation since February because they are constantly busy developing new concepts or adapting existing ones."
"The psychological consequences for the children are already big enough"
Stormy parents 'protests against a class division - that is not on the line of the parents' council of the Camerloher-Gymnasium - although Huberta von Urff is also happy that “there is no need to divide yet”.
The deputy chairwoman of the committee emphasized: “We see ourselves as a parents' council in a mediator role.
We are all in the same boat, and we have to steer this together through the currently rather stormy sea. ”Therefore, the advisory board would have supported it if the class division had been decreed from Monday.
Of course, it makes sense to wait for the autumn break before taking this step - "in the hope that the number of infections will normalize again".
Basically, says Huberta von Urff, “we all have to remain flexible.
That is probably the order of the day. "
Carolin Pieringer from Freising is “absolutely relieved” by the decision of the district office.
She has two children at the Camerloher-Gymnasium and knows: "It simply increases the children's motivation when they see their teacher." Returning to alternating operations would also have been irresponsible "if, for example, leisure activities are still possible in a confined space and without a mask".
So far, there have been very few cases of infection in schools - and therefore no "justification for sending half the school home."
"Homeschooling is incredibly little useful, especially for elementary school students"
Karsten Meyer, Chairman of the Parents' Council at Neustift Elementary School in Freising, also welcomes the office's decision to forego distance learning for the time being.
“Because the experiences with homeschooling have shown that primary school students in particular are not benefiting from it.
They sit in front of the device and switch off internally after five minutes. "
Meyer therefore advocates differentiating between elementary school and secondary school if class splits are still relevant after the holidays.
"With regard to the incidence value, I would like to see a higher limit for primary schools - especially because the younger pupils are probably less of a problem with regard to corona infections than older ones."
The incidence value in the Freising district on Wednesday, October 21, was 69.66. The district office has now determined where mouth and nose protection must be worn in the district.
The increasing number of infected people in the Freising district has an impact on schools: Again, numerous students have to be quarantined.