The debate about the closure of schools is an important topic in the corona lockdown.
The neurobiologist Gerald Hüther warns of the possible consequences for children.
According to the latest resolution of the
federal-state consultations
the
schools should
"generally"
remain
closed until February 14th
.
Neurobiologist
Gerald Hüther
warns of the consequences for
children
.
A year leaves as many traces in the brain of a 7-year-old as ten years in the brain of a 70-year-old, the expert explained.
Cologne - Dealing with
schools
and
daycare centers
- probably one of the biggest and most important issues at stake in the deliberations of Chancellor
Angela Merkel
and the Prime Minister in the
corona pandemic *
.
The politicians have to
weigh
up between the containment of the
coronavirus *
and the
long-term impairment
of children and young people through closings.
The latest resolution of the
federal-state consultations
provides for
schools to be
"generally" closed
until February 14th
or for the mandatory attendance to be suspended.
However, each federal state continues to decide for itself how to implement this decision.
The chairwoman of the Conference of Ministers of Education,
Britta Ernst
, now considers the first school
openings
to be possible at the beginning of February, if not completely.
Schools in corona lockdown: Expert warns of consequences for children
A step that neurobiologist
Gerald Hüther
should take.
He said in an interview with the
Germany radio
that children in the
school
not only to learn, but there also their deepest
needs
, for example, by
friendship
and common
games
live.
According to the expert, adults often have
too little understanding of
what suppressing these needs in
corona lockdown *
triggers.
+
The classrooms in Germany are empty during the corona lockdown.
(Symbol image)
© picture alliance / dpa / dpa-Zentralbild |
Britta Pedersen
The needs are "built over with inhibitory circuits" in the brain in
order to be able to deal
with the ongoing
social restrictions
.
Children would
be able to cope better with the restrictions, but
at some point they would no longer feel
the
need
, says
Hüther
.
“The
children
try to please us
adults
.
If you tell them, (...) You are no longer allowed to hold grandma in your arms, then grandma no longer takes it in your arms.
And if that is the case for six months, then
the grandma no longer wants to hug it
”, so the terrifying example of the neurobiologist.
Schools in corona lockdown: "Closed for far too long"
"
Basically,
children
do not
develop all of their
abilities
by being taught, but by
trying
them out in a
playful way
, together with others," explained the expert.
The
most important learning area is
therefore the
schools
.
These have been closed "for far too long," criticized
Hüther
.
Because:
One year leaves as many traces in the brain of a 7-year-old as ten years in the brain of a 70-year-old
, according to the neurobiologist.
According to the expert, the
public debate about
school closings
during the
corona pandemic *
revolves too much about the
needs of working parents
and about skills for later professional practice.
However, the
interests of the children
are
hardly taken into account
, criticized Hüther.
"I have great fears that a generation of young people will grow up here who can no longer remember - because they have not even experienced it - how nice it was - to be alive as a child."
(Ph) * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital editorial network