Easter holidays are in Bavaria.
This could give schools the much-needed time to devise a testing strategy.
How is it going?
Munich - Holidays at long last: In the face of increasing incidence, schools have saved themselves into a two-week break.
But what's next from April 12th?
A preview.
After the Easter holidays: what are the rules?
If the seven-day incidence * is less than 100, alternating or face-to-face classes (if there is enough distance) take place at all schools.
If the value is below 50, only the primary school students start class in full on site.
As soon as the incidence is over 100, only the final grades, but also the eleventh grades of the grammar schools and the FOS as well as the fourth grades of the elementary and special schools, may be taught alternately.
Corona in Bavaria: are rapid tests mandatory?
From April 12th, students are supposed to take a self-test twice a week under supervision at school - including elementary school students, which there are concerns about.
Risk of injury, data protection, difficulties in use - these are the complaints of the parents' council of the Munich elementary school on Herrnstrasse, for example.
Nevertheless: Minister of Culture Michael Piazolo (FW) strongly recommends participation.
If the value is over 100, participation becomes mandatory.
Corona in Bavaria: What tests are there?
Two manufacturers (Roche and Siemens) deliver the self-tests *.
There is an explanatory video at km.bayern.de/selbsttests - that is probably easier than reading 14 pages of instructions that the ministry sent to parents.
Schools and coronavirus in Bavaria: who will be tested and when?
The tests will take place in schools, amid protests from all teachers' associations.
The Starnberg grammar school carried out a test run.
“We tested 67 classes on two days in the first lesson”, explains the deputy headmistress Uta Lechner.
That worked well, but it took time.
Corona: Can students refuse the test?
Since participation in face-to-face classes is linked to a negative test result, a student may not appear without this under any circumstances.
The approval rate is high, but "We probably won't achieve 100 percent," says Uta Lechner from the Starnberg High School, where 70 percent of the students took part in the test run.
Individual care for those who refuse cannot be afforded.
Christoph Hagenauer, headmaster of Werdenfels-Gymnasium in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, also hopes that the quota will increase after Easter.
So far, 88 percent of students and parents have given their consent.
Then what about compulsory schooling?
“The obligation to attend school can be fulfilled by taking advantage of school-specific offers in distance learning,” the ministry announced.
However, there is no claim for the "refusers".
“I don't want to ask my colleagues to do double schooling,” says headmaster Hagenauer from Werdenfels-Gymnasium.
Corona in Bavaria: are the teachers vaccinated?
Elementary and special school teachers have been upgraded to priority two.
This does not apply to secondary school teachers.
However, the Coronavirus Vaccination Ordinance stipulates that other groups can be vaccinated preferentially in hotspot regions - including secondary school or high school teachers.
"That also takes place in northeast Bavaria," says the head of the philologists' association, Michael Schwägerl.
What about emergency care?
A primary school in the Starnberg area has already announced that it will no longer offer emergency care after Easter - the funds are "exhausted".
This is not in the interests of the ministry: It declares that emergency care should take place “as far as the spatial and personal conditions allow”.
(
Dirk Walter, Cornelia Schramm) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
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