Distance learning as effective as summer vacation?
For many, this study result does not come as a complete surprise.
But the problem is far from over.
Berlin - It is a devastating verdict for distance learning: A study by the Goethe University shows that schoolchildren acquired significantly fewer skills in spring 2020 than during attendance times.
Andreas Frey, one of the authors of the study, even draws a comparison with weeks of vacation: “The average development of skills during school closings in spring 2020 can be described as stagnation with a tendency to decline in skills and is therefore in the range of the effects of summer vacation systematic evaluation of worldwide studies, which many have suspected for a long time.
Green politician calls for school arrangements for face-to-face teaching - "The federal government ducking away is not acceptable"
In times of low corona numbers in Germany, the chances of face-to-face teaching are good. But what threats Germany, for example, from the delta variant in autumn and winter? Insecurity remains, warns Margit Stumpp, spokeswoman for education policy of the Greens in the Bundestag. "Now the precautions must be taken in the schools so that safe face-to-face teaching is still possible in the autumn," she explains
when asked
by
Merkur.de
. "This includes mobile air purification systems in the classrooms, more speed with digitization, step-by-step plans with adapted hygiene concepts, extensive test strategies and vaccination capacities for schoolchildren." "About more funds for air purifiers or vaccine contingents for schoolchildren". Stumpp warns: "Dodging the federal government is not acceptable."
The Greens welcomes the current recommendation of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina to keep Germany's schools open during the pandemic and to focus on the right to education.
“The effects are often serious because there have been too many 'school holidays' in the last year and a half.” She does not speak of a ban on distance learning, this form of learning will “remain an option, but all other options must be exhausted beforehand be ", Stumpp makes clear.
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Distance teaching in Corona times: This does not seem to have helped the skills development of the students.
© Rolf Vennenbernd / dpa
Distance learning as effective as summer vacation in the beginning?
FDP education spokesman thinks that Spahn is already anticipating future failures
Federal Minister of Health
Jens Spahn (CDU) had agreed to ongoing corona measures in schools over the weekend. Mask compulsory and changing lessons could be necessary again. But one of the main goals is to keep normal school life as long as possible, he added on Monday at “Industry Day”. With the right instruments, constant changes can be avoided, for example through tests, vaccinations and masks. Because of the virus variants, the country must be "prepared for anything".
For Thomas Sattelberger, spokesman for education of the FDP in the Bundestag, however, the last few months have already been “a sign of poverty for the educational republic”. Above all, children from financially weak families would have had to pay for the problems with digitization, he complains. “Jens Spahn is apparently already planning that Germany will not be able to change anything about this in the coming winter either. Anyone who talks about alternating lessons also means distance learning, ”said Sattelberger on Monday lunchtime on request.
School closings must continue to be the last resort. For face-to-face lessons in pandemic conditions, “sufficient rapid tests in schools, prioritized vaccinations for teachers, mobile and stationary air purifiers and, if space is limited, the rental of additional classrooms” are required. According to the Liberal, it is also important to ensure that teachers receive any necessary follow-up vaccinations in the autumn. And the federal states should “finally take up the serious offers of private online portals instead of just fiddling around with their failure-prone state education platforms”. Because: “If all else fails and the number of infections increases sharply again due to a virus mutant, all regions in Germany must also be prepared for the emergency of a renewed exchange and distance teaching."
Federal government: "Open schools have a very high priority" - Delta variant, however, carries a risk
Government spokesman Steffen Seibert underlined on Monday the intended return to full school operations after the summer holidays - but there were still risks.
"Open schools are a very high priority," he said.
Even in view of the more contagious Delta virus variant, it is “not about a completely foreseeable development”, explained Seibert.
The federal government referred to a funding program launched in mid-June for the installation of air filter systems for daycare centers and schools in which children up to the age of twelve are cared for.
The federal government bears up to 80 percent of the costs.
The SPD wants to invest massively in catching up with schools and continue the digitization push
SPD education
spokesman
Oliver Kaczmarek told
Merkur.de
that the disadvantages for children must now be reacted to further
.
“Right from the start, the SPD campaigned for the federal government to invest heavily in catching up. With the catch-up package worth two billion euros, not only are promotional offers made, but also school social work and individual support are made possible. ”The digitization push caused by the pandemic must be continued.
The President of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK), Brandenburg's Education Minister Britta Ernst (SPD), recently spoke out against early stipulations on further restrictions on regular teaching. "The KMK has advocated classroom teaching, and that should not be questioned prematurely," she told
Tagesspiegel
. Kaczmarek from the SPD in the Bundestag thinks that regular classes should be maintained as long as possible. “Here it is important to weigh carefully and, as far as possible, to carry out lessons with the necessary protective measures in presence. It is the duty of the health minister to create the necessary conditions for this instead of speculating prematurely about changing lessons. "
Study results on distance learning relate to the situation in spring 2020 - is the situation better now?
Among other things, the Philologists Association Schleswig-Holstein is meanwhile relativizing the criticism derived from the study: The study for 2020 in relation to many countries says nothing about distance teaching in spring 2021 in Germany.
The authors of the study also see indications that the effects of later school closings, i.e. from winter 2020/2021, do not necessarily have to be just as drastic.
An improvement in online teaching after the initial phase could cushion the negative effects.
(cibo / dpa)
List of rubric lists: © Rolf Vennenbernd / dpa