School summit in front of MPK: Education ministers make decision on lessons in Omikron wave

Created: 01/06/2022, 09:06 AM

From: Florian Naumann

What's next for schools in the Omikron wave?

Many parents and students are concerned.

A school summit on Wednesday should bring clarity.

The news ticker.

• The Omikron wave now seems to reach Germany - politicians are reacting Before the Corona summit on Friday, the Conference of Ministers of Education (KMK) meets on Wednesday (January 5th).

• There are also clear demands on the federal-state meeting on Friday *

  (see update from January 5, 9.50 a.m.).

• The KMK agreed on a shorter quarantine period, schools should remain open

  (see update from January 5, 5.43 p.m.).

• This news ticker is continuously updated.

Update from January 5, 5.46 p.m.:

Baden-Württemberg's state government has spoken out in favor of shorter quarantine times nationwide with a view to the Prime Minister's Conference on Friday.

The reason for this is that the Robert Koch Institute has confirmed the lower infection time of the Omikron variant in contrast to Delta, said a spokeswoman for the State Ministry of the

on Wednesday.

"Accordingly, nationally shortened isolation and quarantine times are appropriate and correct with a view to the necessary relief of the critical infrastructure." These should be implemented quickly.

School summit: Conference of ministers of education agrees on shorter quarantine

Update from January 5, 5.43 p.m.:

Because of the dynamic pandemic, the Conference of Ministers of Education (KMK) has spoken out in favor of revising the quarantine rules in schools. In a resolution passed unanimously on Wednesday, the heads of department of the federal states suggested equal treatment of schools with facilities with important infrastructure. This would also go hand in hand with shortening the quarantine for teachers, for example. In addition, the conference agreed that pupils or staff who have already been immunized can also be tested for the coronavirus if it appears appropriate.

Corona tests for immunized patients are not an obligation, but an "optional determination", emphasized the KMK chairwoman and Schleswig-Holstein Minister of Education Karin Prien (CDU). With a view to school closings and hybrid teaching models, the KMK reaffirmed its December decision that face-to-face learning should continue to have absolute priority. According to Prien, these should definitely remain open, but: "Of course, in individual cases it is conceivable that a school may issue a ban on entry." However, this measure should only be taken when all other options have been exhausted.

The German Teachers' Association welcomed this model. The chairman of the Education and Science Union (GEW), Maike Finnern, said on Wednesday on

: “To be honest, not all schools will be able to stay up. You have to be clear about it. "Classes in presence are the first choice," but not at any price either. "

Update from January 5th, 4:15 pm:

"We have to assume that there will be a very dynamic infection process in the coming weeks," said KMK chairwoman Karin Prien (CDU) in a press conference after the school summit with the ministers of culture. "Keeping educational institutions open is important," she emphasized nonetheless. According to the ministers, schools should only be closed “when all other options have been exhausted”.

Face-to-face learning has top priority even with an Omikron variant. In their decision, the ministers expressly appeal to adults to get vaccinated and to give children the opportunity to do so. Vaccination offers should be expanded more "where not done". This applies to the 12 to 17 year olds. For 5- to 11-year-olds, "we expect the relevant sources to further clarify the vaccination recommendation," said Prien. Clear legal regulations are also required for booster vaccinations.

"The new dynamic of the pandemic will also be felt in schools," Prien continued.

In order to be able to ensure learning in schools, the ministers of education suggest a revision of the quarantine rules for pupils and school staff.

"Maintaining school operations is systemically relevant for children and adolescents." Tests are also still important, even for those who have been immunized.

School summit: "To be honest, not all schools will be able to stay up"

Update from January 5, 11:20 a.m.:

Education unions have in principle spoken out in favor of open schools before the counseling of the education ministers of the federal states.

At the same time, they are against excluding closings.

The chairman of the Education and Science Union (GEW), Maike Finnern, said on Wednesday on the ntv broadcaster: “To be honest, not all schools will be able to stay up.

You have to be clear about it. ”She referred to the pre-Christmas period, when not all schools had classroom teaching for a long time.

According to KMK data, around 40 of around 30,000 schools in Germany were closed in mid-December, and operations were restricted at 1,400 schools.

A girl wears a mask in class in a primary school.

(Archive image) © Patrick Pleul / dpa

Face-to-face teaching is the first choice, "but not at any price either," said Finnern. The chairman of the Association for Education and Upbringing (VBE), Udo Beckmann, said that they knew about the importance of face-to-face teaching for the development of children and young people. If it becomes necessary from a scientific point of view, alternating lessons and school closings, where necessary, should not be dogmatically excluded to protect children and teachers.

The President of the German Teachers' Association, Heinz-Peter Meidinger, called on ntv.de for an "emergency plan" for additional measures if the number of infections in schools rose "explosively".

"Now simply to say that everything is fine, we have the situation under control, the measures taken are sufficient, will not be enough." He also told the

: "An inappropriately large reduction in quarantine times could also prove to be a boomerang for the Prove school operation if this increases the risk of infection and does not decrease. "

Are schools still open if the number of infections caused by Omikron is high?

Education ministers advise

Update from January 5, 9:50 a.m.:

In a special section, the education ministers of the federal states are discussing the situation at schools against the background of the growing Omikron wave this Wednesday.

The consultations are about how school operations can be maintained even with the number of infections rising steeply.

In advance, representatives of several federal states made it clear that large-scale school closings were not an option and called for simplified quarantine rules.

Binding agreements are not to be expected from the consultations of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK).

Since education is a matter for the federal states, the KMK usually takes decisions that are more of an appeal character.

Before the school summit today: Minister of Culture wants decision to reduce quarantine times

Federal Minister of Education Bettina Stark-Watzinger assured the federal states of aid. “I very much hope that the Standing Conference will speak out in favor of keeping schools open with Omikron. As a federal government, we support everything that is necessary to make this possible, ”said the FDP politician to the

.

Hesse's Minister of Culture Alexander Lorz (CDU), coordinator for the CDU-governed countries in the KMK, called for a decision to reduce the quarantine times with a view to the upcoming Corona crisis discussion between Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the Prime Minister on Friday.

"Because schools with eleven million students nationwide and 800,000 teachers are part of the critical infrastructure for me, which now has to be specially protected," said Lorz of the dpa.

Update from January 4, 7:16 p.m.:

An end to the mask requirement in schools will be loud in the first half of 2022

the Schleswig-Holstein Minister of Education, Karin Prien.

"I'm a big fan of the mask requirement," said the chairman of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs to the TV broadcaster

.

The mask is a very effective tool for fighting pandemics and for dampening the rate of infection, said the CDU politician.

“That's why it goes without saying that we in Schleswig-Holstein will start school again after the holidays with the mask on.

There is now also consensus in all other federal states. ”Prien said that a loosening of the mask requirement could not be discussed until the second half of the year at the earliest.

Omikron and the schools in Germany: KMK chairwoman is committed to face-to-face teaching

First report from January 4, 2:12 p.m.:

Berlin / Kiel - When it comes to corona policy, things are going in quick succession at the beginning of the year. On Friday, a summit * will probably decide on new quarantine and possibly also contact regulations. On Wednesday, another important question for many children, young people and parents in the country will be clarified: What will happen to the schools in the upcoming Omikron wave? The conference of ministers of education should create clarity *.

On Tuesday, the chairwoman of the group leaned a little out of the window: Karin Prien (CDU), Minister in Schleswig-Holstein, warned of further closings.

"We have to be clear: For children and young people, school closings mean a massive restriction of their development opportunities," warned Prien on the TV broadcaster Phoenix.

"We cannot go on like this, and that is also reflected in the current version of the Infection Protection Act."

Karin Prien (CDU) chairs the conference of ministers of education during the difficult corona consultations.

© Chris Emil Janssen / www.imago-images.de

The Kiel Minister of Education also emphasized that there has so far been no evidence that Omikron is more dangerous for school children than the delta variant of the corona virus.

That is why the schools have to be reopened in regular operation - albeit “responsibly, under strict hygiene measures”.

The professional association of paediatricians (BVKJ) also called on Monday to keep the schools going even with rising corona numbers.

Politicians have promised to consider school closings only as a last resort, BVKJ President Thomas Fischbach told the

: "We are insisting on this promise."

Corona: Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg want to start with face-to-face teaching - one question remains open

Anyway, the signs seem to point to “opening”.

Baden-Württemberg Minister of Education Theresa Schopper (Greens) wants to “stick to the goal of face-to-face teaching” while leaving “flexibility” for the schools.

Her Bavarian counterpart Michael Piazolo (Free Voters) also promised parents and students lessons on site: "We want face-to-face lessons, we had face-to-face lessons, we will start with face-to-face lessons in the next week like other federal states," he emphasized on Monday evening on Bayerischer Rundfunk .

At the same time, Piazolo announced readjustments on one of these days highly controversial topic - the quarantine rules.

"But details always have to be adjusted, especially in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, as far as the quarantine is concerned."

Shorter quarantine for teachers?

Union advocates new regulation before school summit

The Education and Science Union (GEW) is already calling for a shortening of the corona quarantine for teachers.

"Before the holidays, a large number of employees were in quarantine at some schools, which is why distance learning had to take place in some cases," said GEW chairman Maike Finnern to the

.

She would therefore appreciate it if vaccinated and recovered employees without symptoms could shorten the quarantine with a PCR test.

In individual cases, however, distance learning cannot be ruled out.

The expert council of the federal government * could give a hint on Tuesday. The committee will deal with the issue of quarantine, among other things. In Germany, there have recently been concerns about maintaining the critical infrastructure in view of the potentially large numbers of quarantined employees. The Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs on Wednesday will probably also deal with plans for alternating lessons and emergency care - at least that is what Teachers Association President Heinz-Peter Meidinger demanded before the turn of the year.

After the Christmas break, the students have been back in class since Monday in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg, Berlin, Saxony and Rhineland-Palatinate.

Saarland will follow on Tuesday, Hamburg on Wednesday and - depending on the decision of the schools - Thuringia too.

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