Despite high incidences, especially among children and young people, the Ministry of Education continues to rely on face-to-face teaching.
But how much of this still takes place in the district?
District
– Despite high incidences, especially among children and young people, the Ministry of Education continues to rely on face-to-face teaching.
But how much of this still takes place in the schools in the Miesbach district in view of the sick and quarantined students and teachers?
We asked around at some institutions - with quite different results.
Realschule Gmund
According to headmaster Tobias Schreiner, the situation at the Tegernseer Tal secondary school is “tense to very tense”.
On Friday, 53 out of 670 students were in quarantine - around one in twelve.
In addition, one in five teachers was absent – including other illnesses.
Some teachers can also not be used permanently - for example pregnant women who can only be connected to the classroom from home via video conference, but where Schreiner has to use an additional person.
More staff is required, many sick people - complete teaching is hardly possible, says Schreiner.
A few hours are already missing, for the new semester the headmaster will use teachers primarily in core subjects - more German and math, fewer support and elective offers.
The afternoon care of the open all-day school has already reduced its operations by more than half.
Schreiner hopes for relaxation next week.
Also read: Realschule Tegernseer Tal starts face-to-face classes
Despite these difficulties, the headmaster would not relax the rules: A “whole number of children” are still plagued by headaches and fever weeks after an infection, teachers of all ages leave Corona less efficient.
Because Omikron hasn't changed anything about that either, the headmaster continues to be cautious: "I see no reason to lift or relax the protective measures in the school environment."
Meanwhile, Schreiner's options for stemming the shortage of staff are limited.
For absent pregnant women, he could immediately hire two or three full-time substitute teachers.
The ministry provides the funds, but due to the shortage of teachers, Schreiner has not been able to find anyone for weeks.
So the remaining catch the missing hours partly through many substitutions.
Schreiner: "It's a heavy burden and you have to be careful that there is no chain reaction."
Realschule Miesbach
It almost seems as if the corona virus were bouncing off an invisible wall in front of the teachers' room at the Miesbach secondary school.
Exactly one of 59 teachers is currently missing due to a positive test, says headmaster Thomas Kaspar on request.
Not just a snapshot: "There were never more than two at the same time." The number of infections among the students is higher, but at least at the moment they are no longer increasing.
There are gaps in the classes, but they are well below the 50 percent quota from which it is possible to switch to distance learning.
Also interesting: Schools in the district of Miesbach are prepared for compulsory testing
"We are fully present," says Kaspar.
The students in quarantine would be taken care of via the school app and a learning blog.
Hybrid lessons are ruled out at the Miesbach secondary school due to a lack of internet bandwidth, says the headmaster.
As of now, however, the lessons are largely normal compared to the situation in other schools.
Will it stay that way?
"Toi, toi, toi," says Kaspar.
Realschule Holzkirchen
The situation at the Oberland Realschule in Holzkirchen is similar: "The lessons are within the normal range," says the secretariat.
There are currently no classes in distance learning.
Students in quarantine are given work assignments by their teachers.
elementary and middle schools
About 2.5 percent of the teachers at elementary and middle schools are currently not available due to a positive test for Covid 19, said Jürgen Heiss, the director of the school board, when asked.
For comparison: Unable to work for other reasons are currently 3.4 percent.
There are currently no new class quarantines.
Two school locations have made use of the option to switch to distance learning if there are more than 50 percent absent students.
A total of three classes were schooled at home for five days each.
According to the current regulations, hybrid lessons are not intended per se, but the technical implementation is now possible at almost all school locations.
The fact that the number of lessons in elementary and secondary schools is limited is often due to “easy-to-use and effective on-site solutions,” explains Heiss.
For example, through the use of so-called "successors" (e.g. student teachers with their first state examination) or team teachers who are intensively accompanied from home by a pregnant teacher who is therefore subject to the company employment ban.
Some schools would also increase the hours of part-time teachers.
"There is a lot of commitment here in many places," praised Heiss.
However, the duration of the pandemic is noticeably draining the strength of everyone involved.
"We continue to hope that the overall situation will ease."
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