Federal Minister of Education Anja Karliczek (CDU) insists that pupils are generally required to be present at schools after the holidays.
"In my opinion, the compulsory attendance should normally apply again," said Karliczek of the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung on Saturday.
Exceptions for previously ill and particularly vulnerable children and adolescents should, however, be possible.
There will be framework conditions under which safe teaching can be guaranteed.
Going to school is an important factor in everyday life for children.
"They need social contacts and they have to learn," said the education minister.
But she spoke out in favor of corona tests after the holidays.
There must be regular tests, the frequency depending on the infection process.
“We should afford that as the first and most important measure in the event of rising incidences,” said the CDU politician.
School closings not excluded
The Minister of Education did not want to completely rule out school closings as a possible measure: “In a situation like a pandemic, you can never guarantee or exclude something. We do not know which variants are still to come. "But she was" confident that the schools can be kept open in principle this autumn. "She justified this with an" increasing vaccination rate "and a" good test structure ".
The teachers' union GEW still fears that lessons will be impaired in the coming school year. It is dubious to now publicly exclude it, as the Conference of Ministers of Education had done, said Roman George, educational policy officer of the Hessen Education and Science Union, at the request of the German Press Agency. "Instead of withdrawing into pure wishful thinking, it is now more important to take appropriate precautions so that the schools start the third year of school as well prepared as possible under pandemic conditions," said George.
The GEW, for example, calls for more air filters for the classrooms in order to reduce the risk of infection. “In the future, filter systems are desirable for all classrooms, as they enable additional security. Even regardless of the corona pandemic, they can contribute to permanently improved health protection in schools, ”said George.