Karin Prien for easing: "We have to get out of a culture of fear in schools"

The President of the Conference of Ministers of Education (KMK), Karin Prien, calls for the corona measures in schools to be relaxed.

"We have to get out of a culture of fear in schools," said the Schleswig-Holstein CDU Minister of Education of the "Bild" newspaper (Saturday).

When it opens from mid-February or early March, schools must also be relaxed.

“Sports and music lessons must take place again in full.

Testing must end gradually.

By the end of March at the latest, two tests a week will probably be enough.” The obligation to test must gradually become a “test option”.

The mask requirement must also gradually fall, first in the classroom on the square, then in the building.

Their reasoning: the high point of the omicron wave has already been passed in the first federal states such as Schleswig-Holstein, Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg, according to Prien.

“Fortunately, this is also reflected in the declining number of infections among 5 to 18-year-olds.” The President of the German Teachers’ Association, Heinz-Peter Meidinger, had told the German Press Agency that the omicron wave still had a firm impact on school operations Handle.

The number of infections should not be increased again by loosening the restrictions too early, thereby endangering the nationwide face-to-face teaching again.

According to figures from the Conference of Ministers of Education, around six percent of schoolchildren and around three percent of teachers in Germany were either infected or in quarantine last week.

With an open letter of complaint and an Internet campaign under the motto #WirWerdenLaut, some student representatives had also accused politicians of a "contamination plan".

They speak out against compulsory attendance and call for smaller learning groups, PCR pool tests and air filters in all schools.

Prien then exchanged views with student representatives.

Meanwhile, another statement by the KMK President in connection with the corona pandemic caused a stir on Twitter.

On a user's tweet "We have had 17 dead children in the last 4 weeks.

17 - in FOUR weeks.

And it's getting faster and faster.

By October 21 we had 27 dead children, since October 38. So in 4.5 months more than in 18 months.

A total of 65 children died.

SIXTY-FIVE" replied Prien on Friday evening on the short message service: "Please differentiate: children are dying.

This is extremely tragic.

But they die with COVID_19 and only extremely rarely because of COVID_19.” This answer drew numerous, sometimes insulting, reactions.

Many accused the politician of lack of empathy and demanded an apology.

The hashtag #Prienruecktret trended.