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The two-week Easter break for the schools was not much more than a breather.

The number of infections is still high, far too high.

And school starts again on Monday in most federal states, in Saxony-Anhalt, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania this week.

But how can everyday school life be organized in the middle of the third wave?

Udo Beckmann, head of the Association for Education and Upbringing, is already very worried.

"The number of new infections among children of primary school age rose rapidly in the week before the Easter break - by 370 percent since the schools opened," he told WELT.

“There is only one reason for this extremely worrying development: the still inadequate conditions in schools.

As long as these do not improve fundamentally, there will continue to be many cases of infection. "

It is irresponsible that various federal states are pursuing the course of wanting to keep schools open regardless of incidence.

"This puts the health of employees and students at risk, and we consider that to be unacceptable."

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The ministers of education want to advise on Thursday, also with a view to the prime ministerial conference with the chancellor next Monday.

But it is already becoming apparent that the school landscape in Germany remains a patchwork quilt, which classes are taught in what form after the holidays, is regulated very differently in the individual countries.

The only thing that seems clear is that regular tests, which are also mandatory in many places, should play a central role everywhere.

In many places, however, they are not sufficient to ensure that teaching is available again in schools across the board after months.

Affidavit for self-tests

In

Saxony-Anhalt,

for example, where the holidays ended on Easter Monday, all schools and all age groups are currently in a changing model.

Only in Halle are the schools currently closed - according to the containment ordinance, such a step is necessary within seven days from an incidence of more than 200 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants.

The Ministry of Education announced that tests should be compulsory to ensure safety in schools, which will apply from April 12th - proof of this is a certificate from a test center, an affidavit that a test has been carried out at home or the rapid test at school.

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“We want to keep it open as long as possible.

The compulsory test as well as a wide range of vaccinations for all teachers are a central factor in addition to the classic hygiene measures, ”said Education Minister Marco Tullner (CDU) WELT.

“Compulsory testing has long been required by many parents and teachers.

I am glad that there are now continuously sufficient test capacities available. "

In

Rhineland-Palatinate

,

too,

all classes in the alternating model started again initially on Wednesday - accompanied by two self-tests per week, which are carried out together “in a monitored setting in the school”.

Saxony also

starts on Monday with all grades - regardless of incidence, but alternating in secondary schools and with two tests per week.

“Despite the increasing number of infections, we want to enable children and young people to go to daycare and school.

It is the task of all of us to ensure that schools and day care centers remain as safe as possible, ”said Minister of Education Christian Piwarz (CDU).

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In some federal states, however, a regular test regime is not enough to return to a more or less regular school routine.

Brandenburg,

for example, has already decided to apply the emergency brake further.

In view of the incidence of infections with an incidence of over 100, the secondary schools - with the exception of the final classes - start with distance learning from Monday.

Face-to-face lessons are only available for primary school students in grades one to six - in an alternating model and with two tests per week, which are also compulsory from April 19.

“The third wave continues to roll through Brandenburg.

Even if we are making good progress with vaccination, we must continue to contain it consistently and effectively and reduce contacts.

It is therefore advisable now to be careful in the school area, ”says Health Minister Ursula Nonnenmacher (Greens).

Even

Bayern

will "prefer to stay longer cautious," as Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) said on Wednesday - especially given high infection levels among students.

From a seven-day incidence of 100, distance learning generally takes place in Bavaria's cities and districts.

Only the final grades and grades four and eleven then receive face-to-face lessons in alternation.

If the incidence is less than 100, alternate lessons apply to all in the respective district.

The strategy is accompanied by at least two mandatory tests per week, which must be carried out in the school, as Söder said.

"Participation in lessons is only possible with negative results."

Union calls for Abitur exams to be canceled

The education and science union is calling for the Abitur exams to be canceled this year if the number of infections continues to rise.

Instead, achievements from lessons could be used for grading.

Source: WORLD / Perdita Heise

Baden-Württemberg

is initially planning a week of grace.

With a few exceptions, all classes start in distance learning on Monday.

On April 19, "if the infection allows it", there will be alternating operation with face-to-face and distance learning for all grades - accompanied by an "indirect test obligation", as the Ministry of Education says.

"This means that the presence of a negative corona test is an entry requirement for participation in face-to-face classes and emergency care."

North Rhine-Westphalia

is also planning a compulsory test

, the specific design will be announced “in good time before school starts”, according to the ministry.

The state wants to make two self-tests per week available to schoolchildren of all types of school.

The same applies to

Berlin

- but here the Senate will only decide on Thursday which classes will start again next Monday.

The Berlin Association of the Education and Science Union (GEW) demands that from the end of the Easter holidays, lessons in the capital's schools should only be carried out by teaching staff who have already been vaccinated.

Hesse and Schleswig-Holstein still have a little longer time - here school does not start again until April 19.

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For the GEW at the federal level, the planned self-tests in schools are a particular problem.

“Carrying out self-tests in a primary school class with 28 children without additional staff is simply impossible.

Something like this can only be thought up by someone who has never worked in a school, ”says board member Ilka Hoffmann WELT.

The students needed guidance, and some also needed assistance.

"It's not possible for a teacher," says Hoffmann.

In addition, it could happen that students who tested positive are teased and marginalized.

"We therefore speak out clearly against tests in class groups under the supervision of the teachers."

The grammar school teachers call on the education ministers of the federal states to secure the Abitur exams with quick tests for everyone on every exam day.

"We also need clever and clear statements about the obligation or voluntary nature of tests before exams and before lessons," said the chairwoman of the German Association of Philologists, Susanne Lin-Klitzing, WELT.

If the tests were to be voluntary, tested and untested students would not be able to sit together in the classroom afterwards.

“That has consequences, because it means that face-to-face teaching becomes an option until at least the summer holidays.” The Philologists Association does not want that.