Federal Educators Union and Federal Student Body Advocating for Consistent Regulations
German Culture Ministers are working towards a unified approach to school openings and COVID-19 testing policies, aiming to establish a consistent framework across the 16 federal states. This move comes after previous divergences in decisions on school closures and restrictions during the pandemic.
The ministers are seeking a collective agreement to standardize how schools open and how COVID-19 testing is organized, following debates in 2020 and 2021 that often resulted in varying decisions by state. For instance, initial school closures in March 2020 were decided by 14 of the 16 states independently.
Heinz-Peter Meidinger, president of the German Teachers' Association, has urged the ministers to agree on nationwide rules for school openings and COVID-19 testing. He believes that this is crucial more than a year after the start of the pandemic, as it will help mitigate learning disruptions while safeguarding student and staff health.
Meidinger has proposed a testing obligation for all students in Germany, with at least twice-weekly testing being mandatory. He also suggested that if the vaccination campaign among teachers is well advanced and comprehensive testing is in place, school operators may be given the opportunity to consider opening schools at higher incidences.
However, due to changes with AstraZeneca, there is currently a setback in the vaccination of teachers, according to Meidinger.
Dario Schramm, general secretary of the Federal Association of Student Councils, echoes Meidinger's call for a uniform, binding line for school openings. He emphasizes the need for every student to have the opportunity to be tested twice a week, and there must be binding rules on how the tests are organized.
The Culture Ministers' Conference is scheduled for Thursday, where these issues are expected to be discussed in detail. The aim is to create a coordinated framework that ensures consistent safety measures and testing protocols in schools nationwide.
This push for a nationwide consensus on school openings and COVID-19 testing policies reflects a growing concern among teachers' associations and student representatives to unify pandemic-related educational policies across federal states, building upon past experiences of piecemeal decisions.
The ministers are exploring the possibility of implementing nationwide COVID-19 testing for students, with a frequency of at least twice a week, as proposed by Heinz-Peter Meidinger, in an effort to maintain health and wellness and minimize learning disruptions. This push towards a standardized approach aligns with Dario Schramm's call for binding rules in school testing, as both parties aim to establish a unified health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise framework in schools across the 16 federal states.
