Education unions warn of class cancellations or even school closures if many teachers fall ill in a possible new corona wave. The federal chairman of the Education and Training Association (VBE), Udo Beckmann, told the editorial network Germany (RND, Monday): “If the protection and thus the health of the teachers is not sufficiently observed, the school closures will be against the background of what is already dramatic Lack of staff, if there is a corresponding sick leave, come on their own.”
The chairwoman of the Education and Science Union (GEW), Maike Finnern, told the RND: “Should there be significantly more cases of illness among employees in schools and daycare centers, there will be even more classes canceled due to the already existing shortage of teachers.” Illness-related gaps could no longer be compensated.
VEB chairman Beckmann emphasized that keeping schools and daycare centers open must have top priority. “For this reason in particular, we are concerned that the Infection Protection Act falls well short of our expectations.”
The Infection Protection Act provides that the federal states can prescribe corona tests in schools and daycare centers for autumn and winter. Masks may also be compulsory in schools from class five, provided this is “necessary to maintain regulated face-to-face teaching”. School closures should no longer exist as a corona protection measure.
