School kick-off in NRW: The students deserve to come back to us

Sven Dombrowski is happy. Such a statement one would expect of a headmaster in pandemic times may not. Especially since, if his device is returned a couple of hours in the normal operation. And yet: Who is speaking with the 51-year-old head teacher, is quickly gaining the impression that, at the Protestant Gymnasium Meinerzhagen, in the wind shadow of the highway 45 between Dortmund and Siegen, in fact, pretty much so, as it is the state government in Düsseldorf would be your choice.

Madeleine Brühl

volunteer.

Lorenz Hemicker

editor in the policy

Around 850 of the 2.5 million students in the state are returned to that day in the class rooms on the Bamberg, after six and a half weeks long summer vacation. Quickly, the school had already begun in may, after the loosening of the lock downs, again as much as possible from classroom teaching to hold. At the time, still with considerable distance and being allowed to Use the cafeteria and auditorium.

Since Wednesday morning, the students sit in their class rooms close together as in the times before the Coronavirus was spreading. With one difference: As the only Federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia has introduced the mask of duty in the classroom. A decision, referred to education Minister Yvonne Gebauer (FDP) as the only alternative. It is initially valid until the end of August.

Dombrowski is a duty, not least against the Background of the rising infection numbers. Also, the pupils of his school adhered to this rule in spite of the heat wave "very disciplined". Nevertheless, the school seeks to make children and young people up to six hours with the mask more tolerable. Everyone had the opportunity to leave without talking during the lesson, the room to grab a few minutes of fresh air.

of Course, not everyone agrees with NRW to the plans of the Minister as Dombrowski. The parents ' Association NRW calls, the mask duty is to enforce, if the minimum distance is not adhered to, could be. Just for younger children, the long Wear is disproportionate.

The national student representation NRW stands on the side of the school Minister. She welcomes the mask duty on the entire school grounds. Just due to the small distances and the mixture in the rates this was a scheme for a sustainable education is essential. "There are pupils who keep very strictly to the rules," says member of the Board Timon Nikolaou about the experiences of the students on the first day of school. "After the long period of Isolation, however, it is also so that many students fall into the arms and the spacing rules are not complied with." Although the mask obligation does not apply to teachers, showed this to many schools in solidarity with their students, and wore masks, too.