For fear of Corona: 13-year-old learned in the schoolyard – youth welfare office intervenes

Hagen
The 13-year-old studied for days in the schoolyard for fear of Corona – now she has to go back into the warmth

“Can we do lessons outside?” – one or the other should remember this summery pleading at school very well. What for most was just the perfect opportunity for an ice cream during math class is deadly serious for 13-year-old Yasmin from Hagen.

For three days, the junior high school student insisted on being taught outside – despite the sometimes frosty temperatures. The reason: Yasmin is afraid of Corona. Because she was previously ill, she did not want to take any risks despite her triple vaccination protection. At the same time, she wanted to use the campaign to convince her classmates and teachers to vaccinate.

The school had put a desk and chair for the girl in the schoolyard, where she could take part in classes online. During the breaks or to warm up, the student used a free space in the building, as a spokesman for the city of Hagen described.

“There are children who are not vaccinated and do not follow the rules, and I no longer sit in a room with them,” she told the “Westfalenpost”.

But the action forced the authorities to act. According to the “Westfalenpost”, the youth welfare office in Hagen saw the girl’s well-being at risk and wanted to draw up a school psychological report for the 13-year-old. “The protest may be well-intentioned, but it’s about a 13-year-old child who sits outside in all weathers and doesn’t see the whole thing,” said Reinhard Goldbach, head of the city’s youth and social affairs department.

Compromise between cold and worry

Now a compromise is said to have emerged, as a spokesman for the Arnsberg district government said on Thursday after an exchange with the management of the secondary school. The 13-year-old should now take part in classes online in a separate room within the school building. We understand the child’s concerns. It is a “certain balancing act”. The girl is a risk patient. You are in contact with the family, who are willing to cooperate.

The spokesman for the district government emphasized that the right to school education must be implemented in a “justifiable, appropriate and reasonable manner” even in times of a pandemic. “You will have to follow this closely – with care, understanding, but also consistency,” explained Christoph Söbbeler.

The state school council of North Rhine-Westphalia can well understand the protest of the girl. “But at the same time it is an indictment that such an action is needed,” said Johanna Börgermann from the LSV board. In view of the rapidly increasing number of infections, there must be alternating lessons – and it must finally be ensured that online lessons also work at home.

Only on Thursday did the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) generally advocate a corona booster vaccination for children and adolescents aged 12 to 17. The current situation with the sharp increase in the number of cases due to the omicron variant makes it necessary to expand the vaccination campaign accordingly, it was said in justification.

sources: “Westfalenpost“; DPA

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