Finally take a deep breath: This Monday, the mask requirement will no longer apply in most areas – including at Bavarian schools. But what will be the consequences when thousands of children and young people sit next to each other, unprotected, singing and romping? The incidence in the Ebersberg district is already extremely high – will it finally go through the roof? A look at the elementary and middle schools could provide information, because there hasn’t been a mask requirement there for two or a week. The good news is that the number of corona cases does not seem to have exploded.
At the Grafinger elementary school, for example, a fourth class was almost halved in the past week – so many children were either positive themselves or in quarantine as a contact person. A red flag? “No,” says Rector Christiane Goldschmitt-Behmer, “thank God it’s just an exception, like we’ve had and still have from time to time”. She cannot see a trend here, because the corona situation at her school is basically the same as before. A statement that many other headmasters from the district confirm: the omission of the mask requirement has no noticeable negative effects on the infection process, according to the tenor.
“All students get their turn sometime”
“We tend to have stagnation at a high level,” says Michael Pollak, head of the elementary and middle school in Aßling, for example. As in other places, you still have to deal with about two or three cases per class. “What’s very striking is that all students get their turn at some point, it’s just a matter of time,” says Pollak. But you don’t have to worry too much about this: the courses are very mild in most children. “They are positive, but not sick.” Barbara Mäusl, who is currently responsible not only for the elementary school in Steinhöring but also for that in Hohenlinden, only knows about the “usual fluctuations” in the corona numbers. “But maybe that’s also because the class sizes are smaller here than in Grafing, for example – it’s better to keep your distance there.”
Franz Kraxenberger, rector of the elementary and middle school in Kirchseeon, reports that the trend is declining: “We are showing signs of relaxation.” Many of the older students in particular have already had an infection, and there are currently only a few cases among the younger ones. “Twice we had to send whole classes home because so many students were absent – but that seems to be over,” says Kraxenberger, noticeably relieved.
Infections among teachers seem to be limited
The headmasters in the district are also in a positive mood with regard to their staff: Here, too, sick leave seems to be limited for most of them. Not a single teacher in Grafing is currently infected with Corona, and the same in Steinhöring. In Hohenlinden there is just one case, says Mäusl, and her colleague in Aßling is also jubilant: “As far as the staff is concerned, we’ve been really lucky, we’re very stable there.” In this respect, it has not been necessary to combine classes or cancel lessons once. “But to be honest, I don’t know why we got through it so well.” Only Kraxenberger from Kirchseeon is unsure about the corona development in his college. Two or three cases with 45 teachers are the rule, he says, but he can’t really identify a trend. “So far we’ve been able to absorb the failures quite well, but we’re already reaching our limits.”
It should be borne in mind that the teachers have worn masks so far. They, too, are only allowed to omit the mouth-nose protection from this Monday. If you want to continue to protect yourself and others, you are of course welcome to do so, the Bavarian Ministry of Education even recommends wearing a mask voluntarily. The picture that emerges in the school buildings of the district from this Monday will probably be diverse, at least that is what the previous observations of the principals suggest: some of the elementary and middle school students have sat with them in the past few weeks, some without mouth and nose cover in class. “Of course, you don’t know whether it’s just habit or whether it’s an order from home,” says Goldschmitt-Behmer from Grafing. Of course, opinions are still divided when it comes to dealing with Corona: Most parents are positive about the easing, but some also have concerns given the high incidence, says Pollak from Aßling. “So we have to continue to look after the whole range.”
The test system remains in place
The 3G rule for students, teachers and external parties remains in place. This means that the regular tests in the classes will continue as before. Of course, this still represents a great deal of effort for those responsible – but it is also an important instrument of control. “I’m a big fan of all forms of testing, be it in the pool or on the fly,” says Goldschmitt-Behmer, because these results are an important indicator for everyone involved. “This protects the children, the families and also us teachers.” So one thing is certain: the laboratory values will soon show whether it is really time to take a deep breath and breathe deeply at the schools. Meanwhile, a warning is already coming from a high school: Even if you are happy about the elimination of the mask requirement, “the newly gained freedoms should not hide the fact that Covid is still raging”.