The Corona measures are intended to ensure safety in schools – but their design has met with criticism. A student now received a reminder letter because he had had a drink during the break.
The corona pandemic has been with Germany since the beginning of the year. Mouth guards and disinfectants have become everyday companions, and masks are required in many public areas. Sounds like simple hygiene measures at first – but compliance with them is not that easy, as a current case from Hessen shows.
Does drinking violate the corona measures?
In fact, there are currently some pitfalls in the Corona measures. For example, the rules differ not only from state to state, but also from school to school. A heated discussion has sparked on the Internet after a mother received a "letter of disapproval" for her son. This would have violated the hygiene rules – because he had drunk something.
"Justin drank the drink he bought at the kiosk on the school grounds on 8/28/2020," the letter wrote. What was a completely normal act a year ago is apparently a violation today – because this is precisely the behavior that is prohibited due to the "Corona hygiene rules".
The mother was so stunned by the letter of disapproval that she shared it on Facebook with the words "No drinking in school". In the comments there are now angry contributions from other parents who primarily ask themselves one question: "Are our children no longer allowed to drink?"
School takes a stand on corona rules
Yes, they can. This was the result of research by the German Press Agency, which then took a closer look at the writing and the school. The letter is genuine, but there is no general drinking ban at school.
The problem would rather lie in the mask requirement that exists in Hessen for students and teachers on the school premises. Because of this, the Geschwister-Scholl-Schule – together with the parents' council – decided that no one should eat or drink during breaks in the court. The deputy headmistress Kerstin Bauschke announced this to BILD. But it also makes it clear: That would mean that students are not allowed to drink for 15 minutes at most twice a day – but they are allowed to drink the rest of the time.
Schoolchildren are therefore allowed to continue to eat and drink something, but during fixed breakfast breaks. The teachers would also allow drinking in class.
So the corona measures still cause discussions, excitement and yes, sometimes confusion. Ultimately, however, we should be aware that they are primarily there to protect ourselves and others from the spread of the coronavirus.
sources used: Facebook, dpa, picture