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All over the country, many have to be quarantined or in isolation. The head of the school is responsible for running the school.
In eleven cantons, school started again on Monday after the Christmas holidays. Also at the desk: the concern about Omikron. With such a high number of cases, there is a risk of teachers being absent due to isolation or quarantine.
Thomas Minder, President of the Association of School Directors, is also concerned. At the moment the situation is still calm, even if there are occasional absences. “But I expect these failures to increase in the next few days.”
Flexibility is required
School operations could be affected in many places in the coming weeks due to the highly contagious Omikron variant. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that, according to Minder, there is a lack of substitutes. Many schools are likely to have problems if several teachers are absent at the same time.
It is special that the media are now talking about school closings again when events take place at the same time where several thousand people meet.
If necessary, you also have to get creative, according to Minder: “Maybe we school administrators also have to piss their pants or we use class assistants to look after the classes. There can then no longer be any talk of schooling. ”
School closings possible
Silvia Steiner, President of the Conference of Education Directors, is considering the deployment of retired teaching staff and students. Steiner also said on Monday at “10vor10” that in individual cases there could be a risk of school closings again.
This scenario is no longer new, says Minder. “At our school, too, individual classes have had to be quarantined in recent months. But it is special that the media are now talking about school closings again when events take place at the same time where several thousand people meet. ”
The president of the school principals is also happy to attend major events such as football matches. It is also up to the experts and politicians to initiate the appropriate measures. But if school closings and all their consequences are discussed again immediately, that is a paradox.
Focus on schools
One of the reasons that the focus is now back on schools is what Minder sees in the regular tests at schools in many cantons: “In recent weeks, there have been reports about how the number of cases in schools has increased. If you had tested regularly in other social classes or age groups, you would have come to the same result. ”
After all: If distance learning should be necessary for individual classes or entire schools, you could already gain experience with it in the course of the pandemic. However, Minder reminds us that younger pupils in particular need carers at home who look to the right.