While in some countries, children will not go back to school until September, in others the reopening of schools is a daily topic of debate. In Germany, schools have reopened, but there are differences depending on each Bundesland, or federal state. In Berlin secondary schools reopened on 27 April, while primary schools restarted on 4 May. Schools in Berlin all have to follow a set of rules, namely hygiene and social distancing rules, but the actual planning and organisation is left to each school.
Last Wednesday my seven-year-old went back to school for the first time since 17 March, when schools in Berlin were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so eager to go to school, except for when he played in the football tournament a year ago. When I picked him up just before midday at the school gates, he and his classmates looked bewildered, but they were clearly happy to have spent the morning together. They hadn’t been to school and hadn’t seen each other for over two months. No wonder they seemed confused. The teacher looked pleased, while the other parents looked tired and relieved. As one mother pointed out: «Ab jetzt geht es bergauf», i.e. «Things are starting to look up». Clearly, the two months of lockdown have been a trying period for many children and their parents.
However, it was not school as usual. The first part of the morning was spent discussing the new rules, especially re-enforcing the message about keeping a distance. Class sizes have been halved, so the children only saw half of their friends. Normally they would all arrive at the same time, but now they have been allocated slots depending on their year so as to avoid overcrowding at the entrance. They all have to queue up patiently to enter the school building in an orderly and socially distant manner, or as my son said: «ordentlich und nach den Abstandsregeln», one at a time. There are lines on the floor indicating where to stand and wait.
Once inside the classroom, the children sit at separate desks and the desks are 1.5 m apart. One window is always open (it was only 12°C this morning! Since the lockdown was relaxed the weather has changed for the worse). There are rules for regular handwashing and for going to the toilet. At break time the children are divided into different groups so that they have enough space to move around. They are allowed to run and play in the playground. Playing football is permitted, but only if you keep a 1.5 m distance from others. Meanwhile, Bundesliga players don’t have to follow these rules. It does seem rather unfair.
School hours have been reduced and only core subjects are being taught; the school day is a lot shorter than usual. Lunch is normally in the school canteen, but now it’s eaten in the classrooms at a distance. Each child has to bring its own cutlery from home. When it’s time to leave, after an early lunch, parents wait at the school gates for their children to appear accompanied by their teachers. Parents are not allowed inside the school grounds.
The return to school has been a gradual and challenging process. The plan here is to get all children back in school by the end of next week. When primary schools restarted on 4 May, only Year 6 pupils attended school in the first week. The surprising and unexpected decision for Year 1 pupils to go back to school on 11 May was made at a political level. Schools were given only one day to prepare, causing chaos and confusion. As a result, one journalist suggested that parents, teachers and their pupils all needed starke Nerven, or strong nerves.
I must admit that I was rather sceptical when I heard about the plan to reopen schools in Germany. Like many other parents, I was worried about the coronavirus and whether it was wise to send children back to school. I also doubted about the benefit of going to school for only a few hours a week. However, after Wednesday’s experience I now believe that even three hours of lessons a week in school is better than no school at all, both from a social and an educational point of view. When I asked the teacher how the morning went, she seemed very positive and said that the children had followed the rules. Sometimes they needed reminding not to get too close, but that was understandable.
Obviously going to school for one or two or three mornings a week is not a long-term solution. How can parents work when their children are in school for only a few hours per week and the rest of the time they are expected to learn at home? Still, it’s a step towards some sort of normality. We still don’t know the plan for June and the summer holidays are due to start in exactly one month’s time. A lot can happen in one month, as we know. As I read this morning, the R value (or reproduction number) has gone up again in Berlin. Watch this space.
*Image created by Sophie Cane. Submitted for United Nations Global Call Out To Creatives - help stop the spread of COVID-19.
