In Lower Saxony, all students are required to wear a surgical mask. (Archive image)
© Friso Gentsch / dpa
In the new year, children and young people in Lower Saxony have to go back to school from Monday. In the course of the pandemic, new corona rules must be observed.
Hanover – Schools in the country Lower Saxony, where young people can now also be boosted, was poorly prepared for lessons under pandemic conditions – the Corona special committee of the state parliament in Hanover came to this conclusion. In a draft report of the committee, which is available to the German Press Agency, it is said that many schools are “faced with considerable difficulties in ensuring the desired protection against infection with the structural conditions to be found”. The following corona rules now apply in Lower Saxony’s schools at the start of school.
| Federal state: | Lower Saxony |
| Surface: | 47.709,82 km² |
| Resident: | 8,003,421 (as of December 31, 2020) |
| Prime Minister: | Stephan Weil (SPD) |
| Capital city: | Hannover |
Corona rules in Lower Saxony’s schools: School starts on the Monday after Christmas holidays
With a view to distance teaching, “digital restrictions not only at the place of residence of the pupils, but also in the schools” became apparent. Shortly before school starts after the Christmas holidays in Lower Saxony, new corona rules in Lower Saxony’s schools at school start on Monday, January 10, 2022, must be observed once again Political have been issued. Among other things, there is also the question of extending the Christmas break in Lower Saxony. An overview!
School start in Lower Saxony: New corona rules must be observed
What about the lessons due to the Corona rules? When does school start after the Christmas break?
All students in Lower Saxony have to go back to school on Monday, January 10, 2022.
Does a mask have to be worn in Lower Saxony’s schools due to the corona rules?
Yes, all students in the state of Lower Saxony and school staff must wear mouth and nose protection, even during lessons. According to the new corona rules in schools, this must be at least one surgical mask. Before that, cloth masks were also sufficient for younger students.
Corona rules at schools in Lower Saxony: All students must wear a surgical mask
Where do students get surgical masks from?
In general, it is planned that the students bring their own surgical masks. Schools can create a kind of reserve for this in case someone doesn’t have a mask with them.
What about corona tests in the new corona rules for Lower Saxony’s schools?
In the first week of school, according to the new corona rules for Lower Saxony’s schools, corona rapid tests are planned every day. This does not apply to children, adolescents and school employees who have already been vaccinated against the coronavirus or have recovered from a Covid 19 infection. Those affected should test themselves at home before the start of lessons – this is to prevent a possible corona infection from being carried to school if the test is positive. The tests are provided by the schools.
School start after Christmas holidays in Lower Saxony: Daily corona tests in the first week of school are firmly planned in Lower Saxony’s schools according to the corona rules
According to the corona rules in schools in Lower Saxony, will I also get corona tests from school if I have already been vaccinated or have recovered?
In principle, vaccinated and convalescent pupils or teachers can also test themselves with the kits provided, provided that the school’s capacities allow it.
What happens next with the quick tests?
According to previous plans, the compulsory test in the second week of school after the holidays should be reduced to three times a week. This is now becoming less likely. Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) announced on Friday evening that the daily test obligation should apply “until further notice”. At first he did not give a more precise time.
Corona test week at the start of school in Lower Saxony: From the second week only three tests a week?
What happens if the test result is positive?
If someone tests positive, this must be confirmed with a PCR test. It is usually more reliable than the so-called antigen tests used. If the test is positive, the school should be informed immediately. Anyone who has a positive lay test is entitled to a free PCR test, which can be done at a test center or at a doctor’s.
What happens to the study group if a student tests positive?
Then the so-called intensive testing takes effect, in which everyone – including those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered – have to test themselves daily on five school days in a row. However, this can be canceled if the suspected case is not confirmed by a negative PCR test. According to the Ministry of Culture, this means that school contact persons for the infected no longer have to be identified and sent to quarantine. In individual cases, however, quarantine measures can still be ordered by the responsible health department.
What do other parties and associations say about the corona rules in Lower Saxony’s schools?
The FDP education politician Björn Försterling, for example, called for daily corona tests for all students throughout January, regardless of their vaccination status. The Association of Education and Upbringing (VBE) insisted on an emergency plan for schools if teachers were to be absent due to increased corona infections.
Corona rules in daycare centers in Lower Saxony: This is how it continues in daycare centers and kindergartens
What about the corona rules in Lower Saxony’s daycare centers?
Unlike in the school sector, according to the Corona rules in Lower Saxony’s daycare centers, there is no compulsory test. The state provides the counties and urban districts with three rapid antigen tests per week and child of kindergarten age. Parents should use these tests at home. The ministry emphasized that compulsory testing is currently being discussed. A decision is still pending.
What applies to employees in daycare centers according to the Corona rules in Lower Saxony?
For day-care centers (daycare centers), as for all workplaces where personal contact is not excluded, the 3G regulation at work applies according to the Corona rules in Lower Saxony. According to the ministry, employees who have neither been vaccinated nor recovered must, in principle, take care of a test with proof of their own. Employers therefore provide two tests per week. The other tests are to be carried out in test centers, pharmacies or by general practitioners; a self-test carried out at home before work is not valid.
What about quarantine measures in daycare centers?
They are ordered by the responsible health department.
The state parliament decided to set up the Corona Special Committee in autumn 2020 in order to analyze the measures to combat this pandemic and to gain knowledge in preparation for possible further pandemics. Numerous experts such as the physicist Viola Priesemann, the virologist Hendrik Streeck and the regional bishop Petra Bahr were heard.
Corona rules before and after the Christmas holidays 2021 at schools in Lower Saxony
- The Christmas holidays in Lower Saxony take place regularly from Thursday, December 23rd, 2021 to Friday, January 7th, 2022.
- Security week: Daily (self) tests during the first week of school after the holidays.
- Classes: Classroom teaching applies at all schools, as long as the local health authorities do not give other instructions. At all schools, lessons, extra-curricular offers of the all-day school and other school events take place in fixed groups that can consist of several learning groups and are as unchanged as possible in terms of their personal composition (cohort).
- Mask requirement: Every person in the school building has to wear a mouth and nose cover (surgical mask). This also applies to children under 14 years of age.
- Testing: Students and people working at the school must test themselves regularly, unless they have been vaccinated or have recovered. The test is usually carried out three times a week. The school may only be entered with a negative result or proof of vaccination or recovery status. As usual, the self-tests are given by the school, which are then carried out at home before class.
- School trips and excursions: School trips lasting several days at home and abroad are prohibited up to and including January 31, 2022. In the case of one-day trips and events, schools should check whether the educational interest in the event outweighs the infectious risk with a view to the current infection situation.
- School events: Events such as Advent celebrations or Christmas concerts are possible in the class and school community. However, external visitors must be avoided. This also applies to the participation of legal guardians. Parents’ evenings and parenting days should primarily be held digitally. If they are organized as face-to-face events, the 2G-Plus rule applies with additional, continuous mask requirement and compliance with the distance rules.
On Friday the Prime Ministers of the federal states met with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and his expert council for a crisis summit. Those responsible are united by concern about the rapid spread of the corona virus. Above all, the new Omikron variant, against which basically only a booster vaccination provides halfway reliable protection, is considered highly contagious. Within a week, the Omikron proportion has tripled in all infections. * kreiszeitung.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.