Not only is it getting tighter and tighter in hospitals due to the corona infection situation – the situation is also getting worse in schools. Staff absenteeism continues to rise. The regional situation is very different for the time being, it is said. When the teachers’ union says teaching has become “very difficult to impossible” in some locations, the federal student representative sees the situation even more relaxed.
Everything is now being done in schools to keep up with classes and to continue to provide children and young people with good educational care, “but we are reaching our limits”, top teachers’ union Paul Kimberger (FCG) told the APA. “Some schools have already failed to let classes continue.” For example, all five classes of primary school in Fürstenbrunn (Salzburg) had to switch to distance learning due to corona, the education department confirms.
Staff shortages and corona outages
The reason is a general staff shortage, exacerbated by Corona-related absences. From Kimberger’s point of view, the possibility that infected but symptom-free teachers may be allowed to teach with FFP2 masks doesn’t help. He concludes from the feedback to the union that all infected teachers also have symptoms.
The union does not know exactly how many schools or classes are currently not receiving regular face-to-face education or are in distance learning due to Corona. Even the Ministry of Education has no overview of how many classes are currently in distance learning due to the increased number of corona cases or have imposed a mask or test requirement. Schools can independently order masks and antigen tests for up to two weeks with an increased infection rate, only the education department needs to be informed. For a longer duration or a switch to distance learning, the education department must agree.
The numbers registered there are still reasonably manageable for the time being: In Salzburg currently apply to a total of 18 out of 284 compulsory schools in all counties in the state, excluding Lungau, Covid measures such as mandatory tests or masks. This concerns 876 students and 218 teachers. At the Ministry of Education Vorarlberg there are currently reports of three classes of mandatory antigen testing (with a total of nearly 2900 classes), mandatory masks or a switch to distance learning. In Vienna there was a mandatory mask requirement this week in 125 classes or groups at 71 school sites, tests are currently being conducted in 180 classes at 88 sites – out of a total of 11,500 classes at 715 schools.
No larger clusters known yet
The situation at the schools is seen as calmer among the federal student representatives. “Living with Corona” still works quite well in schools, according to federal school spokeswoman Flora Schmudermayer of the ÖVP-affiliated student union. There has been no feedback yet about larger clusters in the schools or staff shortages, such as in the spring. She admitted, however, “But I have a feeling this will come in the near future and become a problem alongside the current teacher shortage.”
As the numbers increase, she advocates moving from voluntary antigen to voluntary PCR testing. Should the situation demand it, she is also in favor of reintroducing mandatory PCR testing – but only if these are proportionate to the measures taken in society as a whole. It is also important for clusters that measures are taken at the locations.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
