Mask requirement in schools
Teacher President Dagmar Rösler expects that other cantons will impose a mask requirement on schools. The measure makes sense especially after the holidays.
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- Daniel Waldmeier, Daniel Graf
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- Now the top teacher, Dagmar Rösler, comments on the mask requirement in schools.
- She finds masks unpleasant – but the protection of students and teachers is the top priority.
- According to Rösler, the obligation to enforce the break is “a challenge” for the schools.
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In the new school year, the canton of Lucerne will introduce a mask requirement at gyms and vocational schools. According to the SRF, other cantons, including the Jura, are considering a compulsory obligation. The obligation to wear a mask should apply to the entire school area and also during the break. In the video above you can see what students think about the duty.
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Dagmar Rösler, President of the Teachers’ Association LCH, also took a position against 20 minutes.
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Ms. Rösler, will other cantons follow the example of Lucerne?
Yes, I expect that, since the other cantons are forced to move.
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How do you feel about the obligation to wear a mask?
Wearing a mask all day long is uncomfortable – even for pupils and teachers. Communication and facial expressions are restricted. If the measure helps to protect students and teachers, it is to be welcomed. The measure can make sense, especially after the summer holidays, when many are returning from the risk countries. The decision to introduce a mandatory mask is also up to the responsible authorities.
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How big is the fear that an entire school will have to be quarantined?
This consideration certainly plays a role. Schools are interested in minimizing the risk.
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Are masks also an issue at primary and secondary schools?
To my knowledge, not yet. In public transport, the mask requirement only applies from the age of 12. We do not know how the number of infections will develop after the summer vacation. Depending on the theory, a requirement could also become a topic at lower secondary level.
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What does a teacher do when a student is not wearing a mask?
With larger schools, it will be a major challenge to implement the obligation across the board – especially during the break. But like in public transport, social control will play an important role. The obligation to wear a mask in schools should fit into an overall concept: if you are allowed to do almost everything in the exit, the acceptance of the measure decreases among the students.
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Fabian Camenisch from the Union of Student Organizations doubts whether it is practical to wear a mask all day long. «I’m not a fan of it. But it’s a viable option. If you continue with the half-class lessons for a year, there is also too much school material missing. » Camenisch says: «In parts of Germany there is a mask requirement in corridors, but not in the school room, where the number of people is limited. That would be a compromise. »
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He also sees a problem with the costs when the students have to bring the masks themselves: “If you need two to three pieces a day, some families will be financially affected.”
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