For Lucerne canteen and vocational school students, the following applies from next Monday: Wear a protective mask in the aisles, but not in the break area. In the classrooms, it depends on the distance.
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Schoolchildren in the Kanti Alpenquai.
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The new school year begins on Monday in most Lucerne municipalities and in the cantonal schools – under a previously unique sign. There is a particular focus on the largest school in the canton: the Alpenquai Cantonal School. One of the first two Corona infected people in the canton was a Kantian student. Rector Hans Hirschi has mixed feelings: “I’m delighted that things will start again next week. On the other hand, we also have to expect that there will be corona cases. ”
To prevent this, the Kanti has taken various measures. According to Hirschi, dispensers with disinfectants were set up before the summer holidays, and now a few additional dispensers have been added. Soaps and paper towels are available in every room.
Younger high school students also have to take a mask with them
According to the Rector, the concepts are periodically checked for their effectiveness. That is an additional effort. “The goal is to keep the school going as normal as possible with the best possible security.” What does this mean for the mask requirement? It does not apply to lessons in the first to third grades, but it does in the upper grades. Because the distance of 1.5 meters can hardly be kept on the Kanti Alpenquai. Nevertheless, the younger students must also take a mask with them: Inside the building, i.e. in the hallways, in the stairwells and toilets, a mask is mandatory.
According to Hirschi, the fact that the school has to accommodate parents with very tight financial circumstances should hardly happen because the prices for protective masks have fallen recently. In individual cases, however, the school is ready to talk.
Music schools have fewer registrations
(Dept) Music is particularly important in the canton of Lucerne – from classical to brass music. The 31 music schools therefore play an important role. Franz Grimm is President of the Lucerne Music School Association. He says: “We generally registered fewer registrations for the coming school year. This is particularly evident with special instruments such as the harp, bassoon or double bass. ” The reason is that due to the pandemic, no instrument presentations could be held at the end of the last school year. Students can test various instruments. The second “advertising material” is demonstrations. Even these can only take place to a limited extent. “That is why we will start new campaigns as needed.”
Distance rules instead of masks
As far as teaching is concerned, the music schools association is guided by the guidelines of the national umbrella association, those of the brass music and choir associations, those of the canton and the local schools. In general, any form of teaching can be offered. And that without a mask requirement. If people at risk need a mask, one will be made available to them. “It is also possible for singers to put on a mask with a filter – and still be able to sing,” says Grimm. For choirs and brass band formations, a distance of 1.5 meters to the front and 1 meter to the side applies.
Newsprint is also placed on wind instruments to catch the condensation. The paper will then be disposed of. According to Grimm, the keys and strings of keyboard instruments and harps are cleaned and sometimes disinfected after each student. The same rules apply to hand hygiene as in elementary school: students wash their hands with soap, teachers with disinfectant. If possible, partitions are put up.
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Different levels – different rules
The following rules apply to the various school levels in the canton of Lucerne:
- Elementary schools (kindergarten to third secondary grade): There is no mask requirement. The pupils should wash their hands with soap on arrival. Disinfectants are not recommended for children according to the cantonal framework protection concept. On the other hand, schools have to set up hand disinfectant dispensers for teachers in the entrance area, by the teachers’ room and in the school library. Schools must ensure that surfaces, window and door handles, handrails and sinks are cleaned regularly – at least once a day. Cleaning agents should also be available in every room. If the distance of 1.5 meters between teacher and students cannot be maintained for more than 15 minutes in secondary school, the recommendation applies that students and teachers should wear a protective mask – especially during home economics lessons. To protect teachers who are particularly at risk, the school management can, in exceptional cases, instruct students in secondary school to wear a mask.
- Sub-high schools: No mask requirement during class. The exception is the obligation to wear a mask in housekeeping and in the corridors and meeting areas of the school building. The pupils must bring the masks themselves.
- Grammar schools, vocational schools, technical secondary schools, center for bridging offers: A safety distance of 1.5 meters must be maintained in the classroom. If this is not possible, a mask is required. In the corridors and meeting areas, it is mandatory to wear a mask – but not in the outdoor areas. The physical education will take place as planned and without masks, but contact sports will not be used. Students must bring their own masks. The education and culture department provides masks for the teachers of the cantonal schools.
- University and colleges: In the building of the University and Pedagogical University of Lucerne, a general mask requirement applies – regardless of whether the minimum distance can be maintained. The library is open. There is no mask requirement, but reduced operation. The cafeteria, foyer and group rooms remain closed. The public seating is also not allowed. A maximum of 100 participants applies to all events in the university / PH building. For the time being, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts does not require a general mask. However, if the distance of 1.5 meters cannot be maintained, the students and lecturers must wear a mask. This can be the case, for example, with practical work in workshops and laboratories, as it is called on request. The university will continuously assess the situation and adjust measures if necessary.
Schools had to stock up on supplies of masks
Apart from the universities, director of culture and education Marcel Schwerzmann expects a uniform implementation of the cantonal framework protection concept. In the framework protection concept, all elementary schools were urged to stock up on protective masks and make the masks available when they were needed. “We also communicated this to the school administrators and asked them to stock up on masks before the summer holidays,” said Schwerzmann.
“From my point of view, there is therefore no patchwork quilt for elementary schools, because the rules are clear,” the non-party governing council continues. A basic pattern can be seen in high schools and vocational schools in large parts of Switzerland: where the distance is not maintained, the mask or plexiglass protection is used. Local conditions such as the spatial situation and the furniture are decisive.
Teachers in cantonal schools receive disposable masks
Each school is responsible for implementing the requirements; it designates a responsible person for this. “If there are any complaints from parents, we use the school supervisory board,” says Schwerzmann. The education and culture department provides the teachers of the cantonal schools with disposable protective masks. The supplies last until autumn.
When it comes to protection for particularly vulnerable people, the mask requirement applies in any case: Do all students in a class then have to wear a mask? “Yes. It’s a matter of solidarity. We also have a duty as an employer to teachers to protect these people in particular. “
However, the protection ends when a family member of a student shows symptoms of Covid 19 disease. Schwerzmann on this:
“Compulsory schooling applies. Symptoms in relatives are not a reason to stay at home as long as no family member tests positive. ”
The situation is different if a student has been in a risk country. Then the 10-day quarantine obligation applies.
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