Federal Education Minister Anja Karliczek is very concerned about the future of schools because of the pandemic. "It will be a balancing act everywhere and it will depend very much on the regional course of the infection, especially among children and young people," the CDU politician told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

GEW leader Marlis Tepe told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland on the subject of Abi examinations: "Should the incidence of infection rise as dramatically as the third wave in other neighbouring European countries makes us fearful, therefore the Länder must react flexibly and refrain from examinations". Then, for example, the performance in class could be used as the basis for grades. Should examinations be cancelled due to the pandemic, the Abitur would still have to be mutually recognised by the federal states.

The President of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in Brandenburg, Britta Ernst (SPD), was cautious about the GEW's demand. She said that everyone was working flat out to ensure safe conditions for the examinations. "No one should make the young people who are now about to graduate feel insecure on top of the normal exam nervousness." The Federal President of the Education Association, Udo Beckmann, said the students had prepared very intensively for the exams despite the pandemic. "This must be appreciated." He pleaded for, at most, considering postponing exams, expanding task pools and making exam rooms corona-proof.

The German Teachers' Association clearly opposed the cancellation of Abitur examinations. Association head Heinz-Peter Meidinger told the "Rheinische Post": "The GEW had already made this demand last year for the 2020 Abitur, and in retrospect it was absolutely right that the federal states did not follow this demand at the time." Many federal states had already reacted to the rising incidences this year and postponed the Abitur exams to dates in May and June. The German Philologists' Association also spoke out in favour of regular Abitur examinations in the newspapers of the Funke Mediengruppe.

According to dpa information from education ministers, the heads of the ministries will discuss the situation on Thursday. The Easter holidays end next weekend in many federal states, but in some places they end a little earlier or later. CDU leader Armin Laschet had recently stated that he wanted to reach a nationwide consensus on how to proceed for schools in the Corona pandemic after the Easter holidays. "There can be a consensus of the Conference of Education Ministers, which we all implement in a binding way." According to current plans, the state premiers will discuss the Corona situation and possible measures again on 12 April.

After weeks of closures, most primary schools had gradually resumed operations in February, after which some older grades had also returned in so-called alternating operation. However, some pupils have not seen the inside of their school since mid-December. Due to the renewed increase in Corona numbers, the return to classes is threatened with further delays. There is also debate about a compulsory test for children as a prerequisite for attendance at classes, as some Länder have already decided. The Association of Cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, doubted that enough Corona tests would be available if schools reopened after the Easter holidays.

(Original text: dpa / Translation: Mareike Graepel)