Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Germany Struggles to Set COVID-19 Rules as Schools Reopen

VOA News

   German students go back to schoolMondayevenasfederalandstate leadersare
   still tryingtofigureout how tokeephalf a million children, their
   teachers, and otherstafferssafe from the coronavirus.

   "There are conflicting priorities, health protection on the one hand,
   which is very important to us, and on the other hand that we want to
   ensure the right to education of every single child," German education
   ministerSandraScheeressaid.

   Shesaidkeepingstudents1.5 meters
   apartwhileinsideaschoolissometimesimpossible.

   Scheeresrecommendsthatschoolsdividepupils into groupsand keep them
   separate. If anyonewere totest positive for the coronavirus,onlythat
   person and theirclusterwouldneed tobequarantinedinstead of everyone.

   The central government will requirestudentsand teachers to wear masks
   in thehallways butwill not require them in classroom instruction or on
   playgrounds.

   Manyothercountriesarealsostrugglingto decide how and when to reopen
   schools.

   President Donald Trump has been pushing for all U.S. schools to reopen
   for in-person learning. But many statessaythey aren't readyand plan to
   begin the school year attheend ofthismonththe same way they ended the
   old one in June --usingvirtual classrooms.

   Last week aphotographof acrowdedhallwayinaGeorgiaschoolshowedonlya few
   students wearing masks. Theschoolwasclosedandstudentsweresent home for
   online classesafternine students testedpositivefor the coronavirus.

.