SOCIAL

OECD: Many Schools in Germany are Outdated

Jens Thurau
16.04.2021April 16, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on teaching and learning activities
around the world. The condition is exacerbated by the fact that many schools do
not have a comprehensive strategy towards the digital era, including in Germany.
German schools are reported to be in deep trouble. Many are not connected
digitally , this is caused by the lockdown which is opened and closed
repeatedly, thus changing the habits of students in learning activities.

"We are currently working with state governments on a joint program to help
students catch up with the impact of the pandemic," said German Education
Minister Anja Karliczek.

Need extra help

Nearly a quarter of German students need extra help. Currently the federal
and state governments are focused on creating a "safe learning environment,"
one of which includes remote learning processes.

One year of the pandemic has passed, students, teachers and parents feel
exhausted and frustrated.

According to a report published by the Organization for Economic Co-

operation and Development (OECD), around 1.5 billion students in 188
countries were affected by school closureNot just a place to
study
School is a place to develop self-skills and "touch" with other young
people. "It's more than just a place for students to learn," said OECD Director
of Education Andreas Schleicher.

Many secondary schools in Germany are closed for 15 to 30 days. The same

thing also happened in neighboring countries, such as in France, the
Netherlands and Belgium. Meanwhile in Italy, schools are closed for up to 101
days.
Education experts agree school closures are having an enormously disastrous
impact on young people. "It should be noted that the overall incident rate does
not appear to be dependent on the number of days schools are closed," said
Schleicher.

Concrete figures may be hard to come by, but many public health officials
worry that many students are "bringing COVID-19 home" to their families,
without showing symptoms.

Slow digitization
It is not surprising that countries that were better digitally equipped before the
pandemic were better equipped to overcome any obstacles. In Germany, the
sudden switch to online learning left "a lot to be desired," says Schleicher.

Other European countries including Spain and Portugal, said Schleicher, have
used the mass media to learn during the pandemic. "The digital media setup
is a determining factor for success there," he said. "Maybe this is something
Germany can learn from."

An association representing German families has called for an end to

the outright school closures . "For many months, our children lived in social
isolation, unable to study with other children," the association said.

Amid contemplation of tackling the national pandemic, Germany is also

considering closing schools when the seven-day spread of coronavirus
infections exceeds 200 cases per 100,000 people. Many areas of Germany
are already approaching that threshold. (ha/vlz) SOCIAL
SOSIAL

OECD: Banyak Sekolah di Jerman Ketinggalan

Zaman
Jens Thurau
16.04.202116 April 2021
Pandemi COVID-19 berdampak pada kegiatan belajar mengajar di seluruh dunia.
Kondisi diperburuk dengan banyaknya sekolah yang tidak memiliki strategi
komprehensif menuju era digital, termasuk di Jerman. Sekolah-sekolah Jerman
dilaporkan berada dalam masalah besar. Banyak yang tidak terhubung
secara digital, hal ini disebabkan oleh lockdown yang dibuka tutup secara
berulang sehingga mengubah kebiasaan para siswa dalam kegiatan belajar.

"Kami saat ini bekerja dengan pemerintah negara bagian dalam program
bersama untuk membantu siswa mengejar ketinggalan akibat dampak
pandemi," kata Menteri Pendidikan Jerman Anja Karliczek.

Butuh bantuan ekstra

Hampir seperempat siswa Jerman membutuhkan bantuan ekstra. Saat ini
pemerintah federal dan negara bagian berfokus pada menciptakan
"lingkungan belajar yang aman," salah satunya mencakup proses
pembelajaran jarak jauh.

Satu tahun pandemi berlalu, para siswa, guru, dan orang tua merasakan
kelelahan dan frustrasi. Bukan sekadar tempat belajar
Sekolah merupakan tempat untuk mengembangkan kecakapan diri dan
"bersentuhan" dengan generasi muda lainnya. "Ini lebih dari sekadar tempat
siswa belajar," kata Direktur Pendidikan OECD Andreas Schleicher.

Banyak sekolah menengah di Jerman tutup selama 15 hingga 30 hari. Hal

serupa juga terjadi di negara tetangganya, seperti di Prancis, Belanda, dan
Belgia. Sementara di Italia, sekolah ditutup hingga 101 hari.

Pakar pendidikan setuju penutupan sekolah memiliki dampak buruk yang

sangat besar bagi kaum muda. "Perlu dicatat bahwa tingkat insiden
keseluruhan tampaknya tidak bergantung pada berapa hari sekolah ditutup,"
kata Schleicher.

Angka konkret mungkin sulit didapat, tetapi banyak pejabat kesehatan

masyarakat khawatir banyak siswa "membawa pulang COVID-19" ke
keluarga mereka, tanpa menunjukkan gejala.

Digitalisasi paling lambat

Tidak heran jika negara yang memiliki perlengkapan digital lebih baik sebelum
pandemi menjadi lebih siap untuk mengatasi segala hambatan. Di Jerman,
peralihan tiba-tiba ke kegiatan belajar secara online meninggalkan "banyak
hal yang diinginkan," kata Schleicher.

Negara-negara Eropa lainnya termasuk Spanyol dan Portugal, kata

Schleicher, memanfaatkan media massa untuk belajar selama pandemi.
"Susunan media digital menjadi faktor penentu kesuksesan di sana,” ujarnya.
"Mungkin ini adalah sesuatu yang bisa dipelajari Jerman."

Sebuah asosiasi yang mewakili keluarga Jerman telah menyerukan

diakhirinya penutupan sekolah secara langsung. "Selama berbulan-bulan,
anak-anak kami hidup dalam isolasi sosial, tidak dapat belajar dengan anak-
anak lain," kata asosiasi itu.

Di tengah pertimbangan menangani pandemi nasional, Jerman juga sedang

mempertimbangkan untuk menutup sekolah ketika penyebaran infeksi corona
selama tujuh hari melebihi 200 kasus per 100.000 orang. Banyak wilayah di
Jerman sudah mendekati ambang itu. (ha/vlz)

Menurut laporan yang diterbitkan Organisasi untuk Kerja Sama dan

Pembangunan Ekonomi (OECD), sekitar 1,5 miliar siswa di 188 negara
terdampak penutupan sekolah selama pandemi COVID-19.