Zug, 21.06.2020

Short warning time for middle school students

The Zug middle schools will return to full-class classroom classes on Monday, 22  June. The move comes against the backdrop of the continued easing of the Corona virus measures. The majority of vocational schools will remain in distance learning, with the exception of individual areas in which class size and teaching organisation allow classroom instruction.

Due to the continued easing of the Corona virus measures, the cantonal education directorate has decided that the Cantonal Schools in Zug and Menzingen, as well as the business school (Wirtschaftsmittelschule)  will return to full-class classroom classes on Monday, 22 June. This is clear from a press release from the Education Directorate. The technical secondary school (Fachmittelschule FMS) does not have the same spatial conditions, but will continue to increase the attendance instruction in an adapted form (half-classes, groups).

The key provisions that apply are the "COVID-19 Basic Principles for Classroom Education at Upper Secondary Education Institutions, Tertiary Level and Continuing Education as the basis for the development of the protection concepts of educational institutions", as of 8 June. Where the 2-metre social distancing (now reduced to 1.5 metres) cannot be observed by taking advantage of all possibilities, contact tracing must be ensured. The schools can meet this requirement.
Parents are responsible for the journey to and from the school, and the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and the Federal Office of Transport (FOV) strongly recommend wearing masks where the social distance cannot be observed in public transport.

The resumption of direct teaching is worthwhile
According to the press release, the Education Directorate is responding to the continuing easing of the Corona measures. In addition to this trend, two other points have urged this decision: the commitment of the schools to commence the "full class" with the distance rule of 1.5 metres, as well as the continually shortening time-window for a meaningful resumption of classroom instruction before the summer holidays. It is clear to the Zug education director Landammann Stephan Schleiss that the use of the remaining two weeks before the start of the holiday is also worthwhile. "It is very valuable for all involved if they can learn together again after the long period of distance learning, before going into the summer holidays and then into the new school year."

Two weeks is the minimum period for the start-up to be worthwhile at all, however. "That’s why the previously planned "presence elements" are being further expanded at the FMS, where the spatial conditions do not permit a change to classroom teaching in whole classes," says Stephan Schleiss.

According to the Education Director, the opening up of middle schools has little financial impact. The costs for the teaching staff remain the same in all variants (distance teaching, face-to-face lessons in half or whole classes). What had to be weighed up, however, was the pedagogical and organisational effort with the corresponding return. "My line was always clear here: this doesn’t work in half-class classrooms. When you operate half-classes, the pace has to be reduced, because the teacher has to teach two half-classes sequentially. Distance learning is definitely better for high-performing and older students," explains Stephan Schleiss.

Short lead time for teachers, parents and students
All the participants have had to make a sprint so that the lessons can begin on Monday. The school management first informed the teachers on Friday, 19 June, from 8 a.m., and then the students and their parents from 9 a.m.. "The school managers have assured me that the lead-time is sufficient to make the organisational arrangements. It’s a challenge they are very happy to accept with the aim of real classroom teaching," assures Education Director Stephan Schleiss.

Different situations in vocational schools
Any further relaxation of the distance rules in the vocational schools (Berufsschulen) will not change the situation that has prevailed since 8 June, and which will continue until the summer holidays. Classroom instruction in basic vocational education will therefore only continue to take place where class sizes and the teaching organisation allow this. This is the case, for example, in the classes for continuing vocational training (adult education), in the area of two-year certificate education  or in the agriculture field. An adapted classroom instruction is offered In the area of the bridging offers, as well as integration pre-teaching. Distance learning is still being used in the majority of cases, however. This means that the students/apprentices cause less long-distance commuting, and spend more time in their companies.