Hardship payouts to university students further delayed
It now looks as if bridging aid for students in Germany facing financial hardship owing to the coronavirus crisis won’t be paid out before July, owing to administrative and technical constraints.
Coronavirus crisis: Effects on Munich
…If the corona infections in Bavaria remain low after the summer holidays, from 8 September onwards, regular school operations will resume. The aim is to provide lessons for all pupils in full class size. If the infection figures change by then, alternative concepts will be available.
European teachers, parents, officials challenge Trump claim on their schools reopening
… German officials said that there had been big changes to the way children were educated in the country, which has been praised for its response to the pandemic after it went into lockdown early, shutting schools and businesses.
Summary of School Re-Opening Models and Implementation Approaches During the COVID 19 Pandemic
…Schools in Germany were closed starting around March 3, 2020 and began reopened around May 4 for older age students. Students are assigned their own fixed desks that are spaced at least 6 feet way from other desks. The fixed location of desks combined with student seating charts can be used by contact tracers if necessary. School days have been shortened and are supplemented with online lessons. This allows multiple groups of students to share classrooms, which are allowed to hold no more than 10 students. In at least some schools, students are being tested for SARS-CoV infection every 4 days, with a negative test allowing students to attend school without a face mask. In the context of moderate community transmission, school re-opening in Germany has been accompanied by increased transmission among students, but not school staff.
COVID-19 Impact on International Higher Education: Studies & Forecasts
Such an astonishing number of analyses and forecasts have already been published on the possible COVID-19 impact on international higher education that it is easy to lose track. Therefore, the DAAD wants to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of COVID-19 research and expertise in the field of international higher education
Austrade regional market update on the impact of COVID-19 (as at 14 July 2020)
A new study by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) details the impact of the corona crisis on student mobility in Germany. To this end, DAAD conducted a survey among 268 universities from late April to mid-May 2020. The results confirm that the universities dealt flexibly with the crisis, but also confirm the negative impact on the student exchange: at two thirds of the universities, international students were unable to start or continue their studies in Germany due to the coronavirus situation. Around 80,000 foreign students have left Germany due to the pandemic. Over 90 per cent of the universities supported their students abroad on their return trip.
In dealing with the crisis, the DAAD study also shows how the crisis has accelerated the digitisation of German universities: half of the universities moved to virtual teaching only, the other half opted for a mixed model of face-to-face and digital teaching. In addition, 98 per cent of universities enabled their staff to work from home, and almost 90 per cent offered the students virtual consulting hours.
COVID-19 and the impact on international student mobility in Germany
Results of a DAAD survey conducted among international offices of German universities. The COVID 19 pandemic is expected to have a serious impact on the international higher education sector. International student mobility is also severely affected by these effects, particularly due to the closure of many university campuses and international travel restrictions. To this end, the Institute of International Education (IIE) very quickly conducted a survey of US universities on the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic on international student mobility in the USA and made the questionnaire available to other international exchange organizations. On this basis, the DAAD also conducted a survey among the international offices of German universities between the end of April and mid-May 2020, the results of which are presented in this report. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most German universities did not begin teaching in the 2020 summer semester until the end of April. The survey thus captures the impressions and experiences of the surveyed university staff shortly after the postponed start of the summer semester.
Schools have low coronavirus infection rate, German study finds
A study of 2,000 children and teachers at a school in the German state of Saxony has found very few coronavirus antibodies among them, suggesting that schools and young people do not play as big a role in transmission as previously feared. The study was carried out in May by the Medical Faculty of the TU Dresden and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus and the results of the first test phase were released Monday.
School reopenings: what can the US learn from other countries' experiences?; Emerging evidence suggests those under 18 are less likely to contract coronavirus but outbreaks have occurred at schools
Another study found that very few of 2,000 schoolchildren and teachers tested in the German state of Saxony showed antibodies to Covid-19, suggesting schools may not play as big a role in spreading the virus as some had feared. Germany began reopening schools in May, though debate continues as to the role children may play in spreading the virus to vulnerable adults at home as well as to older teachers and school staff. The study by the University hospital in Dresden analysed blood samples from almost 1,500 children aged between 14 and 18 and 500 teachers from 13 schools in Dresden and the districts of Bautzen and Görlitz in May and June.
COVID-19 in Berlin and Germany: What you need to know
…Schools will reopen in full swing in August, following Berlin’s six-week summer vacation. Students and staff will no longer be required to keep 1.5 meter (5 feet) distance from one another, though hygiene protocols like regular hand-washing and airing out classrooms will be in place. Access to university buildings is largely restricted for the time being. There are some exceptions for essential staff and students who are taking mandatory exams.
What Other Nations Can Tell The U.S. About How to Safely Reopen Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic
…A “child-friendly national infrastructure” should make it possible to do widespread testing, including saliva testing, they write. Some schools in Germany are providing self-administered viral tests with overnight results, and China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Japan are doing daily temperature checks…Many schools in other countries have staggered attendance to limit students’ interactions, and reopened schools in phases. In Germany, some schools have alternated between having students attend class and learn remotely, and schools in Japan and Israel have staggered arrival times.
Europe scrambles to avoid a second coronavirus wave, as infections rise
Meanwhile, German health officials have called a rise in infections in the past two weeks deeply concerning. "People are being infected everywhere," said Ute Rexroth, head of surveillance at Germany's Robert Koch Institute, which sounded the alarm on rising numbers on Tuesday. "Weddings, meetings with friends, sadly, also nursing homes or health institutes. We are worried that this could be a change of trend."
Some Countries Reopened Schools. What Did They Learn About Kids and Covid?
…While the German study might be considered a bit of good news for parents who want their children to return to in-person classes, there’s a big caveat. Unlike the United States, which has been plagued by a chaotic federal response and disparate measures by individual governors, German health officials followed public health guidelines and handled the coronavirus outbreak quickly once it emerged in March. Germany instituted early and widespread testing and treatment protocols, and set up plenty of intensive care beds. German citizens also trusted their government’s instructions to take precautions and widely observed social distancing guidelines. Since then, Germany has reopened its schools, economy and sports leagues without losing control of the virus. Germany has had 206,667 cases and 9,124 deaths as of July 26, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. That compares to more than 4.2 million confirmed cases and 146,831 deaths in the United States, more than any other country.
German Health Official Expresses Concern After ‘Disturbing’ Rise In COVID-19 Cases
Germany has registered a daily average of 557 new cases over the past seven days. There were 633 new infections on Tuesday, a jump from 340 new cases the previous day.