DER TAGESSPIEGEL: Maximum pressure on the education senator: Parents want to prevent tenth graders from taking exams
date：2020-04-22 17:29author：小编source：DER TAGESSPIEGELviews：
There has never been anything like this from Buch to Buckow: All twelve district parents' committees vote against the middle school exams. BY SUSANNE VIETH-ENTUS
The written examination for middel school graduation are due to start on May 25. FOTO: PETER KNEFFEL/DPA
The appeal came shortly after midnight: All twelve chairpersons of the Berlin district parents 'committees and the board of the state parents' committee asked education senator Sandra Scheeres (SPD) to suspend the examinations for vocational training diplomas (BBR) and the middle education committee (MSA) this year and instead an "alternative Assessment ".
Berlin's highest parent committees state that the health of students, teachers and families must be given priority. Organization and implementation of the exams would tie up the already scarce human and spatial resources that were urgently needed for the presence and distance learning of the other grades.
In addition, the possibilities of an appropriate exam preparation for the students during school closings are "extremely different": There is no comparability within Berlin in terms of equal opportunities.
Scheeres had announced that the tenth graders should return to the schools a week in advance to prepare for the exams. The SPD parliamentary group spokeswoman Maja Lasic had also emphasized that the students had "four weeks" preparation time after all.
The Ministers of Education do not require the exams
The parent committees, on the other hand, are now calculating that the preparation time will be "significantly less" than four weeks, since the high schools and some of the secondary and community schools also have to organize the Abitur exams at the same time.
"Against the background of the Covid-19 pandemic, the constraints to take BBR and MSA exams do not seem understandable," the parents conclude, especially since the MSA is recognized nationwide according to the Conference of Ministers of Education (KMK) without an exam.
In fact, KMK spokesman Torsten Heil explained a few days ago to the Tagesspiegel that - in contrast to the Abitur - there were no KMK requirements for the completion of the tenth grade. Therefore, the middle school certificate nationwide "recognized without an exam".
The education administration had expressed misunderstandings in this regard, so that on 13 April the state parents' committee demanded that only the MSA exams at high schools should be dropped. After Heils clarification, the State Parents Committee changed its decision.
"Against the background of the Covid-19 pandemic, the constraints to take BBR and MSA exams do not seem understandable," the parents conclude, especially since the MSA is recognized nationwide according to the Conference of Ministers of Education (KMK) without an exam.
In fact, KMK spokesman Torsten Heil explained a few days ago to the Tagesspiegel that - in contrast to the Abitur - there were no KMK requirements for the completion of the tenth grade. Therefore, the middle school certificate nationwide "recognized without an exam".
The education administration had expressed misunderstandings in this regard, so that on 13 April the state parents' committee demanded that only the MSA exams at high schools should be dropped. After Heils clarification, the State Parents Committee changed its decision.
Teachers of "core subjects" would be occupied
The exams are causing difficulties for schools in several ways. This forces them to limit their teaching to the so-called core subjects that are examined in the MSA - German, mathematics and a foreign language - mostly English. These subject teachers then have less time for the ninth and upper grades, which will go to schools from May 4th. Because there are not enough specialist teachers everywhere, especially since some are over 60 years old or belong to the risk group for other reasons.
Around 90,000 exams have to be corrected
The teachers who are now preparing the MSA exams, would have to take oral MSA exams and would have to correct around 90,000 exams by the end of May - three exams for 30,000 tenth graders - would also be missing to take care of homeschooling and teaching for students, need special funding: the focus must only be paid to them, as the best-known German educational researchers and school practitioners have just called for.
Additional disadvantages for students in precarious family relationships
This is matched by the warning from headmaster associations and migrant associations, which point out that socially disadvantaged pupils find it much more difficult to prepare for the exams during school and library closings: for this reason, they not only refuse the MSA but also the Abitur exams . The association of senior study directors had already called for all exams to be waived in mid-March because the development of the pandemic could not be planned.
Diffuse statements come from politics
When asked about the Abitur and MSA exams, Juso federal chairman Kevin Kühnert said that the Jusos was "basically looking for a solution that was as uniform as possible, so that the comparability of school qualifications for the current year could be guaranteed". In addition to protecting health, it must therefore also be a matter of "ensuring the formal and social recognition of qualifications". Kühnert added, however, that the situation on site "must ultimately be assessed individually".
The Berlin FDP rejects the exams, as does the Left Party, like the DGB and GEW. On the other hand, the Greens and the CDU wanted to hold on to the exams recently - just like the Berlin Social Democrats. The SPD is currently only having a lively discussion internally about postponing the MSA exams. However, this move option is far from the statements of parents and students.
The situation is even more complicated with regard to the Abitur exams because the Ministers of Education have committed themselves to these exams: The attempt by some countries, including Berlin, to forge an alliance for a Abitur based on the semester grades failed - despite the pandemic.
The Berlin FDP rejects the exams, as does the Left Party, like the DGB and GEW. On the other hand, the Greens and the CDU wanted to hold on to the exams recently - just like the Berlin Social Democrats. The SPD is currently only having a lively discussion internally about postponing the MSA exams. However, this move option is far from the statements of parents and students.
The situation is even more complicated with regard to the Abitur exams because the Ministers of Education have committed themselves to these exams: The attempt by some countries, including Berlin, to forge an alliance for a Abitur based on the semester grades failed - despite the pandemic.
Scheeres could not forge an alliance for an average high school diploma
Even Scheeres, who has been in office for nine years and should therefore be one of the most experienced members of the KMK, was unable to generate any noteworthy support in the KMK for such an option.
The State School Committee continues to protest - and the State Parents Committee continues to have reservations, even if the exams started on Monday.
If the test results under the conditions of the corona crisis are worse than in previous years, the parents demand regulations on how to deal with them. The State Parents Committee relies on the KMK's statement that the pupils should not be at a disadvantage from the situation.
Source：
https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/maximaler-druck-auf-die-bildungssenatorin-eltern-wollen-pruefungen-der-zehntklaessler-verhindern/25761490.html
The State School Committee continues to protest - and the State Parents Committee continues to have reservations, even if the exams started on Monday.
If the test results under the conditions of the corona crisis are worse than in previous years, the parents demand regulations on how to deal with them. The State Parents Committee relies on the KMK's statement that the pupils should not be at a disadvantage from the situation.
Source：
https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/maximaler-druck-auf-die-bildungssenatorin-eltern-wollen-pruefungen-der-zehntklaessler-verhindern/25761490.html
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