Germany's Federal Council ratings countries favorably on crisis management capabilities
In a recent development, Stephan Wassmuth, the former chairman of the Federal Parents' Council in Germany, has criticised the inadequate crisis management by the federal states regarding school reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. The criticism centres on the perceived lack of coordinated, clear, and dynamic policies for managing school operations safely amid evolving pandemic conditions.
The Federal Parents' Council has highlighted several key points of concern. These include the fragmentation across federal states, leading to inconsistent and uncoordinated decisions that have caused confusion and unequal impacts on students and families. The lack of clear communication and trust between policymakers, epidemiologists, and the community has also been a significant issue, hampering public trust and compliance.
Moreover, many policies have failed to adapt swiftly to the changing epidemiological context, resulting in either unnecessarily prolonged school closures or premature reopenings without sufficient safety measures. The negative impact on children's mental health, social development, and the exacerbation of existing social inequities are also concerns, as crisis management did not adequately consider these factors.
The Federal Parents' Council has emphasised the need for integrated, transparent, and flexible crisis management strategies that engage parents, educators, health experts, and policymakers collaboratively to ensure decisions that protect both public health and children's well-being.
Wassmuth, in particular, has criticised the ministers of culture for their handling of the crisis, accusing them of failing to involve important associations in their decisions, doing a poor job of crisis management in the last six months, and displaying a blinkered mentality. He could not identify any of the 16 federal states that are doing their job well in the current crisis.
A photograph of a school with a corona notice, shared by the dts Nachrichtenagentur, has been circulating in the context of this ongoing discussion about the management of schools during the corona crisis. However, the photograph does not provide any new insights into the involvement (or lack thereof) of important associations in the decisions made by ministers of culture. Neither does it offer any new information about the specific criticisms made by Wassmuth or the current state of crisis management in schools across the 16 federal states.
Furthermore, the photograph does not show any evidence of overcrowded school buses, a concern Wassmuth raised in his criticisms. He also pointed out the delay in addressing this issue and the long-standing criticisms of the ministers of culture regarding their handling of the corona crisis.
The debate surrounding school crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany continues, with calls for improved collaboration, transparency, and flexibility in decision-making to ensure the safety and well-being of students and educators alike.
The Federal Parents' Council has expressed concerns about the lack of collaboration in the management of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, extending to other sectors like education-and-self-development and politics. This includes the perceived fragmentation across federal states, resulting in inconsistent decisions, and a lack of clear communication with important associations.
Wassmuth's criticisms encompass the handling of the crisis by the ministers of culture, whose decisions he accuses of being made without sufficient involvement of important associations, and whose crisis management he deems as inadequate, especially in terms of addressing issues like school bus overcrowding, a matter of general-news importance.
