https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed In the southern state of Bavaria, schools have been promised 100 million self-tests starting next week so that more children can start being taught in person again. But teachers say the test strategy isn't being implemented properly. https://www.thelocal.de/20210312/bavaria-plans-100-million-rapid-covid-tests-to-allow-all-pupils-to-return-to-school Fri, 12 Mar 2021 18:12:39 +0100 bavaria-plans-100-million-rapid-covid-tests-to-allow-all-pupils-to-return-to-school Despite similar epidemiological conditions, Switzerland has declined to close schools unlike neighbouring Germany. Swiss news outlet Watson asks why Switzerland is flying blind on school closures. https://www.thelocal.de/20210121/analysis-why-switzerland-is-flying-blind-on-school-closures Thu, 21 Jan 2021 15:43:56 +0100 analysis-why-switzerland-is-flying-blind-on-school-closures Just two weeks after school started in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), head teachers have sent a damning open letter to the regional government. https://www.thelocal.de/20200825/head-teachers-in-german-state-sound-alarm-over-unrealistic-coronavirus-measures Tue, 25 Aug 2020 14:21:13 +0200 head-teachers-in-german-state-sound-alarm-over-unrealistic-coronavirus-measures Lunchbox, books, pencil case – masks? School is looking very different in Germany during Covid times. Here's our report from the first day back. https://www.thelocal.de/20200803/lunchbox-pencil-case-and-mask-how-german-schools-are-restarting-amid-pandemic Mon, 03 Aug 2020 16:09:29 +0200 lunchbox-pencil-case-and-mask-how-german-schools-are-restarting-amid-pandemic Thousands of children in northern Germany became the first in Europe to begin a new school year on Monday, with the rest of the country watching anxiously as full-time classes began after months of curtailed hours over the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.thelocal.de/20200803/masks-on-as-german-children-start-new-schoolyear-under-coronavirus-cloud Mon, 03 Aug 2020 13:51:25 +0200 masks-on-as-german-children-start-new-schoolyear-under-coronavirus-cloud A fresh debate has been sparked over whether schools in Germany should allow pupils to wear the niqab, a facial veil worn by Muslims which leaves only the wearer's eyes visible. https://www.thelocal.de/20200204/what-you-need-to-know-about-calls-to-ban-full-face-veils-in-german-classrooms Tue, 04 Feb 2020 12:26:30 +0100 what-you-need-to-know-about-calls-to-ban-full-face-veils-in-german-classrooms A court in Germany ruled Monday against an attempt by authorities in Hamburg to forbid a 16-year-old schoolgirl from wearing a niqab during lessons. https://www.thelocal.de/20200203/german-court-rules-against-school-niqab-ban-hamburg Mon, 03 Feb 2020 21:26:26 +0100 german-court-rules-against-school-niqab-ban-hamburg The proposed opening of three Turkish schools in Germany has rekindled a long-standing row. Here's a look at why it's such a sensitive issue in Germany. https://www.thelocal.de/20200113/row-erupts-in-germany-over-plans-for-turkish-schools Mon, 13 Jan 2020 11:40:09 +0100 row-erupts-in-germany-over-plans-for-turkish-schools Working parents often face difficulties in finding childcare for school-age children that lasts all day. But the German government has taken a huge step forward to tackle this. https://www.thelocal.de/20191113/how-germany-plans-to-help-working-parents-with-guaranteed-all-day-care-for-children Wed, 13 Nov 2019 13:36:58 +0100 how-germany-plans-to-help-working-parents-with-guaranteed-all-day-care-for-children A nationwide debate was triggered after a conservative politician suggested children who don’t speak German well enough shouldn’t be allowed to start school. Here’s what you had to say. https://www.thelocal.de/20190807/segregation-achieves-nothing-should-children-without-fluent-german-be-held-back-from-starting-school Wed, 07 Aug 2019 12:16:22 +0200 segregation-achieves-nothing-should-children-without-fluent-german-be-held-back-from-starting-school A high profile politician with Angela Merkel’s CDU party says children with insufficient German language skills should be held back from starting school. https://www.thelocal.de/20190806/children-who-dont-speak-german-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-start-school Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:44:13 +0200 children-who-dont-speak-german-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-start-school Starting on Thursday, all school students in Berlin can ride the capital’s public transport for free - whether the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram or bus. https://www.thelocal.de/20190801/berlin-makes-public-transport-free-for-all-students Thu, 01 Aug 2019 14:35:00 +0200 berlin-makes-public-transport-free-for-all-students Around 50 German teenagers rioted as they attempted to free a 15-year-old reveller from police custody after he disrupted a school-leavers party, police have confirmed. https://www.thelocal.de/20190726/rioting-bavarian-teens-stage-boozed-up-jailbreak-attempt Fri, 26 Jul 2019 17:15:51 +0200 rioting-bavarian-teens-stage-boozed-up-jailbreak-attempt Germany is considering whether every state should have the same high school leaving exams in a bid to tackle the ‘Abitur lottery’ that results in regional differences. https://www.thelocal.de/20190726/should-germany-get-rid-of-abitur-lottery-and-opt-for-nationwide-high-school-leaving-diploma Fri, 26 Jul 2019 14:39:14 +0200 should-germany-get-rid-of-abitur-lottery-and-opt-for-nationwide-high-school-leaving-diploma Several passengers suffered injuries on Tuesday after a bus carrying school pupils crashed into a tree in Paderborn. https://www.thelocal.de/20190402/20-injured-after-bus-with-schoolchildren-crashes-in-paderborn Tue, 02 Apr 2019 13:47:13 +0200 20-injured-after-bus-with-schoolchildren-crashes-in-paderborn With Berlin already preparing for Friday’s public transport strikes, schools, kindergartens and government offices across the city have been closed as demonstrations continue on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.de/20190213/strikes-shut-schools-kindergartens-and-government-offices-across-berlin-on-wednesday-ahead-of-union-negotiations Wed, 13 Feb 2019 12:08:38 +0100 strikes-shut-schools-kindergartens-and-government-offices-across-berlin-on-wednesday-ahead-of-union-negotiations Expats parents in Berlin are finding that they have to stay at home with their children rather than go back to work due to a lack of Kita spots. The Local looks into the capital's kindergarten crisis. https://www.thelocal.de/20180524/how-a-childcare-crisis-is-leaving-berlin-parents-stuck-at-home-with-their-kids Thu, 24 May 2018 12:53:44 +0200 how-a-childcare-crisis-is-leaving-berlin-parents-stuck-at-home-with-their-kids School attendance is compulsory in Germany. But that didn’t stop some families in the south of the country from taking their kids on vacation before the official start of school holidays. https://www.thelocal.de/20180522/over-20-families-busted-at-bavarian-airports-for-taking-kids-out-of-school-early Tue, 22 May 2018 11:46:39 +0200 over-20-families-busted-at-bavarian-airports-for-taking-kids-out-of-school-early In August the Mokita Kindergarten is set to open in Frankfurt, offering parents the chance to send their children to a preschool where there are no meat, egg or dairy products on the menu. The concept has come in for heavy criticism from city politicians. https://www.thelocal.de/20180314/germanys-first-vegan-kindergarten-progressive-education-or-physical-abuse Wed, 14 Mar 2018 16:14:02 +0100 germanys-first-vegan-kindergarten-progressive-education-or-physical-abuse A pupil reportedly killed a classmate at a comprehensive school in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) on Tuesday morning. The 15-year-old suspect has been arrested, according to Dortmund police. https://www.thelocal.de/20180123/teenager-arrested-over-murder-of-classmate-at-school-in-western-germany Tue, 23 Jan 2018 15:13:42 +0100 teenager-arrested-over-murder-of-classmate-at-school-in-western-germany