High School Exams in 2021 should be completed, as suggested by KMK
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the German government and educational authorities took decisive action to ensure the safe conduct of Abitur exams in 2021. The focus was on implementing testing strategies and vaccination recommendations to protect students, teaching staff, and other school employees.
The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) made a significant decision on Thursday evening, aiming to protect against the further spread of the pandemic in schools while allowing the Abitur exams to take place regularly. KMK President Britta Ernst (SPD) stated that this decision ensures access to education and teaching for children and young people, a responsibility of education policy.
The strategy is part of a comprehensive and far-reaching testing and vaccination strategy. Sufficient testing capacities will be made available for the strategy, with self-tests offered for all students, teaching staff, and other school employees twice a week. This expanded testing option is designed to detect COVID-19 cases early and prevent further transmission within schools.
The right of students to education is being upheld, with graduating classes in schools able to take their exams. The common goal is to offer as much face-to-face teaching as possible, recognising the importance of traditional learning methods for the Abitur process.
While Angela Merkel, Germany’s Chancellor until late 2021, opposed mandatory vaccinations, the government encouraged vaccination and implemented broad testing protocols in schools to safeguard students and staff during exam periods. School closures were implemented variably among German federal states around March 2020, but by 2021, the government aimed to keep schools open where possible.
The exact testing protocols or vaccination strategies uniquely applied to Abitur exams during 2021 are not explicitly detailed in the available information. However, it is evident that the German education authorities weighed risks, monitored the pandemic situation continuously, and coordinated with health advisory bodies to maintain a balance between exam completion and health safety.
In March 2020, the Kultusministerkonferenz (Conference of Ministers of Education) debated potential risks to the Abitur examinations. The oral Abitur exams in Rhineland-Palatinate were allowed to take place as scheduled in mid-to-late March 2020, with recommendations such as cancelling school trips to high-risk areas. The Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) at the Robert Koch Institute, together with other scientific advisory bodies, issued vaccine prioritization recommendations during the pandemic, which informed policy aiming to prioritize vaccinations for vulnerable groups and essential personnel, including considerations for school settings.
In conclusion, the 2021 Abitur exams proceeded with pandemic-adapted measures guided by scientific advice, including prioritized vaccination policies and testing strategies to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools. The goal is to effectively protect against the further spread of the pandemic in schools while maintaining the integrity of the Abitur process.
- The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) has implemented a comprehensive testing and vaccination strategy for education-and-self-development, focusing on the Abitur exams, aimed at identifying COVID-19 cases early and maintaining access to general-news for children and young people.
- The German government's efforts in the Abitur exams alteration during the COVID-19 pandemic have not only ensured the safety of students, teaching staff, and other school employees but also sought to safeguard the right to education, promoting education in the midst of these challenging times.
