Munich (dpa / lby) – Minister of Education Michael Piazolo (Free Voters) has met with criticism with the still vague announcement that pregnant teachers in Bavaria will be allowed to teach again in the foreseeable future. The Bavarian Association of Philologists quickly called for clarity and the corresponding concrete decisions on Wednesday.
“The current statements by the Minister of Education on the use of pregnant women in schools fuel a lot of speculation and cause great uncertainty and annoyance among the pregnant women affected, the teaching staff and school management,” said the association’s chairman, Michael Schwägerl. It also met with a lack of understanding among many colleagues that this topic could not have been clarified before school started. “We now need clear decisions as quickly as possible as to whether schools will be reopened to pregnant women and – if so – reliable regulations that ensure the protection of mother and child on site,” demanded the association chairman.
After a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Piazolo announced that pregnant teachers in Bavaria would be allowed to teach again in the foreseeable future – the ban on entering schools introduced in the wake of Corona is to be lifted. It was discussed in the Council of Ministers that it should be possible again for pregnant women to teach – but there should be no compulsion, he emphasized. Depending on the situation, the teachers should discuss this with their doctor and the school administration. Piazolo did not become more specific when asked, nor did he give any details of what the planned voluntary regulation could look like. “We will still determine the details, it will not happen overnight,” he said simply. There will then also be corresponding deadlines.
The fact that pregnant teachers are not allowed to teach has exacerbated the staff shortages at many Bavarian schools.