Open letter to Ties Rabe, Hamburg’s Senator for Schools and Vocational Training
Below, we present our statement to Senator Ties Rabe and the Authority for Schools and Vocational Training on the subject of face-to-face teaching for apprentices in Hamburg. Our view is that we do not need a „return to normality“, but rather a new normality: digital, dynamic and decentralised.
As this issue is very close to our hearts, we have written the following open letter, both on our LinkedIn page published and also sent to Mr Rabe by post:
On 17 August 2020, we received a reply from the Managing Director of the Hamburg Institute for Vocational Education and Training (HIBB), Dr Sandra Garbade. The text of the reply is as follows:
Dear Mr Liese,
Thank you very much for your letter of 12 August 2020, in which you called for the continuation of the online teaching programmes – which have been rated very positively – for your apprentices at the ITECH Vocational School (BS 14). We have received feedback on this matter from several training companies affiliated with BS 14. Against this background, the headteacher, Ms Stausberg, will include this topic on the agenda for the learning partnership meeting on 19 August 2020.
Direct dialogue between vocational training partners is an effective way of restructuring and redesigning training programmes, quite apart from the current pandemic situation. Two fundamental points are important in this regard. On the one hand, short-term arrangements must be put in place in response to the prevailing infection situation, taking into account the outcomes of political and scientific deliberations weighing up health considerations against social and educational policy aspects. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these decisions are also made in close consultation with other federal states. On the other hand, there must also be scope for the medium- and long-term further development of teaching and learning programmes to provide the best possible support for trainees. School-specific solutions are always conceivable here, for example through pilot schemes for specific teaching concepts.
The obligation to grant apprentices time off for lessons remains paramount. This applies to face-to-face lessons during normal school hours as well as to hybrid teaching arrangements. In this way, we work together to support our apprentices on their path to a career.
In consultation with the training companies, BS 14 will now develop proposed solutions for the current range of courses on offer. I wish everyone involved every success with this process, which we at HIBB headquarters are closely monitoring, and thank you for your support.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Sandra Garbade
Managing Director of HIBB
We will continue to champion our trainees’ interests to ensure that the digital model, which has got off to a successful start, is expanded and consolidated.
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