The energy crisis in Germany is now also affecting the education system. The Koblenz University of Applied Sciences will restrict teaching from the beginning of December to the beginning of January – this is exactly what the University Rectors’ Conference and the Ministers of Education actually wanted to avoid. The university writes on the website: “In order to achieve the 15 percent energy savings expected by public institutions, we will be offering the lectures as purely online lectures from December 4, 2022 to January 8, 2023.”
Universities in other German cities have also announced that they will soon be restricting face-to-face operations. According to the MDR, the University of Erfurt will close the library on weekends by the end of the year and want to hold teaching digitally around the turn of the year. Daily online events are planned at other locations.
Carlotta Eklöh from the board of the free association of student bodies (FZS) criticized the “Spiegel” that the universities would enforce the savings at the expense of the students. After all, they would have to heat up more when teaching online at home. “That worries us a lot, since students are already under financial pressure.” She demands that the universities also have to make rooms available for digital events so that those who cannot afford to heat their homes can have a warm place to study had. It is also problematic if rooms for student initiatives are lost due to building closures.
Christiane Gandner, spokeswoman for the Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, emphasizes: “We don’t like it either.” She doesn’t blame politicians for that. Because of the war in Ukraine, everyone has to do their part to save energy.
