Germany reckons with its pandemic-era school closures.

While the United States struggles to discuss its lengthy school closures, Germany confronts past errors.

About a week ago, German health minister Karl Lauterbach — a Covid-cautious Social Democrat who engages with Eric Ding on social media and called for lengthy school closures as an MP in 2020 — did something that would shock Americans used to politicians digging in their heels: he acknowledged a mistake!

Translated by Google: “The level of knowledge was not good at that time. Nevertheless, in retrospect, long school closures were not correct. Now there is a lot to do for children, this is happening in the healthcare system. Children have priority: children’s clinics, practices, medicines.”

In early November, Lauterbach admitted that closing childcare centers was unnecessary.