Should kids wear facemasks in school to reduce second wave and more school closures?

[947EliseChalotte]

Should kids wear masks in school in September when there are 30 in a class to reduce chances of second wave and avoid school shut down again?

I work in a secondary school and have been saying for ages surely if it's advisable to wear a mask in a shop it should be so in a school. Today I'm incredulous that it's going to be mandatory for shops but not in schools where we're going to be operating in 'bubbles'of 240, with no social distancing.

As for the whole' children aren't a risk', one of our Year 10's is a confirmed case.

@BogRollBOGOF : "Children returning to school after months off are already being reported by staff to be regressed and unusually quiet in their communication skills."

Do you have a source for this, because it's not my experience?

@SomewhereEast

No, absolutely not. I'm tired of children's well-being being treated as acceptable collateral damage in all this.

How? Surely masks would protect them too? Not to mention their teachers, who might still be fit and well enough to keep teaching them if they can be protected from Covid with some PPE.

@BogRollBOGOF

Absolutely not.

Masks impede communication for children with hearing impairment, neuro-diverse conditions and communication difficulties.
Children returning to school after months off are already being reported by staff to be regressed and unusually quiet in their communication skills. Distorting the quality of verbal and non verbal communication as well is educacationally disasterous.
You are doublly affecting children who have already suffered more than average by 5.5 months away from their usual social and educational settings.

It's not just exemptions for children with SENs or medical needs, for many, others in the room wearing them is a negative impact.

Thank goodness I no longer teach in secondaries and won't have to face the wealth of ways that masks can be used for low level disruption. The humming game just went nuclear. Plus the opportunities to leave them lying around for eugh factor.

Trying to learn hundreds of pupils when you only see the top half of their face... it's not easy on a time table where you only see them for one or two hours per week when you can see a whole face.

Young people need real normality to thrive socially and educationally. We are in severe danger of fucking up a generation with many SEN pupils poorly provided for, and rising concerns about bored youths being drawn into gangs and crime.

Reported by staff where?

That isn’t my experience at all.

No but I think teachers should wear visors

Yes they should and doubtless will be expected to from 11 upwards. If the science says they are needed in shops, then they are certainly needed in schools where contact is much much closer. Our children deserve to be kept as safe as our shoppers! As do our teachers. What sort of selfish child wants to take an easily avoidable risk with another child or teachers health? Hardly any I should imagine so if they are asked to wear them the vast majority will do. Obviously heath issues aside

I'm also slightly perplexed by keeping year groups in bubbles when staff can move between them.

ceeveebee surely teachers should be protected as well as the children?

So many posters with no regard for health of staff or vulnerable children. Retail workers are entitled to protection from anyone over 11 but I guess teachers and other school staff are expendable. .... will be interesting to see what happens in October and November

It will be the same group of people who don't want staff and students to wear PPE that will be complaining when schools close due to a second wave.

Children in other European countries have been, and are now, wearing masks to school.

A lot of emotive language is being used about children suffering, but they'll be suffering a lot more if their teacher goes off sick with Covid 19, or their parent is ill because they've brought it home from school.

@Witchcraftandhokum

I'm also slightly perplexed by keeping year groups in bubbles when staff can move between them.

I think you’re expecting the government guidance to make sense. The one thing it does do is make it easier to contact trace and quarantine. At least you’ll only have bits of one year group missing when a child gets Covid not bits of all year groups. Which will make it slightly easier on teachers trying to teach in school and online at the same time.

No masks kids for your ‘wellbeing’

Oh by the way Mrs Smith is dead, Mr Brown has long term covid so will be off, Miss Jones caught it at school so her mum is now dead. And all staff absences in between.

Kids don’t give a flying duck. They see them everywhere.

Soto being so selfish some of you.

Secondary yes.

@BogRollBOGOF

Children returning to school after months off are already being reported by staff to be regressed and unusually quiet in their communication skills.

I wish someone had told my year 10’s that this week

Vote. Yes..... Facemasks should be worn
No.... Facemasks should not be worn.

I think schools should have the same rule as shops ...worn apart from those exempt. They are bringing this into work offices soon aswell as shops.

I think it's a tricky one, myself and any staff who work with the hearing impairment children would not be able to wear one (this includes the teacher not just us support staff) and the pupila wouldn't wear one because then the other HI pupils wouldn't be able to talk to each other. We use visors at the moment but these fog up and the children wouldn't be able to wear these because they fasten where their cochlear implants are.

No - even Doctors and nurses get breaks and dont wear face masks for 6 hours on end. Try wearing them for 6 hours straight before expecting this of children. Also, I dont understand why it has to be all or nothing. If people wear them in shops etc and it's effective at controlling the spread, there shouldn't be the levels if virus in the community and therefore we dont need to inflict this on children. Why do people constantly say - if we do this in A place, we must also do it in B! Wearing masks in place A (shops), means they aren't so necessary in place B (schools) where there are a multitude of other considerations eg communications issues, kids not being exposed to other germs which they need for their immune systems etc

How does the voting work? Is 'yes' YABU or YANBU?

@947EliseChalotte

Vote. Yes..... Facemasks should be worn No.... Facemasks should not be worn.

I think schools should have the same rule as shops ...worn apart from those exempt. They are bringing this into work offices soon aswell as shops.

The options aren’t yes or no, though?

Absolutely not. On so many levels.

Mummabeary so you're saying shop workers deserve to be protected but school staff and students don't?

I wouldn't object to older kids (say, 7+) wearing them, it has to be worth a try. Younger ones might have too much trouble not fidgeting with them

Not at all. But what I'm saying is we should take a balance of measures to keep the virus as low as possible- effectively by protecting the shop workers we ARE protecting the teachers. If shop workers dont catch it and dont spread it to others/their children then teachers risks are also dramatically lowered. The virus wont spontaneously appear in schools if it isnt spreading in other places in the community - shops, hospitals etc. So we protect those places and it protects the schools, without making 5 year olds sit in masks all day