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?

@SomewhereEast

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

But what about teachers?

Plus how happy will secondary students be to be told "yes everyone must socially distance, wear masks in shops etc, but you've got school tomorrow. Off you go, cram into a small room with 30 other people. Literally touching the person next to you on each side. No the windows don't open, but don't worry, you're a child so you'll be fine. Yup your teacher and bus driver will be fine too. They are protected by the "education magic""

No one gives a flying fuck about the teachers.

I don’t see why teachers can’t wear visors tbh.

@Appuskidu
Bloody hell. That graph is worrying.

Schools are not and never have been centres of superspreader events

Nonsense. How could they not be? Viruses rip their way through classes and schools every single winter.

Surely the exempt kids would fee their personal health info was on show and feel very othered

Could they choose visors instead perhaps

@ElectricShoes

And yet you are content for teachers and other school staff to be collateral damage. How melodramatic.

Not melodramatic at all. My daughter lives with us and is a teacher. I'm vulnerable to covid due to age and hypertension, I'm also a carer for my shielding immune compromised mother. I'm fed up of teachers worries and concerns being dismissed, they are the new care home scenario. If things don't improve by September in regard to teacher safety I'm hoping my daughter will resign, a decision I will fully support. I expect she wont be alone either.

Surely the exempt kids would feel their personal health info was on show and feel very othered

whilst the kids who are actually at higher risk from COVID or come from COVID vulnerable families are a minor consideration.

So I suppose the vulnerable here would be not only teachers, with health conditions and / or older, but also disabled children and those with underlying conditions, and BAME students and teachers

I notice that Hancock said yesterday they are reviewing masks guidance for other indoor settings such as cafes and pubs. So wonder if they may look at schools as well.

Overall, I think the teachers should definitely be able to choose to wear visors if they want to. I know out school trust said they have got plenty of these, they wreaking them for the NHS as well...and spent thousands on hand gel too.

it's pretty rubbish if the government has specifically told them not to. They should have a choice. Just as shop / retail or cafe staff should, or anyone working with the public indoors.

In the Times today on offices but might be relevant here also

"Mr Hancock moved swiftly to rule out the prospect of masking office staff, despite concerns that a return to work could see localised outbreaks in workplaces.

Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme whether masks would become compulsory in offices, the health secretary said: “No, that isn’t going to happen.” He said masks were less useful at stemming the spread of the virus in settings which saw the same group of people spend prolonged periods of time in each other’s company than they were with strangers."

Interesting Orange re offices. I agree with the decision

That's true OrangeBlossom and I wasnt envisaging children wearing masks the whole time, but when moving through the corridors I think they could have a role to play, in secondary at least. Lots of examples of cv spreading in appartment blocks, presumably through communal spaces.

What do you think about the idea that there should be the choice, it seems the gov had advised against masks or advisors in schools rather than saying it is up to the staff and pupils?

I noticed one mother was told her child couldn't wear one...

Lots of examples of cv spreading in appartment blocks, presumably through communal spaces

Or through touch, doors etc?

Masks/ face coverings. (We're usually talking multiple times reused masks or bits of cloth). Track and trace. So much airspace. For how much efficacy? Covid dogs. Scale it up, roll it out. Medical detection society and Police forces up and down the country who already have expertise in training sniffer dogs. Id support this. www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/21/winning-by-a-nose-the-dogs-being-trained-to-detect-signs-of-covid-19

I think choice depends on the RA/guidance. If it states that masks should be worn in, say, corridors and toilets then no, I dont think there should be a choice.

If the RA/guidance does not say masks should be worn then I think there should be person choice, although teachers will need to think carefully about how mask choice might impact their ability to communicate.

What I meant was, would being given the choice as opposed to being told not to, would be preferable?

(as the gov guidance seems to say the latter)

Or not?

ah sorry see yes I agree Porcupine

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-52995089

Are all the posters saying teachers should have the option to wear a mask or visor forgetting that the teacher wearing one is protecting pupils not the teacher? Masks etc protect others. Having an option to wear one would be totally ineffective in protecting teachers.

I don't see how teachers can be prevented from wearing masks if they choose to.

It would be an interesting tribunal where someone was told they had to expose themself to risk despite there being a way to prevent it and was disciplined for it.

In France

Pupils aged 11-15 will be expected to wear face masks.
So not primary age then

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52459030

I mention this because after France dropped it's social distancing in schools the UK followed. However they did not on the masks

Maybe in high schools but not primary, the primary age children would mess with them all day! it would be distracting and they would touch their faces more with a mask, not a great idea.