AIBU in agreeing with the NASUWT that masks should be worn in schools by over 11s?

[DomDoesWotHeWants]

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/28/unions-call-for-teachers-in-england-to-be-able-to-wear-face-masks

Given that they have to be worn almost everywhere else indoors by over 11s it would be the right thing to do. Adults working in schools have as much right to be protected as bus drivers and shop workers.

So AIBU in agreeing with the NASUWT that masks should be worn in schools by over 11s?

And it hadn't occurred to you to reduce your own avoidable risk factor? How selfish to inflict an obligation on the children rather that exerting some effort yourself.

This doesn't even make sense. Mask wearing is to protect children and adults in schools.

To say 'all kids should wear a mask' is incredibly naive

So is reopening schools as before, with no way to mitigate risk to anyone in it.

I think it’s unavoidable with this current plan that schools will be closing left right and centre in the autumn term and vulnerable school staff will get ill and die. Looking at Australia at the moment is worrying.

I don’t agree at all. I think it will be a nightmare. Touching them pulling them down etc will make them ineffective. Pupils making stupid noises behind them teacher can’t identify who it is. What happens in PE? Do they wear them then? Think it’s an awful idea. Would be interested to see specific numbers of transmission from children to children. From what I understand Studies show than under 18’s make up 2% of the total cases worldwide. Link: coronavirusexplained.ukri.org/en/article/und0008/

With this in mind should another barrier be put into place to prevent effective learning?

Most youngsters will not comply with bubbles on the bus and mask wearing or social distancing so not sure how wearing a mask in a lesson will help

If it is mandatory there would be need to be exemptions and that is going to be interesting to manage.

[quote hayfeverhellish]@DomDoesWotHeWants oh well if you've spoken to other people than you must know what it's like 🙄🙄. We're talking about children, not adults making a living. Where is the evidence that wearing a mask 7 hours a day, 5 days a week doesn't affect social development, education development and mental health in children?

This is not a simple black or white situation. There are lots of variables at play. To say 'all kids should wear a mask' is incredibly naive. [/quote]
Where’s evidence that it does affect mental health? There are loads of things at school that affect a child’s mental health. School itself can be detrimental to a child’s mental health. Ditto homework. See also detentions. See also bullying.

The only difference is that other people don’t get very ill and possibly die if you don’t do your homework. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yanbu. Mine will be going to secondary with masks.

@Sockwomble yes, another way for disabled children to be stigmatised.

To say 'all kids should wear a mask' is incredibly naive.

Except I didn't say that. I wouldn't dream of saying under 11s should wear masks. There would, no doubt, be medical exemptions also.

It's the unions saying over 11s should wear them, I think they are better placed than either of us to understand the situation.

In the last four weeks, there have been 183 "infection incidents" (outbreaks) in educational settings. That's more than anywhere else other than care homes.

That's also with less than 25% of students back across all schools and social distancing measures used.

So I’m clear, you feel sorry for kids and staff having to wear masks which science seems to now agree will help slow the spread of Covid?

Yes, you have understood what I said. Well done.
I feel sorry for anyone that has to wear a mask for a prolonged period of time. I couldn't do it and I'm so glad I don't have to in my work. I honestly don't think I could cope with it, so I certainly wouldn't expect children to do it.

How long before secondary school kids work out masks make ace catapults? I can just imagine them pelting each other or teachers with erasures or some other object!

@Whatelsecouldibecalled should another barrier be put into place to prevent effective learning?

Learning isn't more important than someone's life.

You're saying children don't pass this to each other, but there won't be evidence of this from when schools have been closed and they've been at home mixing only with their households for months! There will be if they go back with no distancing or masks!

Most youngsters will not comply with bubbles on the bus and mask wearing or social distancing so not sure how wearing a mask in a lesson will help

All the more reason to stop them spreading what they catch elsewhere to everyone else unfortunate enough to share the classroom with them, including their teacher.

As a nurse I wear PPE for 12 out of 13 hours per day. At the end of my shift I am fatigued, have a headache and feel stressed.

The main reason aside from not drinking enough is trying to hear people, I don't have a hearing impairment but the masks make me realise how much I also lip read and take verbal cues.

My DC would of course wear masks if mandatory but their education would suffer. All people need to wear masks for them to be effective. At my work the patient's don't have to wear masks but the staff and visitors do so, I am still at risk of catching covid. There is a knack to proper donning and doffing techniques.

It's surprising there are so many people pushing for this, yet when you actually ask teachers, the actual people that everyone seems so focused on protecting, most say they don't think it's a good idea at all.

I’m loving the snowplough parenting going on here: ‘my child might suffer a slight discomfort in having to wear a mask and that is unacceptable.’

I wonder how many of the same people will be complaining in October because the same child’s bubble has been sent home for two weeks because the teacher is ill and the home learning hasn’t been marked.

Then come back on here and tell us how comfortable it was, how easy it was to concentrate on everything you were supposed to be doing, how your glasses didn't fog up, how you didn't feel sweaty and slightly claustrophobic in the humidity, how easy it was to communicate with everyone around you, not just verbally but through non-verbal expression...
All that is probably just a little bit less invasive than the "discomfort" of being on a ventilator.

@BelleSausage except it's not a 'slight discomfort' that's the point. Everyone who keeps saying that has only popped to the shop in one. Those of us who ACTUALLY wear one for the length of time that children would be expected to are saying it's not appropriate.

I know a 16 year old who spent 10 days on a ventilator in an induced coma. And now needs a lung transplant. A rare case. But not much comfort if your child is the rare case. This person used to do triathlons. Now she can't get out of bed.

Yep! I work as a teacher in a 6th form college and at the moment no guidance about us or students wearing masks. Students will be told to keep 2 metres away from us - good luck with that one in our tiny college!

You can also see from this how much emotional blackmail will be landed on children.

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion

I do wonder which teachers you are talking to. I’m a teacher, I know a lot of teachers from different schools and this is all we’ve talked about recently. Read any of the threads in the Staffroom or on TES. This is what most teachers want.

I think you would also be surprised if you talked to a broad range of kids about it. There are quite a few who are very nervous about coming back in and would be comforted by masks.

No emotional blackmail. Just facts. The 16 year old has been on social media begging her friends to wear masks.

Completely agree with @hayfeverhellish

@hayfeverhellish

Not the children. They will do what is modelled to them as good behaviour. It isn’t their fault some parents don’t give crap about the health of the wider school community.

My year 10s and 12s wore masks the last few weeks of term. For me. Because they wanted to protect me. And I them. No one seemed to have any problem wearing one.