Masks for secondary school pupils - Vote?

[TDGH1234ANON]

There's enough debate how about a vote?
No = YABU
Yes = YANBU

Nicola Sturgeon does not wear glasses. She has no idea of the misery of wearing glasses and face masks and the fact you cannot fucking see for half the time. Visors should be an acceptable alternative

This

Mumsnet should have a separate thread heading for 'masks in schools' and 'schools and coronavirus' posts.
AIBU no, I love reading the schools/masks threads and can't get enough of them. They are the first thing I read.
YANBU yes, I am heartily sick of them, spend my time hiding them and wish that people who want to discuss this had their own place in which to do so.

Yes = YANBU

As if there is a any other option than to do whatever it takes to seriously beat this deadly contagious virus. We are evidently not going for eradication so all mitigation measures including masks should be optimised for maximum risk management. Obviously only because there is still an ongoing pandemic as otherwise we are safe and don't need these mitigation measures unless schools are to close permanently for home remote schooling which is not ideal despite the pandemic.

@Reedwarbler YANBU!!!!!

I wear glasses misery is overselling it a bit.

I tried to return an item to a shop on Sat. I couldn't see the text on self service screens because of steaming and I cannot function without my glasses my eyesight is so bad. I have a complicated prescription and get lots of distortion if my glasses don't sit exactly right on my nose. So yes it's misery - you try and shop when you can't see.

All we have heard for months

Kids don't transmit , kids won't catch it , if kids catch it then they won't be unwell. Kids under 11 don't need to social distance.

Week before school- kids need to wear masks!! 🤦‍♀️ I'm wondering if all staff will wear them too?

Just chatting with dd, as it seems we will be following Scotland on this. I assume a new mask will be needed every time they leave the classroom, she gets a bus to school and ha a 6 period day. So will need 7 masks a day? Or will they be allowed to reuse them, and if so doesn't that increase the infection risk?
I honestly don't think masks in classrooms is practical, I haven't worked out how to prevent my glasses steaming, I have teachers and children who are hearing impaired, I imagine students with EAL will find it tricky and I can't see how to effectively teach languages or drama with them. I am an SEN specialist so teach phonics and speech sounds even though I'm in a secondary.

If it's dangerous enough for masks surely it's more reasonable to have part time in school to allow distancing.

Anymore for anymore? (Votes that is)

I think a child should be allowed to wear one if they want.

I think masks in schools will spread things more easily. Constant on/off and touching of them

That is on the assumption that the infection is more likely to spread through surface contact (getting droplets on their hands when touching mask) than on air transmission. Most recent findings seem to suggest the opposite.

If air transmission is the greatest risk then any moment when someone is not breathing droplets into the air will be an advantage.

No way. Let’s end this hysteria now.

Teenagers wont wear them properly. Secondary school teachers spend a lot of time trying to get kids to tuck their shirts in and roll their skirts down, now they'll have to police the masks too.
And in classrooms, teens will be pinging masks across the room, stealing each others masks, wearing them on their heads to make people laugh. Etc. Etc.
Yes some teenagers are sensible but a significant number (particularly boys in year 8 and 9 IME) love to prat around and this just gives them another thing to mess around with.

Furthermore there are a lot of kids for whom organisation is very difficult. They can hardly remember to bring a pencil to school, let alone a fresh mask for every break time or lesson changeover.

I think a child should be allowed to wear one if they want.

Masks aren't worn to protect the wearer. They're worn to protect other people from the wearer.

So you think if the child really wants to protect their teacher/his disabled classmate/his friend whose mum has cancer, he should be allowed? But the teacher/classmate/friend don't have a say in the matter? And what about the other children in the class whose education will be disrupted of the teacher ends up off work for months with LongCovid? Do they have a say?

They don't need a fresh mask for every changeover, just to store the mask correctly.
I spend zero time asking pupils to tuck in shirts or unroll skirts, and anyone dangerously chucking a mask around will be asked to leave my classroom (and hopefully sent home). These are not normal times.

Well if they are going to be packed like sardines on buses ...

I think for secondary school children moving around school this would be sensible but not for actual lessons.

It is a fucking stupid idea, a sop to the ignorant!

Pointless in schools.

Lots of ploppers on here, wonder where they came from.

if it is a choice between following WHO advice or the advice from this government I know who I would choose. Expect to see a U turn sometime next week...

No

Yes, I think they should be worn, WHO recommends them for children 12 and over. However, I don't think I would make it mandatory, I would be 'strongly encouraging' all those pupils who feel they can, and not sanctioning those who feel they can't.

I don’t think so. I think if teachers/pupils want to wear them fine, they should be allowed to do so, but Mandatory? No. I know for a fact they’ll start to cause more issues than they are worth. Kids won’t wear them, kids will ping them on faces, they’ll get dropped around the school, kids will insist on branded masks, kids will forget them or lose them.

There is always the argument ‘in China they do it no problem’ but the fact is many eastern Asian countries have worn masks as the norm or common enough that they aren’t viewed as out of place for years. Masks are a relatively new (and seen and temporary) change in the UK.

Well Scottish teachers will be able to report back after a week or so.