to object to teaching students without a reason for not wearing a mask

[evenmoreforthemoor]

I teach teenagers.

I have to wear a mask to protect them from me.

They don't have to wear a mask if they have a 'reason'. We are not allowed to ask them what their reason is.

I am fine with teaching learners who have a genuine reason for not wearing one. But I want to know if it is genuine or not. And yes, I think I should be able to ask why and refuse to have them in my classroom if they choose not to wear one for a reason that I believe is spurious.

What would be my legal status if I refused to teach them?

Am wondering if there are any test cases with regards to this.

I’ve been exposed to Covid twice this week through school. One a pupil who sat in my lesson, without a mask. And a fellow teacher in my department has caught Covid from another pupil, whose mum sent her into school as it was ‘just a cough’. This teacher sat in the staff room, use the same kettle, used the same photocopier as us.

I don’t qualify for a test as I have no symptoms - I’m hoping as I’ve already had Covid I’m immune tbh

I voted YANBU as believe you have the right to be safe at work. French have it right, kids who can’t wear a mask should be home and joining the lesson remotely.

Posted by smallereveryday earlier on the thread. Ignored by all.

One of my daughters teachers was in hospital for 7 weeks. Still not fit for work . Whilst the kids walk away with a bit of a cough for a few days.

Covid in schools is happening. The kids won't feel it but they will make the adults around them very very sick. Including the poor teachers who don't stand a chance. No one should have to work in this kind of danger.

There are no easy answers to this one.

• On the one hand you have some people who have extreme anxiety about wearing a mask.

• On the other had you have people with extreme anxiety about being around people who are not wearing masks (and therefore being at increased risk of contracting COVID-19).

What if a teacher/lecturer's anxiety about being stuck in a room with students who are not wearing masks is just as intense as the anxiety in the students fearful of wearing masks?

While the teacher/lecturer may not have the right to ask for reasons from non-mask wearers - shouldn't they have the right to leave to protect their mental (and physical health)?

And of course privacy cuts both ways. Why should anyone have to right to question their reasons for extreme anxiety about being around non-mask wearers (perhaps they have recently lost someone close to them to COVID-19?).

And furthermore the teachers anxiety is justified. Just saw on another thread about a lady whose therapist got Covid. And now can't work as she's left with serious health problems.

This disease scares me - and I don't scare easily. If I got it because some idiot worked her idiot child into a frenzy about wearing a mask I'd be wanting to sue them personally. Of course legally you can't.

But to anyone who thinks it's ok to allow their child or themselves to avoid measures that could prevent a serious life changing illness being given to a teacher teaching their children all I can say is what kind of moral compass do you have?

There's another thread with people talking about how their ASD child has learnt to wear one, and how they could be exempt but don't want to not wear one. And then there's the ones that say 'not wearing one and not prepared to say why or provide a reason and it shouldn't be mandatory and you are just ablist if you even ask,'

No one has the right to allow themselves or their child to seriously injure or kill someone else, which is what happens with this virus in adults. If someone never wears a mask then they are even more likely to get it unless their social contact is very limited... and children at school do not have limited social contact. Regardless of their reasons for not wearing one.

@Lunar567

Our government have done a good job making people believe everyone is infectious with killer virus Covid. Please, stop living in fear. The chance of coming across to any Covid is tiny. Becoming infected is even smaller.

No one thinks 'everyone' is infected.

But if it carries on at the rate of doubling it has been, they will be.

Hence why wearing a mask is a good idea to prevent this happening. I don't understand what you don't understand about this?

And I have a good friend who had covid age 32 3 months ago. She is out of bed for 2-4 hours per day at the moment. She was running marathons before that. I wouldn't be much use as a teacher if I couldn't get out of bed. Hence masks=good.

Are you my student's mother?

All we are hearing is all about 'my rights' and there is absolutely fuck all about responsibilities. We don't live in a vaccum. Some people have an absolute right to be terrified of catching this virus. It is not your right to question why that might be so. We all have a right to try and limit our exposure to protect not only ourselves, but those around us. I don't understand why this is so hard for so many to grasp - even Boris has this one down and there's a man who couldn't give a fuck about anyone else if ever there was one.

@Enoughnowstop

All we are hearing is all about 'my rights' and there is absolutely fuck all about responsibilities. We don't live in a vaccum. Some people have an absolute right to be terrified of catching this virus. It is not your right to question why that might be so. We all have a right to try and limit our exposure to protect not only ourselves, but those around us. I don't understand why this is so hard for so many to grasp - even Boris has this one down and there's a man who couldn't give a fuck about anyone else if ever there was one.

Hear hear. I've seen some utterly vile 'it's my right not to and you can't question that' posts on MN. Frothing at the mouth calling people all kinds of things, accusing the world of abusing them and being ablist because they can't wear a mask and people should understand that and not ever expect them to say why or show proof and how there's no set laws and it's all the governments fault.

And if you say 'well people are getting sick and dying' it's just all STFU and getting posts deleted or posters banned because obviously those posters hate all disabled people if they talk about wearing masks.

There was a thread about a post office insisting on masks. The OP wanted to take her ASD teenage son in there almost daily without one (apparently he wouldn't but she hadn't actually tried to get him to).

Almost every poster on it was advocating reporting the post office, saying it wasn't lawful, how dare they, masks don't help, we don't have Covid around here, how dare anyone ask me to prove why I can't it's not fair and on and on and on. Pages of fury and demands for the right to not wear masks and to be completely unchallenged.

Really. I just don't know what to say. Is it me or is this just wrong?

@evenmoreforthemoor I think that this stupid boy and any other non mask wearers should be moved to the very back of the class. You should say you are anxious about catching it (your right to be) and you can not have any physical proximity to him.

When you are moving around the classroom the children need masks as do you. The non mask wearers can not be helped at their desks by you.

When coming in and out everyone apart from those children wear masks and they stay at the back. Last in first out. This means your risk and that of the class is reduced. You can't control the corridors but you can control who goes where in your classroom.

That way he's still there and learning, moving them around (him to the back nearest the door) is no big deal and not singling him out. You have to protect yourself. No one has the right to make you endanger yourself. Especislly not his stupid mother.

What is the school’s policy? Surely that’s the key thing. In my school students have to wear masks outside their bubble areas if the are inside but not in classrooms. I assume you can’t have a unilateral rule. What do SLT say?