Face coverings in schools?

[Georgyporky]

What am I missing?

Why can't all staff & pupils wear masks and/or visors?

Are they not in the UK? I teach abroad and all children above the age of 10 as well as all adults have been wearing them at all times around school....for weeks already. I'm not expecting it to be different when we go back after thr break. My class are younger, so currently only have to wear them in communal areas (so corridors, playground, etc.) and not in class.
DS is in nursery so below the age where they are required to wear masks, which is 6 here. The adults there wear them, too, though.

It’s being considered for Secondary schools

Secondary school teacher here.

We've had compulsory masks in communal areas (corridors, mostly) since 3 weeks into the autumn term. The way some students react when you tell them they need to wear it, well, it's a lot. The aggression, the fury of them at this tiny thing they're being asked to do. They walk down the corridors with it on their chin. They break the elastic on purpose. They "lose" the mask. They remove it to have a conversation. They remove it to hug their mates. They passive aggressively take a big sip of water like they're waving their middle finger at you because there's a reason to have it off. I had three weeks of arguments with a student because I asked her four times to put it on before leaving the classroom (the rule) and she....she didn't want to. So she screamed in my face for a while and then refused to attend my lessons.

We can't sanction them all, so we just keep reminding them. Most staff are masked constantly, in corridors, offices, whilst teaching. We sanitise as often as possible and all desks and computers are wiped down when there's staff changeover.

Life would be easier if the kids would wear their masks. Or sanitise their hands. Or stop doing complicated handshakes as greetings.

schoolsweek.co.uk/government-planning-to-make-face-masks-compulsory-in-secondary-school-classrooms-dfe-official-says/

I have already posted elsewhere, however both my children have been wearing masks in school since September. They caught covid, along with their class mates and us too

Agree they should from year 1 up. Children adapt quickly so would soon get used to wearing them. Anywhere public and indoors.

In classrooms and as well as corridors etc

@taxxigirl

Secondary school teacher here.

We've had compulsory masks in communal areas (corridors, mostly) since 3 weeks into the autumn term. The way some students react when you tell them they need to wear it, well, it's a lot. The aggression, the fury of them at this tiny thing they're being asked to do. They walk down the corridors with it on their chin. They break the elastic on purpose. They "lose" the mask. They remove it to have a conversation. They remove it to hug their mates. They passive aggressively take a big sip of water like they're waving their middle finger at you because there's a reason to have it off. I had three weeks of arguments with a student because I asked her four times to put it on before leaving the classroom (the rule) and she....she didn't want to. So she screamed in my face for a while and then refused to attend my lessons.

We can't sanction them all, so we just keep reminding them. Most staff are masked constantly, in corridors, offices, whilst teaching. We sanitise as often as possible and all desks and computers are wiped down when there's staff changeover.

Life would be easier if the kids would wear their masks. Or sanitise their hands. Or stop doing complicated handshakes as greetings.

Similar problems at the school I work in. It feels like I spend all day telling students to put their masks on and that it needs to cover nose and mouth. They do use the hand sanitizer though - when they want to avoid work or splash it on each other.

Thought they had been

We do when in corridors etc but not in lessons.

It's very hard to be understood when talking in a mask - and almost impossible to project your voice, so it might be an issue when teaching.

I'm not against it, and when students are working / I am not teaching I do wear one, but for when I'm at the front explaining I can see that it might be difficult.

@taxxigirl

Secondary school teacher here.

We've had compulsory masks in communal areas (corridors, mostly) since 3 weeks into the autumn term. The way some students react when you tell them they need to wear it, well, it's a lot. The aggression, the fury of them at this tiny thing they're being asked to do. They walk down the corridors with it on their chin. They break the elastic on purpose. They "lose" the mask. They remove it to have a conversation. They remove it to hug their mates. They passive aggressively take a big sip of water like they're waving their middle finger at you because there's a reason to have it off. I had three weeks of arguments with a student because I asked her four times to put it on before leaving the classroom (the rule) and she....she didn't want to. So she screamed in my face for a while and then refused to attend my lessons.

We can't sanction them all, so we just keep reminding them. Most staff are masked constantly, in corridors, offices, whilst teaching. We sanitise as often as possible and all desks and computers are wiped down when there's staff changeover.

Life would be easier if the kids would wear their masks. Or sanitise their hands. Or stop doing complicated handshakes as greetings.

Yes- this!

I spend all day telling students to wear their masks. The SAME children, every day.

TA here , in primary.
No masks worn , so as to avoid frightening the children. Close personal contact , as 6 year olds need. Only OPE for suspected Covid.
Just waiting to catch the virus.

Oops .. OPE = PPE

@taxxigirl

Secondary school teacher here.

We've had compulsory masks in communal areas (corridors, mostly) since 3 weeks into the autumn term. The way some students react when you tell them they need to wear it, well, it's a lot. The aggression, the fury of them at this tiny thing they're being asked to do. They walk down the corridors with it on their chin. They break the elastic on purpose. They "lose" the mask. They remove it to have a conversation. They remove it to hug their mates. They passive aggressively take a big sip of water like they're waving their middle finger at you because there's a reason to have it off. I had three weeks of arguments with a student because I asked her four times to put it on before leaving the classroom (the rule) and she....she didn't want to. So she screamed in my face for a while and then refused to attend my lessons.

We can't sanction them all, so we just keep reminding them. Most staff are masked constantly, in corridors, offices, whilst teaching. We sanitise as often as possible and all desks and computers are wiped down when there's staff changeover.

Life would be easier if the kids would wear their masks. Or sanitise their hands. Or stop doing complicated handshakes as greetings.

You could be describing my school. Rammed corridors and a constant battle to get students to wear their masks.

No
My secondary school sons best friend tested positive a month or so ago. My son sat next to him all day for days prior to diagnosis. Walked to and from school together, spent lunches and breaks together. Not one person caught it in his class or contact group

My children in secondary wear them in corridors or break time. Well only my eldest actually, my middle child is exempt.
The problem with masks is you can't always hear what people are saying. Both my daughters have hearing loss and partly lip read. Can't do that with a mask on.
I'm not too worried on a personal level as the cases in their school are incredibly low but quite a lot of children and adults are exempt and you have to consider those with hearing loss.
I wouldn't want to be a teacher although ironically cases where I work are higher than at their school.

Staff and children are immune, didn't you know? Sure Dr Jenny Harries will confirm.

YABU to post this outside the Coronavirus topic.

I work in primary with a high number of SEN in my class of 5 year olds. Masks just aren't an option. I've not even managed to get them to keep them on in the covid room with symptoms while I've been sat in there with them. (All 3 dc I've had in there have diagnosed or suspected asd)

@wanderings get over yourself. This impacts parents of secondary age school children

In my kids secondary they were them in corridors, but then at break / outside of school they are all crowded together. It’s not enough to wear a mask

@1Morewineplease I teach 4/5 yr olds (in Ireland) and teach all day with a mask. No frightened Children at all. Got funky dinosaur/spaceship etc ones made . They don't even notice we all have them on.
Mask is only removed for eating put in a plastic bag and then a fresh one is put on.

We have compulsory masks in all communal areas - staff and children (secondary).

They do in secondary schools. And it’s an absolute nightmare to police.

Sounds a bit half hearted wearing masks in corridors but not in classrooms. Does covid only strike when pupils are out of the classroom?