Why not masks for all in secondary schools ?

[countryroses]

Why not ?

@Piggywaspushed

I just do not understand why at least secondary schools can't have something similar!

Because thats not what is best for the child in terms of learning! Children learn better in the classroom (ok there may be an odd exception to this) and no amount of oak academy or similar is as good or better than face to face teaching. Some teenagers may have the bodies of adults but they are still children. How can you expect 11yo olds to learn and progress in the same way as a university student they worlds apart in levels of maturity and understanding.

Thanks for explaining that to a teacher.

@Piggywaspushed

Thanks for explaining that to a teacher.

I'm surprised as a teacher that you think any differently to be honest

Firstly, I don't teach 11 year olds.

Secondly, the way students may be taught when we return is not optimal.

We all agree that face to face teaching is best but that does not mane alternatives to preserve community health cannot be viable.Because no one will even research this, if we have to move to remote learning again, it will be no better.

I do find it interesting that HE, SFCs and universities all accept remote learning in acceptable but not OK at all for 18 year olds in schools.

But I would advocate for a blended model to reduce numbers in school, to enable social distancing. not 100% remote learning. In my opinion this would ultimately cause less chaotic disruption.

And possibly even reduce the need for masks.

@Piggywaspushed cant you see that being opposed to blended learning isnt teacher bashing in fact its quite the opposite! Parents value what it is you actually do and know that there is no better substitute than you doing what you have been to uni and spent years training to do. If it was just as easy to teach children in the same capacity by using online learning why bother having teachers at all.
Whilst I appreciate teachers are worried about lack of PPE etc and quite rightly so, can you appreciate that parents feel there's no better substitute to give their child a quality education than a teacher in the school environment full time. I dont know what the answer is but blended learning is not for the best interests of the children.
Teachers deserve to have a safe working environment but children deserve to have the best education opportunity possible.

When did I say you were teacher bashing?

Blended learning is 50% teaching 50% homework as there can't access to teachers whilst they are teaching the other half of the school. How is 50% teaching good enough? How can all the curriculum be covered in just half the learning time?

@Piggywaspushed

When did I say you were teacher bashing?

You didn't to be fair but it usually gets thrown into the mix by someone when disagreeing with a teacher

Wish I could find the link that said Wales is the only UK country where cases are still declining - no mandatory mask there apart from on transport - so make of that what you will.

@SirBale, here in Wales the population in rural areas is very sparse. We were only permitted to drive further than 5 miles in July. School holidays are in line with England so there isn't much point in comparing us with Scotland. Many shops are, in fact, requesting that masks are worn an lots are voluntarily wearing them, myself included, out of consideration for shop workers.

I agree about curriculum but that bti would be up to Ofqual (yay..)

My views are coloured by the fact that my year 12s have made stupendous progress during lockdown and are actually doing independent work that is university standard. It makes me wonder how much they do need me sometimes! Given time to work independently, they do it well.

My year 10s have shown no real signs of falling behind either. Technical issues have been the biggest concern.

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised.

[quote Uhoh2020]@Piggywaspushed cant you see that being opposed to blended learning isnt teacher bashing in fact its quite the opposite! Parents value what it is you actually do and know that there is no better substitute than you doing what you have been to uni and spent years training to do. If it was just as easy to teach children in the same capacity by using online learning why bother having teachers at all.
Whilst I appreciate teachers are worried about lack of PPE etc and quite rightly so, can you appreciate that parents feel there's no better substitute to give their child a quality education than a teacher in the school environment full time. I dont know what the answer is but blended learning is not for the best interests of the children.
Teachers deserve to have a safe working environment but children deserve to have the best education opportunity possible.[/quote]
Oh my god. Can you not comprehend that once transmission accelerates and teachers become ill, whole year groups will end up being sent home again, this time perhaps without the benefit of their ill or recuperating teacher.

I was in favour of trying the full return (with masks as mitigation) until recently. It's actually Mumsnet that has made me realise that I need to put myself first because no fucker else cares, so now I would advocate a blended model to anyone who will listen.

In the midst of a pandemic I think you've got a nerve complaining that 50% isn't good enough.

No, the good, talented and experienced ones are the one who are not making excuses right now not to go back without'PPE' and stamping their little feet in a tantrum at the government for not giving them the free unicorns they deserve

Speak for yourself! I am experienced and ‘good’ is my results are anything to go by. I work hard. I don’t want a unicorn but I do want to feel that my safety, as an overweight person over 50, has been considered. I also want it to be acknowledged that I don’t exist in a vacuum and that I have an 80 year old adult in my home permanently and that one of my children is a type 1 diabetic. I don’t want my work to kill off my family. I am not sure what is unreasonable about that.

The latter on here who whine all the time hardly give the impression of being good and/or talented, or even actually giving a stuff about the well/being of pupils they are employed to teach

Bluntly, my job description is to teach and drag kids through exams. I do that with significant panache. I am also contractually obliged to be alert to safeguarding issues and to follow protocol when required. Sod all in my job description about ‘giving a stuff’ last time I looked. ‘Giving a stuff’, as far as I’m concerned, is doing my upmost to get some learning to stick. I don’t have to brew tea and have kids hanging out in my room to do that.,

I can’t see why children wouldn’t succeed with 50% learning time at school because there would be less of them and therefore more time to focus on individual needs. If the government had actually used the time constructively from March a lot could have been achieved.

Uhoh2020 you are assuming that blended learning just means less of what we normally do, which is not the case at all.

I could absolutely teach my classes next year in a “blended” fashion - not less, but differently.

Secondary teacher here with hearing impairment. Personally don't want my pupils to be in masks because I will genuinely struggle to hear them. But my needs don't over ride the overall safety of teachers.

I'd be happy with the decision left to individuals. If pupils want to wear one, they can, same for staff.

I also find wearing them very uncomfortable and get hot. Wearing one round the shops for more than about 30 mins I find really hard work. I wouldn't want to wear one for 5+ hours a day. I fully respect the right of teachers who do want to wear one.

Complaining about getting 50% of the time in school assumes students would get any more than that with their regular teacher if we have full time learning. I emphasise the regular teacher part, because I think lessons with a cover teacher are far less effective. To be honest, I would imagine less work gets done in your average cover lesson than students would do at home. At least at home, they are less likely to be seeing who can get their pritt stick to glue itself to the ceiling while their teacher isn't looking.

"Bubbles" mean that none of my exam classes in year 11 or 13 will have me for all of their lessons because of the way we've had to arrange their timetable. That's the same across the department.
If we all had masks, we might be able to get them back in front of their teacher rather than someone who happens to be free.
If we had blended learning, I'd be setting and marking all of their work, and in front of them all the time - perhaps via a computer.

@SaltyAndFresh OK advocate to me? Tell me how my DS starting his GCSEs only getting 50% learning time is good for him at the possibility of a teacher going off sick. I cant see this virus going away any time soon he could end up with part time learning for the rest of his school life whilst studying for exams that we tell them defines their future.
Covid is potentially ruining our children's future prospects in either scenario im sure thats something we all agree on. I cant help but feel sad and frustrated at the predicament our children are in, they are the ones who will suffer more in terms of the long term affects .

@SaltyAndFresh

In the midst of a pandemic I think you've got a nerve complaining that 50% isn't good enough.

I'll tell my DS to put that on his CV shall I when he's applying for college or uni courses or jobs. My mum had a nerve to want me to have an education that I'm entitled too for a virus with a negligible chance of having any implications on me.

Try to speak reasonable to you then you come out with shit like that! I'm a martyr and parents have a nerve wanting children to be educated. Im over with responding to you!

[quote Uhoh2020]@SaltyAndFresh OK advocate to me? Tell me how my DS starting his GCSEs only getting 50% learning time is good for him at the possibility of a teacher going off sick. I cant see this virus going away any time soon he could end up with part time learning for the rest of his school life whilst studying for exams that we tell them defines their future.
Covid is potentially ruining our children's future prospects in either scenario im sure thats something we all agree on. I cant help but feel sad and frustrated at the predicament our children are in, they are the ones who will suffer more in terms of the long term affects .[/quote]
Well you made my point for me in your first paragraph. Instead of demanding normality and insisting teachers disregard their own health, why don't you start advocating for funding for more teachers and more space via your MP?

@Uhoh2020 DS’s school is recording lessons so that might be a way of doing blended learning. So half school in, half watching recorded lesson, so not just doing homework. Then swap. I assume they could watch live lesson and comment in chat section.

Obviously this relies on everyone having the required technology, which the Government have had time to sort out.

This could also work for some classes if they have to self isolate.

Everyone having technology will also help if schools have to temporarily close.

Recording lessons.... Are parents of children in the classroom happy with that?

DH and I were talking about how to make more space for schools so social distancing can be implemented. In large towns/cities there are a number of offices standing empty whilst everyone works from home. These buildings could be utilised and supply teachers employed. Again needs funding from the Government