Why not masks for all in secondary schools ?

[countryroses]

Why not ?

As a teacher no. Wearing a mask all day, except break and lunch when they're outside is not difficult. What is difficult is knowing you might catch it and die because of a little snowflakes comfort rights.

Its not the same as the uniform battle because a lot of the non compliance won't be deliberate defiance, it will be good kids who are genuinely uncomfortable, moving the mask so they can breathe "for a minute". Most uniform issues need dealing with, maximum once per day, this would be constant all day long.

uhoh Sorry, I wasn't very clear. Waiting for a post run cup of tea . My youngests school requires a letter of permission from parents to let them wear a mask, and strict rules on only plain masks.

Eldest school is fine with masks, no permission required from parents and it appears that any mask is ok as long as it isn't offensive.

@megletthesecond at your eldest school is the mask optional or compulsory ?

@TopCherry

As a teacher no. Wearing a mask all day, except break and lunch when they're outside is not difficult. What is difficult is knowing you might catch it and die because of a little snowflakes comfort rights.

The chance you might catch covid and die is tiny and the mask decreases that tiny risk by a tiny amount. Asking the whole world to modify its behaviour because of your fear, which is not based on any sort of reality, is ridiculous.

Little snowflakes....nice.
OR children who have had pretty much every normal thing removed from them for (by Sep 7th) over 6 months.
Our school is very sensibly encouraging masks if they are worn properly, recognising that a mask you fiddle with all day is more of an infection risk than no mask at all.
Maybe get a job in a less dangerous field Cherry? Like bull fighting or bomb disposal?

@TheDailyCarbuncle

Because at some point idiots have to realise that the virus isn't the one and only important thing in the whole world and that you absolutely have to, at some point, get the fuck on with living, and that expecting teenagers to sit all day with their faces covered, trying to hear and understand someone at the top of the room who also has their face covered is fucking bonkers nonsense that only panic-ridden fools would suggest.

Whole lot of bonkers ridden fools in the world then!!! students in Europe, Asia and America are managing to do it. I suspect our teens will too at some point. I suspect they will handle it fine, just like everyone else.

Teens are more resilient and adaptable than you give them credit for

@TopCherry ever think you might be in the wrong job?

I disagree. As a teacher we wouldn't jump on a kid for figiteing with a mask or whatever we'd rather them do that than no mask at all. My anxiety would be halfed even if they just wore the same mask all day everyday and even touched it constantly compared to no mask at all.

@TopCherry

I disagree. As a teacher we wouldn't jump on a kid for figiteing with a mask or whatever we'd rather them do that than no mask at all. My anxiety would be halfed even if they just wore the same mask all day everyday and even touched it constantly compared to no mask at all.

So they have to wear it because you're anxious? Even if it does nothing or even increases their risk?

Oh it's because children and teachers have special DNA which makes them magically immune to Covid. School buildings are actually known to absorb and destroy the virus too which brings double protection.

Little snowflakes comfort rights

Oh @TopCherry you were doing so well up until that point 🙄
Those "snowflakes" you speak of have had the last 6 months of their lives turned upside down for something for that for the majority has no/little medical implications for them. All the children I know have been incredibly resilient and accepted the disruption with minimal fuss in what must be a scary time for them. Children have been at the bottom of the priority list throughout all this, imo they need applauding for how well they have coped and given some respect.
I'm appalled as a teacher you have that view of children tbh.

Because a mask worn for 6 hours is worse than useless, even if you believe that masks are anything more than a panacea for the panic stricken anyway, which I don’t!

@TopCherry

Wish someone frome outside the sector would create a petition for this. You'd get >100,000 sigs in a week. Us and teachers can't because we'd get bullied out of our school if they ever found out.

A petition do mandate the wearing of masks:

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/330227

@TopCherry

As a teacher no. Wearing a mask all day, except break and lunch when they're outside is not difficult. What is difficult is knowing you might catch it and die because of a little snowflakes comfort rights.

So you'd rather lock yourself away in your home? Who's the snowflake?

Top Cherry, you’re not teaching in the Midlands are you? I hope to God you’re not teaching in my DC’s school!

Yep, if you can talk like that about your students TopCherry you need a different job. Can you not see the irony in you prioritising your anxiety whilst describing others as snowflakes?

As a teacher no. Wearing a mask all day, except break and lunch when they're outside is not difficult. What is difficult is knowing you might catch it and die because of a little snowflakes comfort rights

As an ex-teacher, for all the claims about parents who hate teachers, what I’m seeing on these threads are a frightening number of teachers who show barely concealed contempt for the children they teach.

If anyone’s been forgotten in all this it‘a been children and young people, who are being asked to make huge long-term sacrifices for an illness that barely affects them. And whatever they do it clearly won’t be sufficient in some people’s eyes.

I’d also add that thankfully this isn’t reflective of the many teachers I know irl, who are all keen to get back to work as normally as possible in September.

In Italy people are crying out for schools to open, at any discomfort level. 14th September is still TBC.

DD was distance taught February, did her Middle School exam via Skype (!) and is now psyched up for High School. New school, new classmates and a new style of attendance.
Classrooms with individual desks or leaner chairs >1m apart, larger class groups taught in gyms or other buildings, hand cleansing every two hours and MASKS (from home) worn for five hours a day. No snowflakes allowed.
These are the rules from 6yo+. In some areas play schools went back in June with double the staff.

We can not start recovery without schools being back.

*from February.

Why is it that here in England (UK) it comes across as we are so special, so above the rest of the world illustrated with people saying things like “oh they’ll find them uncomfortable”, “they get hot” and “how can they concentrate on their learning?” How have other children in other countries coped? They have, they just get on with it! Obviously exceptions need to be made for medical reasons just like school uniform rules now. The government should have acted sooner when masks were introduced for all over 11s, masks could have been added to the school kit list, even made in school colours.

Why would you want a mask to be in school uniform colours?

Why does the government guidance say that children 11+ have to wear them in shops, on public transport and in other indoor spaces then if not to mitigate some if the risk of transmission? Are young people complying with this? Why can’t masks be worn only in the classrooms where there are no opening windows and when moving around the school premises? The government guidance is so contrary it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.

It's not that the children can't or shouldn't be expected to wear masks it's that all the evidence is that they don't help when worn for long periods, and handling them often makes the risk to the wearer higher than
not wearing one at all.

So, if there is no benefit to having them, a possible increased risk from wearing them and definite downsides in terms of inconvenience, cost, environmental impact, further disruption to learning, why would you make them compulsory?