Why not masks for all in secondary schools ?

[countryroses]

Why not ?

I would actually be quite glad of the excuse to hide my most visible acne scar 🤷

Those in favour of masks do you think taking them on and off means they are still effective?

I’m not convinced how beneficial they are used in this way, but wondering what others think about that part of it

Apologies wrong thread - have reported !

@MarshaBradyo

Those in favour of masks do you think taking them on and off means they are still effective?

I’m not convinced how beneficial they are used in this way, but wondering what others think about that part of it

Not really. I think that if they're going to be worn they should be worn all day (with changing time). I think we'd find a lot of dropped and even discarded masks if they were worn in corridors only.

I don't know marsha but I live opposite a shop and see the local 'squad' biddably putting masks on before entering. They don't seem as horrified as people think.

If we had better handwashing facilities, social distancing, ventilation, fewer children in corridors and queuing for lunch and to gain access,and a solution to transport, and smaller groups, I don't think any of us would advocate fro masks.

I agree teens won’t necessarily object. Ds (15) is completely fine with wearing one to travel and in a shop and just takes it in his stride. Although that is different to all day (adults probably feel the same about the difference).

It’s more whether corridors only brings its own issues that reduce effectiveness or wearing all day is too long to be effective.

So they’d have to change them after lunch I guess. Not sure what optimal time is.

@Piggywaspushed

I don't know marsha but I live opposite a shop and see the local 'squad' biddably putting masks on before entering. They don't seem as horrified as people think.

If we had better handwashing facilities, social distancing, ventilation, fewer children in corridors and queuing for lunch and to gain access,and a solution to transport, and smaller groups, I don't think any of us would advocate fro masks.

@Piggywaspushed Agreed. I see the local ‘yooves’ on the local pub car park all on their bikes and -shock horror! - wearing masks.

And yes, masks would not be needed if we could actually implement distancing, have extra facilities and time for hand washing, smaller class sizes but that’s not going to happen.

It’s just been announce that High School pupils in Scotland must wear masks from 31st Aug but not in classrooms . Fairly firm wording
Mr Swinney said individual exemptions could be granted for health reasons, but the guidance would be "obligatory" for all secondary, special and grant-aided schools.

I just heard a newsreader on R1 (which of course will influence teens) saying that in Scotland masks are required in corridors only, because there's social distancing in classrooms.

There isn't social distancing on classrooms.

I see Oasis academy chain of 50 schools ARE going against the government and will be using masks and visors in corridors and communal areas. (Sky News/Twitter) Also interestingly they are booking church halls and offices. Wish other schools could do the same. 6months the government have had to get their act together, 6months to arrange more space and look at alternatives. All they have done is waste 6months a bit like the time period before March when Covid was in Europe.

@Piggywaspushed has nailed it. I’m a teacher and I’d really like smaller classes so we can socially distance effectively but there’s no will for finding the space/staff or else having a blended model to achieve that. In these circumstances, masks are a way to mitigate risk.

Nibor1991

But should your decision trumph others that want to?

My room is enormous but in rearranging it to get all the students facing the front (which seems to be the government's solution to everything)they all now have to squeeze past each other (and me) to get in....

Neither of the two classrooms that I currently work in can have the pupils facing the front.

Scotland's CMO is reported by the BBC today on issue of masks making risks worse:

"The interim chief medical officer, Dr Gregor Smith, said the education advisory group had considered carefully whether poor hygiene while using masks might spread the virus.

"In their consideration they looked at the evidence from infection from removing masks, on and off, and whether that was likely to play a significant component in terms of introducing an increased risk of transmission," he said.

"On balance, their assessment of that evidence was that there was insufficient evidence to support that view." "

time.com/5880867/face-masks-coronavirus/

US hairdressers where the 2 hairdressers had covid and wore masks, did not pass it to their 140 customers.

Anecdotal evidence from Hong Kong press : family members wore masks at home and did not pass covid to rest of household

Probably better for the pupils to keep the masks on during lessons and then take off when having lunch and then putting a fresh one on after lunch. Stops with the taking on and off multiple times.

Obviously what would be better would be more space in the classrooms

@CKBJ

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.

As a foreigner I have to admit that the sheer amount of whining about masks on this site makes me wonder why the UK is inhabited by so many weak people.

In my country there are no mask exemptions if you want to use public transport. If it makes you traumatised or uncomfortable then that's tough, you're still not getting on the bus or train without a mask. That's your choice then. For some reason it isn't a problem here.

Medical staff works just fine the whole day with masks on but according to this site almost grown up students can't be expected because they might get a wee bit uncomfortable while protecting other people like their parents and teachers?

It all reads as if the UK public is used to being pandered to too much. You need to learn a bit of resilience. Who cares if you are a bit uncomfortable, so is the rest of the world. Who cares that the kids are having a shit year. So is the rest of the world. We're all in this together and the whining and looking for exemptions doesn't help.

We're not all in this together, poor people in developing will bear the brunt of this as they do everything else, including the ever-rising sea of disposable masks, gloves and hazmat suits people who've been whipped into a frenzy of terror over this.

Glad I no longer live in a place so draconian it can't recognise we are not all the same and has compassion. I'd rather be a 'whiner' than live in tyranny again. I'll bet it's a big problem for people with some disabilities, they must feel even more isolated. But hey, fuck 'em if they're uncomfortable and have shit lives, not just years.

A country that doesn't give exemptions will be country that doesn't give a shit about disabled people and will be the sort of country that happy to see severely disabled people like my son, locked away.

And where is this magical place?

@Underhisi

A country that doesn't give exemptions will be country that doesn't give a shit about disabled people and will be the sort of country that happy to see severely disabled people like my son, locked away.

Yep! Anyone who disagrees is just 'whining'. I've lived in places like this. They're shit and in plenty of them, so many want to get out. My father put it best, 'Don't bother paying good money to visit a place where you see a bunch of people trying to get out. There's usually a very good reason for it.'

@Underhisi @Piggywaspushed

It's the Netherlands. Not some backward country. Here wheelchair users can use every metro station. Try that in London. Also, disabled people are not locked away.