Masks in school in area NOT in local lockdown - England

[Jamdemic]

Anyone else's school in English gone straight in at the deep end for the start of term and made masks compulsory in communal areas like Scotland?
I think the advice is that this is a measure for areas in local lockdown, but my DC school is doing it anyway.
Going to be really really really hard and horrible for pupils new to the school to make any friends or recognise any teachers.

Yes, our school is part of an academy that will require the use of masks in corridors and communal spaces regardless of the level of infection in the locality. Which is fine by me.

But the length of time of potential exposure is far higher in the classroom than in the corridor. It makes no sense to wear a mask in the corridor for a minute or two but not for an hour or more in the classroom. Discretion (and common sense) would say that reducing the risk of transmission means wearing a mask in the classroom is sensible.

Irrespective of your own thoughts, you need to be far more positive around your child. What are their concerns (not yours), and how can they be overcome?

This isn't about you, it's about the children.

I think it is a concern all the taking off and putting on of masks and the touching of faces.

Schools either follow guidance or not. There’s a lot of views on wearing a mask all day. Initially it was stated they should be changed often.

@CarrieBlue

But the length of time of potential exposure is far higher in the classroom than in the corridor. It makes no sense to wear a mask in the corridor for a minute or two but not for an hour or more in the classroom. Discretion (and common sense) would say that reducing the risk of transmission means wearing a mask in the classroom is sensible.

Do you think schools should follow guidance? It doesn’t say discretion in classrooms.

I didn’t write it Scientist it’s in the Gov document.

@Jamdemic It is devastating to be joining a new school under these conditions. no what is devastating is visiting your relative on a ventilator or a child being without their parents or grandparent.
Am quite sure that high school children can cope wearing a mask in the school corridor!

Or indeed in a classroom.

@ChaChaCha2012

Irrespective of your own thoughts, you need to be far more positive around your child. What are their concerns (not yours), and how can they be overcome?

This isn't about you, it's about the children.

Actually I suspect it is all about the teachers. Fair enough, they are important too. But no thought given to pupils who are starting at new schools under these circumstances.

@AldiAisleofCrap - I am not against the policy where needed. But this area has the lowest infection rate in a region with already very low infection numbers.

People touch their faces all day long, I can't imagine that popping on a mask between classrooms, even accounting for readjusting etc, will have a marked increase on the number of times we fuss with our faces.

Also, it's not just the corridor. I wish it were. It's any basically any indoor space - except for actual lessons. So any indoor socialising space as well as corridors.

@Jamdemic

Ours have to wear it in lessons too!

It would be better if all schools had to do this, rather than isolated schools deciding on harder measures than others.
It feels worse because at all the other local schools pupils will be enjoying more normal school.
It should be the same rule for everyone. After all it is the same virus.
Local authorities and government should have a better handle on this rather than individual schools setting widely varying policies.
After all, all schools will be affected by the same local lockdown whether or not they have enforced masks or not.

It's any basically any indoor space - except for actual lessons.

Well, yeah - of course. Why would they have the policy in corridors only?

I think where it gives a higher safety level than ‘guidance’ then yes.

At least in Scotland it is clear policy and all schools have to do the same and all pupils are equally affected.
This half-way house of mish-mash inconsistency in England is the worst of all worlds.

In your opinion.

@FourTeaFallOut - so you prefer inconsistency?

It doesn’t bother me that our HT has made the decision that may be different to other schools.

So do teachers not deserve to be protected too?

@Nobeautysleep - since in my case lessons and tutor time is mask-free under the school's new policy that is not a relevant point.

No I don't. I think it's a bit shit that it is so inconsistent. But to say it is the worst of both worlds assumes that you might not derive any benefit from the measures. As a school, if you avoid further lockdown as a result, it has a definite upside.