Full time mask wearing in schools

[JS87]

Would you be prepared for your child to wear a mask in lessons etc (even in primary school in say KS2 upwards) if it meant they caught less colds/coughs/temps and didn't have to keep isolating to get a cold? I would definitely be happy for DS 9 to wear one if it meant he got to spend more time in school

@DarkMutterings - precisely. I’ve really no idea why the UK couldn’t look at all things that have worked in other countries and just do them, instead of coming up with the piss poor mish mash jumbled response that we have. But then you look at attitudes on here to something as simple as mask wearing and ...

Absolutely
Over time we've all worked out which mask type we prefer, which sits most comfortable and we just crack on. But HK went through SARS, so as a community there's a degree of understanding.

If adults wail and gnash their teeth about it, of course kids will follow.

@DarkMutterings spot on

If adults wail and gnash their teeth about it, of course kids will follow.

People who think masks are horrible acting surprised their DCs also complain about them...the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

It’s going to either be masks or school closures, so choose what’s most important, education, or clinging to this ridiculous anti-mask nonsense

I agree with this. DC are readily adaptable and a winter of mask wearing couid be made to come across as a wonderful adventure.

And secondary school pupils should most definitely be in masks

Much preferable to school closures, half-term lockdown and tighter restrictions generally (see the FT and other media including BBC, who are full of commentary on the need for stricter measures).

DarkMutterings Going solely by MN people in the UK generally are almost uniquely stroppy about mask wearing (almost uniquely because parts of the USA seem to be similar).

In most countries it's rare to see anyone without a mask in a shop or in public transport for example, but there are MN posters claiming glasses wearing as grounds for exemption! Ffs! People seem to have such low expectations of and standards for their children (not academically but generally), but then MN posters often have low expectations of themselves too...

Online forums don't tend to truly represent the general population thankfully - I really hope this is the case here.

No because there is more to communication then words.

Teachers need to be able to read all the body language of children to be able to help the children who aren't comfortable to speak out if they need help.

No. I want proper online learning, I want track and trace, I want to be able to go to my local GP for a test for my children, I want people on public transport to be made to wear them, I’d definitely support blended learning and being in school every other week ie more distancing in school (there’s currently none).

Sorry posted too soon.

How will teachers/TA's see who are talking in class/messing about.

Children will just fiddle with masks and not concentrate on their learning,

But more importantly children need to have sort of normalcy to help with their education and learning.

You can demand normalcy all you like but these aren't normal times.

Absolutely not! Especially for primary aged children.

@Clutterbugsmum several posters, me included, have come here to say that their experience of their children wearing masks to school has been absolutely fine. Mine have been back nearly 3 weeks and I can already see progress in their learning. Schools here are remaining open and there was 94% attendance at my kids school last week. Why is the UK so different? Why can’t UK kids be trusted to wear masks and not ‘fiddle with them’ when kids do perfectly ok in other countries? Why so different?

My two non-Asian boys, Y2 and Y6, are doing fine in masks in their new school in Thailand. We too wear them all the time outside our homes, when not eating and drinking. Like many here, they wear theirs attached to a string which lessens handling of them when they lower them and put them back up. I wash them when they arrive home in the afternoon.

The 2 kids who wear masks at our school ate off with bad cold so not convinced it really works with young children.

I think the reality is that 8 year olds aren't always great at hygiene. So taking off masks, dealing them, touching then and their face etc anyway. Parents adjusting enough so that they can swap them after removal. Kids who can't wear them medically being bullied in the same way adults are shamed etc

Masks are not pixie dust - they don't stop all germs, virus, illnesses
If worn by the vast vast majority of people they slow transmission.

Seriously the UK needs to stop thinking this is a sprint to 'virus free' and more of a marathon to getting this under control like other diseases.

@MotheringShites

No I agree with you, honestly I do. My thread basically said exactly the same thing. It’s wrong and they shouldn’t have to wear one. But in the end it came down to he needed to be in school to do his GCSE’s (I can’t teach him those) and actually the effect on his mental health being at home was huge. He is much much happier being at school even with the mask wearing than he was at home. I have to say, all credit to the teachers at his school. They have done a brilliant job of enforcing the rule in a teen friendly way.

How can people predict masks won't be washed? My ds probably looks like he's wearing the same mask as he has three identical ones - they are washed every day. I think only the same kids whose parents don't wash their clothes will not wash masks. The school's likely to already be aware of who they are, and could provide disposable ones.

No it’s cruel, it won’t work and will hinder development

Yeah, and not being able to go to school is none of these things.

Maybe masks will make no significant difference. But if not, why do we have to wear them in shops? I would choose mask wearing over the schools shutting because too many teachers are off sick.

No. My kids are rarely ill, one 24 hour bug maybe once every 1-2 years and probably one cold a winter? They usually have 99-100% attendance, the whole bugs/sick frequency thing passed long ago in nursery.

"Maybe masks will make no significant difference"

Evidence from mainland Europe is that they do:

• this virus seems to produce a more severe disease when exposure to the virus is heavy (see discussion on rates of severe disease and deaths in HCPs early in the outbreak)
• masks reduce the amount of expelled virus reaching other people/outside generally
• the disease (population level) is milder in areas where mask wearing is mandated

The hypothesis hasn't been proved, but the idea is gaining traction that reducing the amount of expelled virus means that those who catch it have received lower infective dose and become less ill

@notheragain4 that’s nice for you, but if they do get it they could well be asymptomatic and pass it to others. Masks aren’t about the wearer

No. My kids are rarely ill

And that's the UKs problem, this is such a selfish attitude. You've heard the phrase 'it's not about you' ...

I was trying to find this article before
Now I don't think Sweden are the 'best' in their response but this sums up why they could do it, and the UK couldn't

The Swedish even have a word for this, folkvett. It translates, roughly, to "good manners," but really means much more, expecting that Swedish people will act appropriatelyy^ and do the right thing, without being told, or if not, face severe public shame and moral judgement.

www.google.com.hk/amp/s/www.businessinsider.com/sweden-coronavirus-strategy-explained-culture-of-trust-and-obedience-2020-4%3famp

Again, agree. Anyone who thinks they don’t need a mask because their family doesn’t usually get sick should hop on over to the thread full of bone weary NHS Workers who are terrified of the winter to come. If we can help them by stopping the spread, we should.