Would the schools problem be solved by masks

[notevenat20]

If all secondary school children wore masks all day and we only then sent home people who sat next to them at lunch if they got covid, would that solve most of the covid schools problem?

It's exactly what they do in France.

Teacher in a middle school in france here. Teaching with a mask is horrible. Having to wear a mask all day (even when outside at break time) except when sitting down to eat at lunchtime, is awful for the kids. We spend a lot of time telling kids to pull their masks up and quite a few of the masks clearly haven't been washed/changed for several days/weeks.

However, I think the spread would be a LOT worse without the masks at all.

Many people, including the OP, want to prioritise schools being open full time for work reasons.

That is the route the government have taken, and many parents support it.

I personally also work full time, but feel both my family's and the nation's interests are better served by getting the virus under control.

We've just created more disruption by opening in a way that has caused as many problems as it solved.

The more that wear them the better. Marginal gains and all that....

I'm fed up with mask drama. Most people can wear them. My DS wears one at his school and the sky hasn't fallen in.

I don’t think it’s the case that British teenagers are uniquely feral. All the attributes you describe must be true for teenagers in the rest of Europe too.

France, Germany, Spain have a very different education system to us. A much stricter society in many many ways. I can well believe that teenagers (on the whole) are complying in other countries. If they don’t, there are consequences for either themselves or their parents.
Look at how they policed lockdown for example. Armed police patrols ensuring lockdown was complied with.

The problem with mask-wearing in the UK versus mask-wearing in Asia is that in Asia, most people comply in accordance with expectations. In the UK, some will refuse to comply, some won’t believe it works so will make token gestures with filthy, inappropriate masks improperly used, and the rest will try to comply. Not enough will comply sufficiently for it to be of significant, measurable benefit, which will add fuel to the fire of those who disagree with it. Then there will be an argument about what to do about people who don’t use masks appropriately, and some will say do not allow admission into school for children who do not comply, others will say schools should provide the masks to make it easier and more fair and improve education programmes on mask wearing (but schools should do this from existing budgets), others will say it’s their human right not to wear a mask and it’s bad for their mental health and development.

Lachat
What happens if a child turns up without one over there?

Many people, including the OP, want to prioritise schools being open full time for work reasons

I respect your point of view. However it’s really not only for work reasons, although that’s a big one, I would say my main reasons, in no particular order are:

• Intermittent schooling damages the careers and independence of women in particular.
• It also damages the lives of children. It causes the most damage to the most disadvantaged and further widens the gap between the rich and not rich.
• The country needs a fully educated population to succeed in the future.

You talk as if schools are educating normally at the moment OP.🤨

@notevenat20

Many people, including the OP, want to prioritise schools being open full time for work reasons

I respect your point of view. However it’s really not only for work reasons, although that’s a big one, I would say my main reasons, in no particular order are:

• Intermittent schooling damages the careers and independence of women in particular.
• It also damages the lives of children. It causes the most damage to the most disadvantaged and further widens the gap between the rich and not rich.
• The country needs a fully educated population to succeed in the future.

I'm not sure what we are doing with schools currently is helping to address these issues in any sustainable way.

What would address these issues is getting the virus under control or changing the way we do things more meaningfully to ensure schooling can be reliably provided without contributing a second public health shitshow.

No a better approach would be to reduce class sizes. This could be helped by parents wanting to home educate (but children staying on the roll) being allowed to home educate. Obviously children in at risk groups school remains compulsory (depending on reason why they are at risk).

No, because too many people would claim to be exempt.

I should add parents that want to home educate shouldn't expect teachers to provide work. The onus would be on them to follow the syllabus.

I think masks would have helped when schools first opened, but it's too late now.

Schools need to close as part of a circuit breaker and re-open with a blended learning model. I know this won't happen though.

For what it's worth, I'm in a lockdown area, and the students in my school all wear masks sensibly in communal areas. Some choose to wear them in the classrooms too. For context, I work with challenging pupils in a very deprived area.

As others have said, schools are NOT operating as normal. I have some half empty classes as children are self isolating following positive cases in school. We have supply teachers in as teachers are also isolating. Students who are self isolating are back to doing home learning.

So carrying on as normal hasn't worked, and it will get worse.

@Lolaloveslemonade

You talk as if schools are educating normally at the moment OP.🤨

It’s quite sweet isn’t it? I’m noticing this a lot actually, on threads. People who are not anywhere near any school, thinking they know what’s going on. I don’t know if it’s naivety or ignorance.

Obviously children in at risk groups school remains compulsory (depending on reason why they are at risk).

This is a little tangential but does that include at risk of not learning much if they stay at home? I suspect that’s quite a large category.

It’s quite sweet isn’t it? I’m noticing this a lot actually, on threads. People who are not anywhere near any school, thinking they know what’s going on. I don’t know if it’s naivety or ignorance.

My DC do go to school currently :)

@notevenat20

It’s quite sweet isn’t it? I’m noticing this a lot actually, on threads. People who are not anywhere near any school, thinking they know what’s going on. I don’t know if it’s naivety or ignorance.

My DC do go to school currently :)

It’s clear you haven’t stepped foot in one recently. Its almost laughable. 🙂

Erm, my dc's school is educating pretty normally at the moment. Yes, there are a few things that aren't happening as usual, but essentially, both pupils and teachers are getting on with it.

@AlexaShutUp

Erm, my dc's school is educating pretty normally at the moment. Yes, there are a few things that aren't happening as usual, but essentially, both pupils and teachers are getting on with it.

I'm alright Jack

Thimg is since we introduced masks in this country cases have still spiralled , as they have in spain and france etc who have even stricter mask wearing so i have my doubts on effectiveness personally.
They only work in combination with other things

I can think of at least 6 subjects in my school that are not teaching their subject as they would normally do. That's before kids and staff are off isolating.

It’s clear you haven’t stepped foot in one recently. Its almost laughable.

That’s an odd thing to say on at least two fronts. If you mean to say that I have no idea what sort of education my own children are getting or what it’s like for them at school, that’s an odd thing to say. If you mean to say that only a loser parent doesn’t physically walk into their child’s classroom, despite all parents being banned due to covid, well that’s very odd too.

Can you explain your point without sarcasm or insult?

I don't know if they'd help. I'm v. skeptical about the efficacy of masks given their growing use abroad and the rise in cases. There is not a universal scientific consensus that they even work.

Frankly though, I will never support the idea that the group least likely to be affected by COVID must sit around in a hot mask all day. Some people find masks fine, and that's fine for THEM. Personally I hate them, and wouldn't expect to be told that I need to have one on for 90% of my day for the sake of a small minority, when I am LEAST at risk. Especially when the science of it is debatable!

Finally, as in March I'd be much more on board with any new measure, if the government hadn't seemingly given up sharing with the public the goal/end game at which it would be reversed. Leicester has never been returned to the semi-normal the rest of us 'enjoyed', even when cases dipped. I fear masks in schools will be brought in, and that'll be it. Next thing will be masks outside (I.e Spain and Italy), all in the name of 'controlling the numbers'. To what level?? Until they are clear on WHY our civil liberties are being compromised, and under what conditions they will be reinstated, I will feel seriously opposed to most of this.

I'm alright Jack

No, that wasn't my point at all. I would support masks in school to help minimise the risk of closures.

I was responding to the weirdly patronising post from Itisasecret.

If you mean to say that I have no idea what sort of education my own children are getting or what it’s like for them at school

I’ll answer even though the quote above isn’t mine.

Both. Unless you are in school with them, you really have no idea.