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.

No because masks are not 100% effective so don’t work regardless if they work a bit.

We will always have cases untill the virus burns itself out because nothing is effective unless your walking around in a hazmat suit!

We don't need the measures we take to be completely effective. We just need to implement enough measures to bring R down closer to 1. Every little bit we can shave off of it is important.

If we have an R of 1.1, we're in trouble this winter. If we have an R of 0.99, we'll be fine. It's a very small margin between being in trouble and being fine, and if wearing masks lowers us from 1.1 to 1.07, then it's worth doing.

I wish I had added a poll now. I have no idea what the vote would be!

My dd does GCSE drama, it seems to be being taught fairly normally at the moment tbh. They are working on their devised pieces in slightly smaller groups than they might in usual years, and the teacher is keeping her distance, but otherwise they're just getting on with it. Same with PE - apart from wearing their PE kit in school all day, they're just doing it as usual.

Same for year 7 at our school.

Just telling kids to wear masks all day at school and thinking that will solve the problem of a disrupted education, won’t work. Publishing the results of research demonstrating the effectiveness of masks; setting minimum standards for masks that can be sold to the public; setting out simple, clear rules on mask hygiene and frequency of replacement; providing schools with masks to provide to students who do not have their own, might work better and persuade more people to wear masks in all crowded places, but it won’t happen.

My dd does GCSE drama, it seems to be being taught fairly normally at the moment tbh. They are working on their devised pieces in slightly smaller groups than they might in usual years, and the teacher is keeping her distance, but otherwise they're just getting on with it. Same with PE - apart from wearing their PE kit in school all day, they're just doing it as usual.

What else did you expect?

They're in bubbles for a reason. There's NO SD in a normal classroom. Why should drama be any different?

They're in bubbles for a reason. There's NO SD in a normal classroom. Why should drama be any different?

Earlier in the thread it was suggested that drama teaching would be very different. That post was in response to that.

You don’t normally do practical subjects in a normal classroom. If year groups are to remain in genuine “bubbles,” not all classrooms and facilities are easily accessible, as they might be in a different year group‘s bubble area. My ds2 has not done any indoor PE, and I don’t think the school is currently doing rugby and is no longer doing regular fixtures against other schools - so NOT “normal.” As for drama - for me, taking part in the annual school production was a massive part of my most positive and memorable experiences of secondary school. Not doing those is NOT normal. Some people have an odd idea of normal, imvho.

Eg if a drama GCSE student wanted to focus on theatre lighting or sound design for their assessment, he/she would need access to the relevant facilities. These are not available in an ordinary classroom.

They are not doing practical subjects normally. I have an older child doing a subject with practical elements.

They are doing a lot of practicals now so they have theory left 'if we have to work from home'. A neighbouring school.had just sent the equivalent group home.

They can not share any equipment and must not touch anything other than their designated kit.

Anyone who thinks that atmosphere is 'normal' is a massive wally .

Schools are a total mess, due to government mishandling and parental pigheadedness.

Walkaround, I can only speak for my dd, but she has access to the drama studio, props, lighting etc. Both in lesson time and for after school rehearsals. Yes, she is absolutely gutted that the school production isn't happening this year, not least because it had already been cast before lockdown and she loved her part - the extra-curricular side of things clearly isn't normal - but in terms of her actual lessons, there isn't a huge amount of difference.

As I've already said, I'm not saying I think that's right. I'm just saying that it's our experience. Personally, I'd have preferred to see stricter measures in schools to reduce the spread of the virus, as the current approach does not seem to me to be sustainable, and it puts people - especially teachers - at excessive risk.

My sons school has given out two (very good) washable masks to each child.

I find it useful to distinguish between changes I notice but a child might not and things that are really damaging their education.

@notevenat20 - do you even know what you mean by that?

There are also many things a child experiences but a parent is oblivious to.

Schools are a lot worse than normal. Everything is, at the moment, and the truth is schools are nowhere near what they were.

I blame the government, but I am also frustrated with the parents who wanted their kids sat in a classroom at any price.

notevenat20 - do you even know what you mean by that?

I do indeed :)

@notevenat20 - well, I’m glad you do, but it was a pointless thing to post on this thread if you aren’t going to enlighten anyone else. Are you talking about masks, or the teaching of practical subjects?

Or something else altogether, now?!

i find it useful to distinguish between changes I notice but a child might not and things that are really damaging their education.

What does this mean?

What does this mean?

As an example, DS's school didn't have a two day away trip but instead had two days on the playing field making camp email etc without an overnight stay. DS wasn't expecting what they had the previous year so didn't miss it.

They aren't playing interschool sport but he had never done that in primary so doesn't even notice.

Lots of things like that.

Delete the word "email". Silly phone.

In music, he can play in the string orchestra where previously it would have been a full orchestra. Not something he cares about. Lots of clubs aren't running but because he had no idea they could have existed he doesn't miss those either. It's still vastly more than at primary.

My children are not missing the lack of competitive team sport at all, because it doesn’t interest them. Less good for people who are doing GCSE PE or who get a lot of sense of self worth from their sport. The lack of the school production is keenly felt in our house (my children usually play in the orchestra) and its loss also represents the loss of a lot of significant learning experiences that really cannot be replicated in other ways: the self-discipline and hard work of committing to multiple rehearsals, the teamwork, the mixing of so many different age groups, interests and skills, the dawning comprehension of what goes on behind the scenes and what a huge undertaking it is, the long-term memories formed, the sense of community spirit and endeavour. In all honesty, @notevenat20, I think you are confusing a little bit being philosophical about something with genuinely not missing it, and risking confusing not missing something with it being unimportant.

My children are not missing the lack of productions at all, because it doesn’t interest them. Less good for people who are doing GCSE drama or who get a lot of sense of self worth from their performances. The lack of the fixtures is keenly felt in our house (my children usually play) and its loss also represents the loss of a lot of significant learning experiences that really cannot be replicated in other ways: the self-discipline and hard work of committing to multiple training sessions and fixture, the teamwork, the mixing of so many different age groups, interests and skills, the dawning comprehension of what goes on behind the scenes and what a huge undertaking it is, the long-term memories formed, the sense of community spirit and endeavour.

😂 Moggy
Touché.