Childs School insisting on face masks in lessons

[GrapefruitsAreNotTheOnlyFruit]

My son's school are now insisting face masks are worn at all times indoors except when eating. It's secondary age group. I think this is going to impact on learning but I don't know what if anything I can do about it. I don't know how effective it will be either. If they are supposed to wear them for hours I think they will be fiddling with them, taking them on and off etc. What do people think?

I'm a secondary teacher. I would love it if my students had to wear a mask, excluding the medically exempt. I feel like a target at the moment. I teach about 450 different students over a fortnight, all crammed in with little ventilation.

Very hard for a child like mine who not only wears glasses that steam up and is partially deaf. She's got little idea what the teacher is saying because she lip reads, and no hope of hearing contributions from the rest of the class. I know masks are helpful but there are some children feeling very isolated...

Ireland here. Masks are compulsory in secondary school for my 2 teen DD. They've got well used to them now, no complaints. Lunch is eaten in the classroom and they wear visors whilst eating. Masks are worn outside during lunch breaks. As the weather has been good a teacher may take class outside for a "mask break" and they can remove masks once they stay 2m apart.

Teachers can remove masks whilst teaching if they can distance at least 2m from nearest child. Otherwise they wear a visor but must use a mask in the corridors.

Windows are currently opened constantly. I'd say we'll be investing in thermal undies soon.

And, I meant to say that my DDs report that all the students are wearing masks in school, no-one seems to have claimed an exemption.

I teach on the continent.
Masks are compulsory from age 10+ where we are, at all times except when eating or doing PE.
No, it's not comfortable and yes, we do sometimes have to remind the pupils to wear them properly (generally one pupil per lesson).
It is harder to communicate but if anything it has made them more attentive in class.
We're all, without exception, just so pleased to be back in my school and are keeping everything crossed that it stays open as long as possible.
We've had some cases among staff and pupils (4 members and as many pupils) which is not bad for a big secondary and 6th form.
Masks are also compulsory everywhere outside your own home where I am. No one likes it but we're just getting on with life, trying to keep things as normal as possible.
Cases are rising but the number of people hospitalized is relatively stable. ICU cases are under control. I do believe that this would not be the case without masks.

Whereabouts are you?

Better than schools shutting or infections going wild

My DS (2) is partially deaf and struggles to hear through masks/has learned to lip read. On balance I would be ok With this but would hope to be furnished with the device I've been promise that is a microphone that connects to his hearing aid. I'd also expect him to be allowed to sit at the front and the teacher wrote more stuff on the blackboard. Not ideal but I would be ok With it

It makes no sense and makes learning alot harder. I would be very unhappy with this....

I feel huge despair too at what I am seeing here. Please let kids be kids...what next? Gloves, plastic suits? Some nutters on here are for it but I am pretty sure if you asked the population as a whole (as opposed to the majority of Mners who seem to revel in rules and restrictions) you would find a more balanced view.

At my DS school masks are compulsory when walking between classrooms and in the communal areas when not eating, all teachers and pupils can wear them during lessons if they wish

@BillywilliamV

Utterly ludicrous, good bye to discipline and concentration..and they don't even get the bloody virus that badly.

Why would this happen in England when it hasn't happened d in other countries where masks are being worn much more, and have been worn in lessons for weeks?

Do you think that English teachers are somehow unable to control a class in this way for some reason?

Children aren't the only people in schools, so whilst they may not necessarily get it as badly, what about those students who are more vulnerable or their older teachers/TAs?

@loulouljh

I feel huge despair too at what I am seeing here. Please let kids be kids...what next? Gloves, plastic suits? Some nutters on here are for it but I am pretty sure if you asked the population as a whole (as opposed to the majority of Mners who seem to revel in rules and restrictions) you would find a more balanced view.

Kids living through a pandemic, yeah. Life isn’t normal at the moment and can’t be. Masks really aren't a big deal.

Unhygienic. Useless when damp. Not great for communication.

Bubbles will still probably be sent home for self isolation if there was a case in the class.

If this is the requirement it takes to allow them to be in school rather than be stuck home again, isn't it worth it?

My primary age kids have been wearing them in lessons and have been doing absolutely fine judging by their test results and Dojo posts from their teachers. Plus I’ve been teaching my own class wearing a mask too and that’s also been fine. Mask wearing might just help us keep schools open with less transmission. I think your school sounds very sensible. Whether people like it or not, an airborne virus will not go away if we simply ignore . Therefore taking proactive measures to keep everyone safe (like mask wearing) is probably the best way of ensuring some normality for ‘those poor children’.

Good.

It’s measures like this that will keep schools open.

I've noticed discipline all round has improved since all this started.

Why do some people talk about masks as though they're sopping wet pieces of cloth? The surgical ones used in our school (only when moving around the school unless the student wants too) are featherweight and changed regularly. I appreciate the hand sewn ones aren't hygienic I suppose.

Good - many countries wear them from kindergarten class without problems.

Children around the world wear them all day, FGS, our children will cope.

They should have been wearing them since the start of term.

It won't stop transmission, but it will reduce it.

They shouldn't be in school frankly.

Well I'm in the minority on here who think it's shit, OP. Poor kids and young people with fuck all risk, continuing to bear the brunt of the measures, and so many people positively giddy about it.

@Tigerswife I'd be interested to hear why you think everyone should have masks on all the time including outside?

My DS would struggle with learning as his glasses would constantly steam up and he needs to wear his glasses all the time. He would also spend all his time fiddling with mask and glasses rather than learning so if this was introduced in DS school I would be writing a polite 'my son cannot and will not be wearing a mask during lessons'.

Most secondary schools in the UK use them for moving between classes. Fine. Using them in class, hour after hour would mean they would get damp. Damp masks are useless. Parents can't afford to buy lots of disposable masks. Most children are using cloth masks and not changing them.

Why is it so difficult for children in the UK but children in other countries aren’t having a problem. Make cloth masks - change them every couple of hours. Used masks into a special bag and taken home for a hot wash. They don’t fiddle with them as they are working in class and told not to touch their masks.

Well, we are in isolation because my daughter’s teacher has Covid, so not exactly in normality...