Being forced to wear a mask in exams

[whodoesntlovejelly]

So I've received an email from Dd's (age 15) school stating that during mock examinations-due to start on Monday it will be mandatory for all students to wear masks for the whole of every exam. Is it just me that thinks this will be absolutely awful for them??

nb - have worn a mask for 11.5 hours when at work. Also wear glasses (that occasionally steam up) and plastic apron and gloves. I crack on as do millions of other people.

I'm sure your special snowflake can wear one for a couple of hours.

Geeze - people complain sooooo much it gets on my wick.

I don't know how to the poor soul will cope. This is going to be just terrible for them. Never will such a group experience such hardship. Forget those of us who wear masks at work all day. And it's better than missing education getting or qualifications nobody trusts because they were "teacher assessment" rather than exams.

It's awful and I couldn't do it.

Personally I think this is unfair for those students who wear glasses. Whenever I wear a mask my glasses steam up! Poor kids can't sit exams when their vision keeps getting impaired

At least it'll provide some protection for the two or three invigilators who are in with potentially 150 students for three hours, not able to always distance due to the need to patrol and hand out extra paper etc.

It's not just the students in there.

@gingerbreadfox

Personally I think this is unfair for those students who wear glasses. Whenever I wear a mask my glasses steam up! Poor kids can't sit exams when their vision keeps getting impaired

There might be an argument for exempting kids with glasses which steam up.

My student DD has glasses and also a small face which does make mask wearing a bit trickier whereas DH has glasses and no problems with them. She sorted herself out with disposable contact lenses before lockdown, intending to just use them when really necessary inc exams.

So for some, contacts for use with mask wearing might be worth looking into?

Agree, awful. Good point from PP about those wearing glasses.

Just think of the notes they can write inside!

You have a point about glasses but not sure how many kids needs glasses for close up work .
I know its only now that I need them for close up work. Guess it depends on the prescription.
Absolutely right about it being for the adults protection as they probably will struggle to socially distance
But time and time again this site has proved that for a high proportion of people only their kids matter.

@gingerbreadfox

Personally I think this is unfair for those students who wear glasses. Whenever I wear a mask my glasses steam up! Poor kids can't sit exams when their vision keeps getting impaired

I have one mask that makes my glasses steam up and another mask that doesn't. You just need to find a mask that works, it's not rocket science.

Has he tried some different types to find a more breathable one?

Yes, its awful

I can't see over the mask when I look down. I was on the tube yesterday attempting to do emails - was having to twist my neck over and back to do it

I ended up typing with my phone at arms length

There's no way I could manage to lean over for 3 hours and write

How on earth do people lean over and write in a mask ?

Oh god not this again...I wear one in work ALL day...except when eating!!! They will be just fine!! It's a few bloody hours of their life PLEASE STOP feeding them with this "I'm a victim" attitude!!

My DD has to wear a mask all day at school except for when eating or PE.
She also has to wear glasses all the time - prescription of -9 so no, she can't work without them. She finds it really difficult with glasses that steam up, although has found the disposable ones are better. She has also started wearing her contacts more often.

@kittykat35

Oh god not this again...I wear one in work ALL day...except when eating!!! They will be just fine!! It's a few bloody hours of their life PLEASE STOP feeding them with this "I'm a victim" attitude!!

Yip, don't train victimisation into children.

@LaurieFairyCake it's something you just get used to and manage. I wear one all day. I'm a microbiologist so I wear a mask and safety glasses at all times...looking through a microscope, entering freezers and incubators, filling in masses of paperwork. Using a LAF! Carrying out lots of different tests...day in and day out. Sometimes you just have to get on with it!!

How on earth do people lean over and write in a mask ?

Like I said above, university students manage to do it without moaning, so it is possible. An appropriate choice of mask maybe helps.

I'm not moaning, I can't do it very small features, glasses, back issues - can't bend the right way.

When I look down I can only see the mask and not the paper I'm trying to write on

Very difficult to do an exam wearing a mask. Remember it's a stressful situation at best and a mask is an added discomfort/distraction. Also if you wore glasses then they might fog up more with your head bent forwards writing. I think it's a bit much, to be honest.

*@LaurieFairyCake
Perhaps try a child's mask instead?

@CrunchyCarrot as I said I wear a mask (disposable medical grade) and safety glasses all day in work and I have to look into microscopes. It is 100% possible to wear both and do things successfully...I know this because I work alongside 15-20 other colleagues who all seem to manage too. 🤷‍♀️

I'm a lead invigilator at a large secondary school. The students in our school aren't being asked to wear masks but it has meant that we have lost several of our invigilators for the impending mocks. Most invigilators are retired people who are therefore in the higher risk group and if a student raises their hand during an exam you have to get very close to them as they will be whispering to you.

Our invigilators are all wearing masks (plus they have the option to wear visors as well) but they will be spending all day in a hall full of 200+ 16 year old students so they are at far greater risk than the students.

Currently masks are NOT compulsory durting exams. They ARE compulsory in the communal areas, whilst queuein gup etc. But once sat down and under exam condfitions they are not mandatory!

This is in line with the latest, November update for schools

“In schools where pupils in Year 7 and above are educated and further education colleges, face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.

They dont wear masks during exams at one of our local schools

Oopsie sorry

Should have said that the guidance obviously differs, i don’t actually think too many children would have a massive issue with it as long as the mask was comfy