What is your school doing to combat mask defiance in students?

[thenewaveragebear1983]

As the title says. What is your school doing if children aren't wearing masks? How are they enforcing it? What sanctions are being imposed (if any). What is your average uptake (approx) in the corridors?

I am sick to the back teeth of teenagers refusing to wear masks. We give them masks. They refuse to wear them. I have had so much lip today from these kids. Our teachers are at breaking point with constantly challenging this behaviour.

We amended our behaviour policy to reflect the seriousness of this and also of not observing social distancing rules. Sanctions and punishments are being heavily enforced. The rate of compliance is high although it took a significant amount of time at the start of time to monitor and challenge students at 'moving about' and break/lunch times.

They’d be sent home at my kids school but it’s a private school and not in the U.K.

It’s a lot harder to be exempt from masks here too. You need a dr to sign that it is not possible for you to wear one and even then I’ve read about exemptions that have them been revoked by the local authorities. I’ve haven’t seen someone in school or a shop without a mask since the regulations came in before the summer.

Detention for years 7 to 11 and after 3 they go home, and sixth form have a 3 strike rule before being suspended for 2 days. Parents have to attend meeting before they are allowed back in.

1st infraction = 1 behaviour point
2nd infraction = detention
3rd infraction = sent home as an official temporary exclusion, parents called in to collect and spoken to.
School reserve the right to use permanent exclusion in severe cases.

And compliance is very high in our school.

Because if repeated instances occur in the same day they can rack up the consequences really quickly. Reminders are given in every lesson and school have provided a few mask for every child colour coded to year group.

They get a misdemeanour but it’s a very traditional grammar school and the idea of giving lip to a teacher is alien to the boys 😂.

How does this work with regards to "no one should be excluded from school on the grounds of not wearing a face covering" ? How are the school handling this with parents/carers whose children are given detentions/exclusions?

@LadyCatStark yeah they'd probably cry at our school then, I was called a fucking jobsworth bitch today by some little toe rag for asking him to wear a mask for the 3rd time.

I'm admin by the way, not a teacher, not that it matters much

No mask, no school. The rule is that they wear a mask. If they don't like it they can go home until their opinion changes. However I'm not in the UK.

To those not in the UK - mask wearing in UK schools is only in corridors and not in the classroom. So hardly too much to ask.

Dds school they wear masks in lessons too. It was allowed rather than insisted upon and most are wearing. I was surprised as I thought take up would be poor in lessons. She says it's not enforced but everyone is compliant, a few people are exempt.

Ds school is generally right (dd is at all girls). They don't want masks in lessons and seen to struggle enforcing at other times but her says stay aren't wearing masks properly with noses out etc.

@ItsGrimInHull

To those not in the UK - mask wearing in UK schools is only in corridors and not in the classroom. So hardly too much to ask.

Not in Scotland. In all Tear 3 and 4 areas pupils in S4, 5 and 6 as well as teachers wear masks in all classrooms as well as the corridor (there are some exceptions like active PE classes and some subjects where lower school must wear masks as well). The HT made it quite clear in their most recent virtual assembly that anyone not following the rules (without a very valid reason) would be sent home and not be back till their parents guaranteed they would comply. Mostly they are trying, only had back chat from one group but the ringleader was thoroughly warned and had no issues since.

We have sent children home if they have been caught without masks after a number of occasions or sent to isolation. Incidents are few and far between but masks have been compulsory since September.

They get sent home I think.

They may have a small amount just in case a disposable one breaks

Absolutely nothing. SLT don't wear them in the corridors, most staff don't as they follow SLT's lead and it's been left as recommended but unenforced for the kids. We've had our local MP visit and several people from the DfE and none have questioned the approach. Despite being a tier 3 area the trust are taking a very light touch approach to everything.

School really does seem to be split straight down the middle in terms of those who insist on carrying on 'as normal' and those who would like current rules to be enforced properly. It's a horrible situation and I try desperately to see both sides (I'm naturally more inclined to having tighter rules but I'm aware it won't do my career prospects much good).

They are mandatory at our school too except: we have yr 5 and 6 who don't have to wear them; we have no sanctions/system in place to catch multiple offenders; students are being sent to me (admin) for a Mask but then not wearing it; students are defying instructions during movement to wear one with no sanctions applied; students are being sent on errands during lessons by teachers without masks on.

All staff and SLT are wearing them all the time in communal areas. I put mine on every time someone comes into the office or to the hatch

There appears to be no system in place to actually reprimand kids who aren't wearing them.

No mask, no school. All staff carry spares in their "covid pack" (which contains dettol spray, wipes, tissues etc) which is with us at all times. Everyone is in masks AT ALL TIMES when inside. Most wear theirs outside as well as it's hard to SD.

If they haven’t got a mask then a disposable one is provided and charged to their parentpay account. According to my kids everyone wears them all of the time and it’s not an issue. The school has quite a strict uniform policy so maybe they think of it similarly. We did have a text suggesting it would be nice to wash them occasionally.

The DfE have been very clear that no DC should be excluded or suspended from school for being unable or unwilling to wear a face covering.

Any school going against this policy is in breach of its funding agreement with the government and I would hope the DfE would take the measures necessary to prevent this from happening.

@StarryFire this is what I thought and I wondered how schools are actually enforcing it with the particularly defiant students who point blank refuse because at our school it's probably around 60%. But we have no grounds to actually Make them wear one do we? It just feels like another pointless exercise in this whole debacle.