It's best for children to be in school

[Billie18]

I'm shocked that the consensus here appears to be that schools should close. I believe that it's best for children to be in school. Also that they should not be forced to wear masks or perform any social distancing as this is a damaging for their mental and social development. A thread for parents and teachers who share this view and have concerns about the threat of school closures and forced isolation of children who are not ill.

Tough StarryFire. My family member is wearing a mask to protect elderly Grandad at home.

Funnily enough she is one of the teachers not to go sick or isolate. And I thought you wanted schools open?

Yet I showed that photo to my daughter and she said her school is nothing like that

Many schools will have pinch points. Maybe not that bad, but certainly a lot more crowded than is comfortable during a pandemic.

Not a single parent or child has objected.

As is say @OverTheRainbowLiesOz, I would reluctantly support masks being worn in corridors in communal areas on an emergency basis in areas of extremely high prevalence (more than 500 cases per 100,000).

The necessity should be reviewed on a daily basis by local directors of public health and local authorities.

And since I have been provoked into that

Just for clarity, the poster who just complained that I was rude has persistently misrepresented me including on this thread and it is really rather tedious.

You’ll be happy going into that corridor with no mask on then, Starry

Other countries have children wearing masks from kindergarten and they are the high educational achieving countries so it doesn’t affect ability to teach and learn.

@Nicknacky

Tax Are you honestly trying to say it is only Noble who posts links? Really?!

And where have I said “all” teachers want schools closed? Feel free to point me to that error I have made.

I didn’t even know that it was Noble that posted the link

And neither did you a moment ago...Right?
Tax No, it was definitely a teacher, she posted it on quite a few threads usually with the sentence “I will just leave this here

I can’t for the life of me remember who it was and I don’t want to say the wrong name of the poster I think it was

You also said “it was definitely a teacher,” hence me making the point that 1 teacher does not equal all teachers.

And now you’re interrobanging me, accusing me that of saying only Noble posts petition links? What, as the kids say, the actual..

(Oh, and the “we” is directed at “us Mumsnet users as a group”. Because there are plenty of posters “assuming” teachers want schools closed, and exaggerating about petitions helps no-one.

Noblegiraffe But that’s my point. That photo keeps getting posted as if that’s what’s happening up and down schools and it’s not the case, even teachers have disagreed with it.

I’d like some evidence for this impediment - my students are learning just fine whilst I protect them by wearing a mask.

Mine too. According to govt guidance and my school’s risk assessment I should not be wearing one but I’m an older CV teacher and our numbers are rocketing.

I have started to wear a mask in class and my students haven’t batted an eyelid. Some of them are doing the same, and that’s fine too.

@Nicknacky

Noblegiraffe But that’s my point. That photo keeps getting posted as if that’s what’s happening up and down schools and it’s not the case, even teachers have disagreed with it.

That photo is just like corridors at my school.

Minus the bundling and barging, that is.

I didn’t even know that it was Noble that posted the link

What have I done now?

I think the only petition link I’ve posted was for extra covid funding for schools.

OP do you see what I and several other posters meant when we talked about the echo chambers earlier up the thread now?!

@Welcometonowhere

The answer to some schools not staying open is not to close all schools, barbie

The only quick answer to high cases in an area is, unfortunately, restricting an area from mixing in groups. And stopping people from one area moving around to other areas, yes. I'm no fan of online learning - I teach year one, for goodness' sake - it's nothing if not a stop gap. But this is just going to carry on for months. Yes, we needed to have a two week circuit breaker. We didn't, so now we will just have shit, interrupted learning for months, and an unfair playing field for secondary exams. I presume you aren't from one of the areas where your children have had to isolate repeatedly this term? If not, you don't get how selfish you're being. The blanket approach that has kept some children in is also keeping more and more children out.

Idiots putting their own mental health issues, that they don't want to confront, onto everybody else's innocent children.

100% unreasonable as children desperately want and need to be in school

[quote Nicknacky]@noblegiraffe Yet I showed that photo to my daughter and she said her school is nothing like that. So many schools will be getting it right.[/quote]
Isn't your daughter 6 years old Nicknacky?

I would hope that no primary school looks like that!

I would be more than happy to to go into a school corridor without a mask @noblegiraffe.

In areas where someone in school is likely to be positive (ie where there is a rate over 500 per 100,000), they may be a temporary solution in corridors and communal spaces only.

So long as this is reviewed on a daily basis by local public health officials.

HipTightOnions Like I said, it’s not link that in every school up and down the country therefore it might be like that in some.

christinarossetti19 Well remembered, she is.

I would be more than happy to to go into a school corridor without a mask

I think that says more about you than you meant to.

Why are children in other countries managing with wearing masks in school then?

I live in Germany, in my city (200 cases/100k incidence - that would be considered okay-ish in the UK, whilst our local government is freaking out because hospitals are at 20% capacity 😂, to give you an idea of how less serious the situation is here), all children from year 7 have to wear a mask in class all day. Breaks, corridors, whilst sat at their own desk, doesn't matter. Years 5-6 recommended in areas with a higher incidence.

I have a 15yo brother who lives in Spain, it's from the age of 6 there. All day, in the playground, as soon as you've eaten your lunch, in class... And not only at school. Anywhere in Spain, masks are compulsory from age 6 onwards, outdoors AND indoors. So kids put them on when leaving their house at 8:30, they only come off when you get back home. Trip to the park - mask. Trip to the shops - mask. Walking the dog - mask.

Yes, it's shit. And uncomfortable. Back in September when schools started, it was 35º over there and masks were a pain.

But children are doing just fine. They don't moan near as much as adults do on here, they get on with it. Measures have been taken to support those relying on lip-reading. Everyone is fine, they're all happy to be at school and they're developing well too.

My brother goes to a 3-18 school, they've only had to send home one group of 30 pupils since schools went back in September.

My mum tested positive on a routine test at work but she was asymptomatic. None of her close contacts (less than 1m apart) caught it, they were all wearing masks and taking as many precautions as possible.

I don't think wearing a mask all day is the solution. I also don't think schools are safe right now in the UK.

I believe more measures should be put in place, where possible, I have friends whose children are learning in the school's library, offices, sports hall, wherever desks could be moved to, whilst keeping everyone 1.5m apart. Wearing a mask for a few months isn't going to hurt anyone, but allowing children and teachers to be in close physical contact and taking no precautions will (and is) causing more infections to happen.

That photo keeps getting posted as if that’s what’s happening up and down schools and it’s not the case

It is happening “up and down schools” though Nicknacky. It may not be happening in all schools, but it’s certainly not an isolated example.

I don’t know Noble My brain’s hurting trying to figure that one out! Nicknacky posted that a teacher (but they couldn’t remember who) had repeatedly posted petition links, I said “a” teacher doesn’t represent “all” teachers then they asked, somewhat incredulously if the interrobang was anything to go by, if I was really saying that only Noble had posted petition links.

I am awash with confusion.

(Explanation added in case the bold and quotes in my above post make no sense and to exonnarate Noble who has posted no links to petitions about schools closing.)

And apologies NickNacky to talk about you like you’re not in the room.

@Nicknacky

christinarossetti19 Well remembered, she is.

Well it's not really surprising that her school isn't rammed full of secondary school pupils, is it?

Nickynacky has said that she can't find the posts or links that she mentioned as lots of school threads.

Did anyone else notice them by any chance?