Government finally considering making schools safer - masks in secondary classrooms

[noblegiraffe]

Someone has apparently told the government that there are other options between schools open as normal and closed.

schoolsweek.co.uk/government-planning-to-make-face-masks-compulsory-in-secondary-school-classrooms-dfe-official-says/

"The Department for Education is considering plans to make face masks compulsory in the classroom for pupils in year 7 and above, as well as their teachers, a government official said during a briefing on Covid plans."

The rest of the world think that we're batshit for leaving it this long, but if true, would be a positive move.

Obviously exemptions would apply.

Maybe someone could also suggest funding for improved ventilation?

And to drop the stupid inaccurate testing instead of isolating close contacts plan.

Still, baby steps.

Finally! Students in other countries have been wearing masks for months. I have been wondering why they are not mandatory here.

@Dummingcom12

The idea of teachers wearing masks is utterly ridiculous. For students it could work but I think there needs to be a good level of discipline and also regular breaks where students don’t have to wear them possibly they could go outside every hour or so

I wear one. When i am two metres from the kids [ behind the tape in my class] I take it off or pull it down. Ridiculous? Its essential. Its not pleasant but exposure to a virus is much worse. I put it on esp if i have to work closely with kids that dont undersand. My concern is how more easily we can catch covid now. children will not comply. They fiddle with it. I have a few that wear one but most of the time they spend time touching it. Pulling it off and on.

You get used to it.

Oh no. How am I supposed to teach like that? I've been pretty flexible throughout but I'd rather distance teach than wear a mask full time.

I have worn a mask in lessons since schools returned. It is entirely possible although children have to listen carefully (which is no bad thing). It isn’t as good as normal service but we all need to put up with that to make unsafe working environments a little bit safer. I hope primary school children are also asked to wear masks in class. Our children are not the spineless creatures some of the parents on here believe they are and it might enable schools to stay open when pupils return.

Inhave taught in masks, once you get used it, just like nurses , Dr's and healthcare workers have it is no big deal. Get reusable ones though and you can buy guards so you don't inhale it if you take a breath.

This is the planning thatbwe should be doing, all schools should have this, if we can reduce rates in schools it will also, hopefully help, reduce rates in nursery classes as well helping to protect children and staff there too.

Joy. My DD has already given up her favourite hobby because she can't do it in a mask. I need her to go to school and she won't if she has to wear a mask.

There will be exemptions

I’m in the US. All children age 2 and above must wear masks in public. Unless there’s a medical exemption.

My 5 year old wears a mask for school. As does his teacher and all the other kids. He is in hybrid though so half the kids go in the morning and half in the afternoon. They sit 6 foot apart. The other half of the day is online. It sounds pretty miserable, but it’s better than online all day or no school at all.

Maybe a third of the families in the district chose to be online only.

My 3 year old wears a mask for nursery and seems fine with it too

My kids have worn masks in school since September they both caught covid along with others in their classes and us in turn 😳

@noblegiraffe

I totally understand the bitterness from primary colleagues, but like I said in my OP: baby steps

I know this is cold comfort(!) but secondary schools have been much worse hit than primary in terms of infection rates of kids, and absence. Despite that, up till the last week of term before Christmas, there were no proposals to change anything in secondary either.

Then we had the testing announcement, then the staggered start. Then the even further delayed start (they claim to do with testing but it is really the only sensible thing to do). Now there's discussion of masks.
That's all happened within 3 weeks. Primaries will be closed in hotspot areas so their impact isn't completely ignored, and now the cat is out of the bag that schools are an issue (after being successfully suppressed for so long), this won't be the last of it.

And now it's all primary schools in London.

Things are moving fast.

Teachers shouldn't be writing any long term plans.

@Dummingcom12

The idea of teachers wearing masks is utterly ridiculous. For students it could work but I think there needs to be a good level of discipline and also regular breaks where students don’t have to wear them possibly they could go outside every hour or so

Been doing it since September. It's a bit unpleasant (gulp down a coffee at break & enjoy Caffeine Breath Swamp in your mask for the next hour...) but perfectly do-able.

We manage, the vast majority of the kids manage, everyone gets on with their day of teaching/learning.

honestly. one begins to think you are a litttle bit poorly... one is so used to the government not doing something sensible that when you do report them considering it, well,

(for clarity this is total shock that they are finally contemplating this rather than casting aspersions on your mental health)

Actually, I think I need a little lie down now in shock, Pass me a wet paper towel...

@dingledongle
No one is saying they are 100% Covid proof but if it limits even a little transmission, that’s worth it. Well, it is to me as I’m standing in front of 20+ children for hours on end!

For those of you whose children can’t wear masks, there will be exemptions for medical need; for those of you whose children won’t wear masks, you may find they change their minds if they are the only ones who aren’t wearing them.

It might be a moot point soon anyway.

@Staffy1

As well as doing this I hope they will consider making it a priority to get severely disabled children who can't and won't wear masks vaccinated. As usual the special needs schools are just supposed to get on with things as usual, even while others are closed. It seems madness to me to expect business as usual for the most vulnerable children and their teachers.

Agree with this.

(And would include CNRBs too)

I can't believe it's taken so long, but I fear it's too late given the increased transmissibility of the new strain.

God, I'm so angry. They could have been doing this from the start and we may not have ended up in this position.

Hopefully in primary too. Our health matters too!

@Staffy1

As well as doing this I hope they will consider making it a priority to get severely disabled children who can't and won't wear masks vaccinated. As usual the special needs schools are just supposed to get on with things as usual, even while others are closed. It seems madness to me to expect business as usual for the most vulnerable children and their teachers.

the Vaccine isn’t licensed for children. It’s not a case of them not wanting to prioritise disables children for vaccination, it’s that they can’t and therefore won’t. It won’t be available for children for a while. Choice for SEN school is carry on as normal or close.

Definitely should be in primary too, our pupils breathe just as much as their older siblings! I spent most of the Christmas holiday isolating after contact with a positive case: as the pupil was 11 they would have been wearing a mask anywhere other than a school. And yes, it has spread to at least one other pupil.
I wear a mask (and have done since November). It’s not always easy (especially with a stuffy nose), but you adapt. At least my nose is warm- the open windows mean the rest of me is bloody freezing.

Still not sure how well it would work in primary.

Years 5 and 6 shouldn't be any problem at all. Younger than that I think we would be in summer before they all kept them on.

Like someone said maybe once everyone else in class is they would copy.

The infection figures in primary definitely show a good case for the 9 and overs to wear masks. They are the majority of cases other than staff.

"Still not sure how well it would work in primary."

It's working in other countries, there's no anatomical difference in children from those countries to UK.

The World Health Organisation says masks from 12. I think some countries have them from 6.

My very sensible year 4 daughter already has some masks and would be fine with wearing one (especially if she could choose cute patterns).

They might even help keep children warm.

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum
Younger than that I think we would be in summer before they all kept them on. Like someone said maybe once everyone else in class is they would copy.
If that’s what the rule in the school is though, then they’d have to be taught they have to wear them, there couldn’t be a “oh it would be Summer before they kept them on”. Schools in other countries have children from ages 4 wearing them, so there’s no reason why they can’t here.

My sons secondary started wearing masks since November in class.

Schools do not need to wait until they are told by the government.