Teachers ask to wear masks in classrooms

[EnemyOfEducationNo1]

And social distancing indoors.
neu.org.uk/january-advice

@Twinpeaksdancingman

Good user name OP for a teacher

It was because us teachers were accused by another poster of being "enemies of education" for wanting safe schools so they could stay open longer.

In tier 3 and 4 in Scotland we've been wearing masks in classes with pupils aged 14+ for months. It's not pleasant but you get used to it.

@HamSandwichKiller

What the hell are those screens supposed to achieve? It looks about as pointless as wearing a face shield.

I know an orb ball would be better

@Dotinthecity

In our school we've been free to wear masks in the classroom since September. Not a single member of staff did, despite them being freely available. The classrooms are far too small for the staff to keep a 2m distance (or even a 1m distance) from each other or the pupils. Despite this, we've not had a single case of Covid among the staff, pupils or their families. Some of the suggestions being made here are well over the top!

Where is your school because it may just be lucky of not being in a covid hot spot

Do they even work?

The peak was much smaller last April when we weren’t wearing them. It’s hard to see what effect they had.

@WouldBeGood

As we are always being told masks don’t protect the wearer but others, why are these teachers so keen in this to save themselves?

Don’t you want your child protected from their teacher?

I’d be more than happy for my DCs to wear masks.

Agree @CountessFrog

@CarrieBlue the teachers referred to seem to want to wear masks to keep themselves safe,

No, I don’t worry about my child being infected, because of the huge body of evidence that sets that’s not something to worry about.

Good. Teachers need to offered as much safety as they can.

I work in the NHS. I manage to communicate with hard of hearing people with cognitive impairment, I can't see masks will have much impact on communication the average child and for those it does then other strategies can be put in place.

A teacher in a mask will be a damn sight better than me, I'm a fucking awful home educator.

Good.

@CountessFrog

Do they even work?

The peak was much smaller last April when we weren’t wearing them. It’s hard to see what effect they had.

Indeed.

@GlowingOrb

Other countries have teachers and children wearing masks at all times.

That doesn't mean we should though does it.

It is frankly unbelievable that "teachers want masks" is any kind of news in January after months of a pandemic.
As a pp has said, we have taught seniors in masks for months now in Scotland and it is fine. Not nice but what part of current restrictions are?

It’s also not ‘teachers asking to wear masks’, it is the NEU asking for teachers to wear masks and as union all they’ve done is drive up their membership during this time rather than actually help schools. They haven’t balloted members about any of these policies.

There are lots of jobs where people are in confined spaces with other people. Luckily the vaccine is now being rolled out very quickly. We just need a little patience.

Honestly - do teachers arguing for masks honestly think they are effective?

Hospitals where staff are wearing masks are full of staff contracting covid.

If Secondary schools had opened as normal in January our local college would have made masks in classrooms mandatory for teachers and students, apart from exemptions

@CountessFrog

Do they even work?

The peak was much smaller last April when we weren’t wearing them. It’s hard to see what effect they had.

Harder lockdowns implemented earlier as we did in March are indeed more effective than mask wearing. But less popular.

@CountessFrog maybe doctors and nurses shouldn't wear masks either ever. Let's see what would happen then

But how effective are masks?

From where I’m sitting, ‘not very.’

[quote WouldBeGood]@CarrieBlue the teachers referred to seem to want to wear masks to keep themselves safe,

No, I don’t worry about my child being infected, because of the huge body of evidence that sets that’s not something to worry about.[/quote]
Why would wanting to take precautions not to catch coronavirus be a bad thing?
The teacher may be older, have underlying conditions, have shielding household members.

I’m married to a doctor, need a holiday.

Colleagues in masks dropping like flies. So I’m not convinced that anything different would happen.

What about other pupils in the classroom that have underlying health conditions, do parents who don't worry about their child getting COVID ever think of other pupils who may not be as fortunate as their child health wise

@CountessFrog

Honestly - do teachers arguing for masks honestly think they are effective?

Hospitals where staff are wearing masks are full of staff contracting covid.

I think they help

www.ox.ac.uk/news/2020-07-08-oxford-covid-19-study-face-masks-and-coverings-work-act-now

Hold up. Someone anonymous on MN reckons that masks don't work.

Drop that idea.