Face masks for Secondary Pupils in classrooms

[FatPatty]

I can’t see this being reported anywhere but the Daily Fail are reporting masks to be worn in Secondary schools for first few weeks back.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9287275/Secondary-school-pupils-wear-face-masks-lessons-weeks-school-return-March-8.html

Sensible parents will wash masks and make sure kids have clean ones

Unfortunately some parents won't but this is a public health issue. We can't make rules to suit around bad parenting or personal hygiene of a few kids. This is one situation were doing what is best for the greater good counts for more.

adorable mask cases

Now this I am definitely in the market for. I currently use a sandwich bag.

Usedup I can’t see how you can have spent time in Japan, seen how widespread mask use is (and it’s been widespread for longer than dh has been alive!) and still worry about side effects

As I said, healthy kids were never made to wear masks for months on end. You know that.

I’m also not convinced masks ever stopped the spread of flu in the schools I worked in. They had flu season just like everywhere else.

And if they don’t have side effects when your nose is full of mucus and your throat full of phlegm (hence breathing is more difficult) then how would they cause issues when your nose and throat are clear and it’s easier to breathe?

I’m not the poster who said it would cause XYZ. I’m saying this has never been done on a massive scale to healthy children. We already know that mask wearing is causing more oral health issues (google that if you don’t believe me). What else could it be causing?

I know I’m banging on about it, but it’s sad to see people so worried and scared about something that is normal, and known to be safe, but is just “new and different” and therefore “scary and wrong” to some

It’s not normal. I already told you the reasons why I think mask wearing was different in Japan in the past and why we don’t exactly know the effects of forcing kids to wear masks for months on end.

Masks cases

Japanese people think you bowing your nose into a tissue (and your germs into the air around you) and walking around with a snotty tissue in your fingers and potentially snot on your fingers, spreading it to everything you touch is pretty gross too

You are mistaking my meaning. The mask gets gross because snot and such is on the inside of the mask, so you are more likely to be changing it often. I was not commenting on the practice of refraining from blowing your nose in public.

And if you’re worried about your kids pulling dirty masks out of their pocket

Thankfully my kids are too young to wear masks

Also wondering how you taught in a Japanese school and didn’t notice all the adorable mask cases for keeping your clean masks in? I love them.

Good for you! But as I said, mask wearing was not a daily thing done for months on end and it’s disingenuous to imply otherwise. This is uncharted territory

Well then usedup let’s wait and see and celebrate when absolutely nothing bad has happened because children have had to wear masks. Because being rational, they’re not going to wearing masks non stop for months, are they?

They arrive at school, mask on for an hour and half/2 hours at most. Remove at break when they’re outdoors, breathing plenty of fresh air. Mask back on for an hour and a half, then off for an hour for lunch and more fresh air. Then back on for their afternoon lessons, and off at home time for the rest of the day. It’s not even continuous for 6 hours.

I’m in Scotland. Kids been wearing masks in secondary schools for months. It’s not a big deal. Keys, wallet, phone, mask. The kids aren’t complaining. We could take our lead from them

DC use a zipper pouch to put used masks in. They have one for clean and one for used masks. They arent bulky either so not a problem in school bags.
Am not sure about colours/prints. Last time they wore black but they get lost in the wash so I'm thinking about getting some bright ones.

Mask wearing = being in school = good idea

Not mask wearing = being in school = massive surge so bad idea.

It’s not that hard to understand. The alternative is schools stay shut.

In Ireland and ds did it all last year. Honestly it sounds worse than it worked out to be. Only issue he said was in the library as it was stifling hot but they addressed that. Tell your kids to speak up if they're having issues, the schools are doing amazing at being accommodating (have heard this from everyone I know too) but make sure you go into it with an open mind too, I honestly think the kids finding anything harder are the ones whose parents are finding it harder to adapt (which is so understandable too of course)

I think it's a terrible idea but I'm waiting to see what the detailed guidance for schools says
Last term when they were expected to wear masks in corridors my child's school made them wear them at break & lunch even when outside

I'm going to use a cute make up bag I was given at Christmas for my clean masks. I only get on with the disposable ones (asthmatic and peri menopausal and get hot and flustered more with cloth ones) so used ones can be disposed of.

I have to find some kind of container for ds to carry his in. Have a zip up case that used to house a Nintendo ds that should do the trick.

It really isn't a big deal is it? Some people are never satisfied.

The guidance is out DonGray (I know, the DfE having guidance ready to go is pretty unheard of). It says they don't need to be worn outdoors.

I’m a bit worried about my 12 year old - he’s very shortsighted - needs glasses all the time and his glasses steam up as soon as he puts a mask on - no idea how he’s going to cope all day . In principle I’m fine with masks .

As someone who hates wearing a mask, I can only feel very sorry for the kids. It might not be strictly ALL day solid, but it's a long time to have one on, every day. I hope the policy will be lifted as soon as the key categories have been vaccinated.

@Orchidflower1

Mask wearing = being in school = good idea

Not mask wearing = being in school = massive surge so bad idea.

It’s not that hard to understand. The alternative is schools stay shut.

I think that sums it up well. If you want the social benefits of schools being opened to all it involves accepting collective responsibility for attempting to make that return work. The alternative is continued closure of schools which is why I think mask wearing shouldn't be a choice.

I'm not surprised that masks have been introduced. When people ask what mitigation measures have been introduced, he has an answer and the best thing is that it doesn't cost money like ventilation systems.

Anti-maskers should take the advice that they've been dishing out to teachers and parents advocating for safer schools and home educate until masks and testing stop.

I'm curious to know if there's some sort of charity for masks because there must be loads of kids whose parents can't afford pretty/cool masks and zip pouches to keep them in.

I’m a bit worried about my 12 year old - he’s very shortsighted - needs glasses all the time and his glasses steam up as soon as he puts a mask on - no idea how he’s going to cope all day . In principle I’m fine with masks .
Hope you find a solution, that's difficult

Excellent idea, but a little too late as usual.

If they don't wear masks there is no way to avoid another lockdown, in my opinion.

So if you think kids should be in school, logically you should also believe in masks in classrooms.

If you sew a pipecleaner into a channel of fabric and attach it to the inside of the nose area, you can pinch it to fit the nose and glasses won't steam up. You can also use florist's ribbon ( the kind with the wire in) then you don't have to sew a channel and can sew it straight in.

Apparently Sweden tried to ban face masks in schools 😂😂

is there a Swede here than can confirm or deny?

www.thelocal.se/20210125/swedish-town-makes-u-turn-on-face-mask-ban-in-schools