Apparently Face covering is not mandatory for teens ?

[SpringisSpinning]

I am so fed up, I thought it was ?

skeggycaggy

thanks. :(

Masks are not mandatory anywhere are they? There are lots of reasons why one might not wear them to a Supermarket for instance.
No one can be forced to wear a mask and there have always been exemptions.

spikey I know they will not wear masks in corridors nor the places around the school like loos or the canteen without constant reminding to do so
It depends on the school. Part of my job involves going across schools and some schools the vast majority of students have been brilliant with wearing masks, sanitizing their hands and have been a damn sight more mature and reasonable than many posters on MN about the whole situation. Others have more of a patchy success rate with a bit more "you can't make me... my mum says I don't have to... why should I?" attitude.

On the whole I've been quite impressed with how students have handled things.

Yes it will be voluntary in the classroom as will be the tests when pupils go back.

..tests as in CV19 tests... not academic tests of course..

Opening a window is more effective against Covid than wearing a face covering

If only the government had made it mandatory for wearing a mask in schools, face to face teaching could have recommenced months ago as in other countries.

We can cure covid but we can't cure stupid. People have the right to fear that having their children tested will mean they have a chip inserted or that wearing masks will cause them to be possessed by evil spirits.

Welcome to the 15th century.

Our school have said compulsory. And they want a GP note or from a specialist to prove exempt

www.itv.com/news/2021-02-25/covid-tests-and-face-masks-not-compulsory-but-recommended-at-schools-says-education-minister

Expecting notes from GPs and specialists is unreasonable. They have enough to do with their time and most will simply refuse to write notes like this. A letter from a parent giving a reasonable reason should be enough. I would hope schools would be aware of those with asd etc already.

The one thing I ask people who spout masks against human rights is

"If you went to the dentist or had surgery and the dentist or consultant refused a mask due to their human rights I assume if any saliva dropped onto you and caused infection and irreversible damage you'd absolutely say it was fine as they were exercising their human rights not to protect you?"

9 times out of 10 I get the response "yes but they are a dr/ dentist etc"

They usually end up stumped when I point out that they are still humans first off and therefore still have human rights!

itsgettingwierd
The wearing a mask is against my human rights people tend to fall into two camps. The first camp is the selfish group who don't fancy wearing one but are happy not wearing one because most other people are. The second camp are probably the stupid camp who are happy for nobody to wear a mask because it's a hoax, it's not that serious and if vulnerable people die then that's fine.

@Spikeyball

Expecting notes from GPs and specialists is unreasonable. They have enough to do with their time and most will simply refuse to write notes like this. A letter from a parent giving a reasonable reason should be enough. I would hope schools would be aware of those with asd etc already.

My ds college has an excellent system for this.

Students who are exempt (Eg those known to have asd) and those who believe they have an exemption could go to student support and get a badge like a prefect type one to attach to their lanyard.

Lecturers then know who is exempt and who's a know trying it on.

Snowflake generation, a government openly hostile to teachers, tolerant of entitled parents. The impact of Dominic Cummings not being sacked.

No one had all the mysterious reasons for not wearing face coverings in Munich when I was there in September.

However the point is the state has said they are not compulsory so a school forcing children into them will break the law and the school can be ordered to change its rules. It is pretty simple. So if a letter is required from a parent all it will need to do is quote the guidance (saying masks are voluntary) and say "my child will not be wearing a mask"

@Xenia - but is the DfE saying schools are forbidden to have their own rules in their risk assessments on this? Schools, after all, are required to write their own risk assessments, they don’t get given those by the DfE, and given the guidance that masks are now advised to be worn, which is a massive change from stating they should not be worn in classrooms, I would say it is reasonable for a school to risk assess them as compulsory for all but the medically exempt, given the number of people in a school likely to be cev and/or unvaccinated - and that a twatty parent writing a letter is not enough to negate a risk assessment that is clearly following best advice on safety.

Schools know which children have autism, anxiety issues, etc, and which might reasonably request to be exempt, especially as they are likely already to be aware of them from the time of mask wearing in corridors.

Students who are exempt (Eg those known to have asd) and those who believe they have an exemption could go to student support and get a badge like a prefect type one to attach to their lanyard.

Yes my DS just has a small sticker on his ID badge. I think people would almost be disappointed at the lack of angst in getting this sorted for him.

DDs' schools have said compulsory unless they have a medical letter.

The point isn’t really about human rights or denial of the virus, it’s that the rule is pointless.
Masks, particularly for teenagers and the inevitable ways in which they will wear them (same mask on and off, touching it all the time etc) do not provide any documented benefits.

There is a real “it’s the rules” vibe about all these things, don’t question it, just do it. That’s the main issue. There is such a thing as a stupid futile rule, not all rules are correct.

Many people don’t understand how ventilation can be difficult in many classrooms

Most schools will have masks as compulsory unless exempt in their risk assessment

Xenia is right - schools can't make their own rules up on this against the national guidelines. Personally I'm in two minds on masks in school. They could potentially reduce the transmission risk and there is no reason why children can't wear them, unless they have sensory issues, breathing problems, or other medical reasons why masks are not sensible.

However, as adults we know masks get hot and a bit damp while walking around the shops, so to wear one in class all day would be unpleasant. The child would fiddle with the mask or be distracted because they are too hot or uncomfortable or sweaty, which would impede their concentration in class. It would also be bloody annoying for teachers trying to keep a quiet classroom as if kids are talking they won't be able to see who it is so easily, so behaviour could be poorer. Small children in primaries would be more likely to do their masks, swap them with friends, chew or suck them - so I can't see them being hugely effective as a barrier.

I also worry for children with hearing impairments who lipread. I don't think there are any easy solutions. But on the whole, those who think masks on children is equivalent to child abuse need to have a word with themselves, there are negatives but it's not abusive, it's trying to keep them in education.

@VienneseWhirligig - primary schools are not allowed to write them into their risk assessments, as the DfE says no to children mask wearing in primaries. That is not the case in secondary and I would say the Government guidance gives secondary schools every right to write mask wearing in classrooms into their risk assessments as a requirement for all who are not exempt for a reason better than their arrogant belief that masks are pointless, or that they don’t like wearing them.