Mask wearing for years 5 and 6

[PandemicPalava]

My dd goes to a middle which has years 5-8 all mask wearing. Guidance is patchy for middle schools and our head has taken it as because the setting has year 7 and up, all pupils need to mask wear.

Does anyone else have children in a middle school? What is your school doing? I really want to draft a letter to the school as they were told off yesterday when they removed them even though they previously confirmed the mask wearing would be encouraged not enforced.

Any input gratefully received

I’m in a different country. Only FfP2 masks have been allowed now since November. Fabric washable ones can’t be used anywhere really apart for walking outside where you don’t actually have to wear one.

Schools have been back for ages here.’. All school age kids wear masks. So that’s from age 6. I haven’t nt heard any parent complain. Here the options are: 1) child wears mask at school, can go full time. 2) you don’t like child in mask, so they have to stay home and carry on homeschooling. 98% have chosen option 1. There is no mid option

nordicom that isn't the same as state middle school which is years 5 - 8, hence it straddles secondary and primary guidelines.

Mine is at a middle school, year 5 and 6 can wear masks in corridors if they want to, but don’t need to wear them in the classrooms. The letters from the school refer to secondary age in terms of mask wearing and testing.

I agree guidance always feels like the DfE don’t know middle schools exist!

I'm in a prep school (similar to middle but we have Years 3-8). Our Year 6s have been asked to wear masks along with the Year 7s and 8s but not the Year 5s.

Reasoning is that at least half of the Year 6s are 11 so should be counted as secondary.

I don't think they should have to, personally. But it's not my call.

My children are in middle school.

Years 7/8: masks in class and communal areas
Years 5/6: masks in communal areas

It's not compulsory but recommended. My children are wearing them as per the requirements above.

It’s actually against Government guidelines! This is horrible. What are we doing to our poor kids!

@Olivia333

It’s actually against Government guidelines! This is horrible. What are we doing to our poor kids!

Stopping them from catching Covid and enabling them to return to school?

Please watch this and think about the long term damage we are doing to our children.
m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR3olLQ7zEjkc8Ur9yTMYH_YEq8j66j4OWbdJIUUzIfL9YfGrjaooKMyIJQ&v=MJx5FR40Awg&feature=youtu.be

What are we doing to our poor kids!

Not to mention saving some of them from losing their parents to death or (more likely) disability / long covid.

And saving some of them - admittedly a small number but they are children FFS - from getting PIMS and long covid.

How many kids is it acceptable to sacrifice to PIMS and long covid so the rest of them don't have to wear a face covering for a few months in the classroom?

@Olivia333

It’s actually against Government guidelines! This is horrible. What are we doing to our poor kids!

Teaching them to understand science so they will be less ignorant than some of their parents?

Government doesn’t actually say they aren’t to wear them. Just doesn’t say they have to.

A small amount of googling reveal HART to be an entirely dubious bunch of people with affiliation to Us4Them and the medical freedom alliance. Hardly an unbiased source of information. And their views are not supported by the vast majority of medical professionals.

Saying masks are harming children is not the point of this thread olivia.

@Piggywaspushed

A small amount of googling reveal HART to be an entirely dubious bunch of people with affiliation to Us4Them and the medical freedom alliance. Hardly an unbiased source of information. And their views are not supported by the vast majority of medical professionals.

Saying masks are harming children is not the point of this thread olivia.

What a surprise. MN really should ban these astroturfers.

Especially as the Medical Freedom Alliance are anti vaxxers,

A quick AS shows "Olivia" to be pretty much anti anything remotely scientific and factual tbh.

Under 11s in England and Wales do not have to wear a mask of any sort. This is my red line. No way will my yr 4 DS wear a mask. Id bloody well exempt him if school asked. At that age it's bloody child abuse.

Individual schools are deciding. I imagine more and more will implement their mandatory use. Hopefully. To protect both students and staff.
I probably wouldn't send my children if the necessary and scientifically proven precautions weren't in place tbh.

@MrsArchchancellorRidcully

Under 11s in England and Wales do not have to wear a mask of any sort. This is my red line. No way will my yr 4 DS wear a mask. Id bloody well exempt him if school asked. At that age it's bloody child abuse.

Good. I wouldn't want your unmasked kid near me.

@StepOutOfLine

A quick AS shows "Olivia" to be pretty much anti anything remotely scientific and factual tbh.

This really isn’t true I’ve followed every rule, wear masks everywhere I should and I’m more than happy to have the vaccine to get our lives back.

I just think masking children all day now when the most vulnerable and elderly are vaccinated is a step too far!

I know I won’t change your mind, but I’m not anti science! Jenny Harries said last year that masking children would cause more harm than good because they won’t wear them as they should and how can we possible expect them too!

I work in such a school. Have you actually spoken to the school. Our head has been really clear on mask wearing and has also been completely accepting of any parent who has said their y5 or y6 child can't or doesn't want to wear them we just need to know this from their parent. Contact the school and you don't want her to wear it and job done. Unless you speak to them you can hardly moan. Middle schools are in difficult position. It makes sense to have a school wide policy as teachers teach across primary and secondary classes. But as stated you can opt out.

[quote Olivia333]Please watch this and think about the long term damage we are doing to our children.
m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR3olLQ7zEjkc8Ur9yTMYH_YEq8j66j4OWbdJIUUzIfL9YfGrjaooKMyIJQ&v=MJx5FR40Awg&feature=youtu.be[/quote]
What about the long-term damage to a 10 year old who gets chest pains when running ever since catching covid? I teach him and if everyone wearing masks coukd have prevented

Woops.

If everyone wearing masks could have prevented his illness, then I certainly think we should be wearing them. They're 10 and understand the pandemic and cope with seeing masked people.

The 'Jenny Harries once said' is also straight out of the U4T handbook of approved lines.

I cannot abide Harries but she has clearly explained that understanding has moved on. I think it is probably due to her that it is not suggested for younger children still.

Suggesting that children wearing masks is child abuse is utterly ridiculous.

At our school: Proper double layer masks for age 5 and up. Exemptions are extremely rare and generally mean alternate accommodations need to be found because you can’t expose other students just because you can’t wear a mask.

Tell your kids to realize there are children all over the world much younger than them who are doing their part to keep others safe. Tell them to set an example for their peers. Get proper masks and wear them at all times. Wash their hands frequently. Maintain social distancing whenever possible. Seriously, reception age children handle this.