9 out of 20 students in my class are apparently exempt from mask wearing

[Workyticket]

Taught them in a small room with a slit of a window for 1.5 hours

6 of those 9 had chosen not to take a lateral flow test because their Mum said they didn't have to

Schools and colleges are safe though. Apparently

I'm so sorry @Workyticket, this must be so frustrating for you.

Are you elderly or vulnerable?

@Lastbonestanding

Are you elderly or vulnerable?

No. Neither was my 34 year old colleague who ended up in icu last term though

Blimey that’s a lot of kids not being tested or wearing masks.

Apparently the take up of tests is really high at DD’s school,not sure about masks yet as her first day is thurs.

I really feel for the teachers.

Are you in an independent school? They seem to vary in how they are enforcing this

I am so frustrated for you

No coincidence that my DD noticed that the same girl (now adult therefore fully culpable) who had lot of mates round for her 18th a few weeks ago also doesn’t wear a mask or do lateral flow testing

Precious lambkins

Sorry, I should have said - FE college so they're all 16+

I hope that your colleague is ok now?

It isn't fair on teachers or other school staff that the measures aren't being implemented properly. I think the tests should have been mandatory - even though they aren't hugely accurate, they're better than nothing. I also think that there should be some kind of medical diagnosis for mask exemptions.

FWIW, my teenager is very happy to wear a mask and do the tests. She doesn't want to pass anything on to her teachers or to us at home.

Their mum was right - they don't have to take the tests (which are fairly useless by all accounts anyway).

It's not like the government couldn't have foreseen that loads of kids (and almost certainly the worst ones, with the worst parents) would not have any sense of social responsibility.

I’m really sorry that you are on this situation. Does your school offer home testing kits? My DD has additional needs and any tests are a big problem. We opted out from testing for this reason but her learning leader phoned and offered home testing kit so we agreed. I didn’t know about this option until they phoned.
Even doing this at home was very tricky but it’s possible.

The tests aren’t great but better than nothing, and as they aren’t wearing masks either, nothing is what you have in respect of mitigation.

I kmow they don't have to wear a mask or test

I'm not blaming the government. The students are old enough to know they should be doing both

No mask - sent home. Parents fined for non-attendance

Literally not a chance that would happen

Have you developed a temperature and a dry cough? I'd keep coughing while teaching.

Sashh me too! Can't stop. Negative test though.

Comp of 1200 kids. Average about 5 per class without masks and more refusing tests

@sashh

Have you developed a temperature and a dry cough? I'd keep coughing while teaching.

Why? It wouldn't bother them. I don't want to do fake shit - I just want to do my job and for others to play their part in making me (and the kids who are complying) safe

The kids who are complying are doing their bit - I'm not fake coughing and scaring them. I've already had 1 in tears as she's overwhelmed

Sorry to hear it OP. In my DC's two US schools - one public and one private - mask wearing is non-negotiable. If you don't wear one, you don't attend in person, no exceptions for any reason. This is for children age 3 all the way up to 18 btw.

We don't do in-school tests tho. Just daily health screening.

@Workyticket

No mask - sent home. Parents fined for non-attendance

Literally not a chance that would happen

To be honest, I'm really surprised teachers are still teaching under those circumstances. Personally I wouldn't - the pay isn't anywhere near enough to justify risk to life - and it's not like you'd get any help if long-covid rendered you unable to do your job.

Unions should have been firmer and only agreed to open schools fully on THEIR terms, not this nonsensical, anti-science approach the government has taken.

I’m sorry that has happened.

I was near retirement I resigned as I couldn’t take the risk. I would be so anxious going into school now as Primary so no masks allowed. No social distancing.

That's a difficult situation.
Talking spreads it a lot more than normal breathing so the students who cannot wear masks should remain silent while indoors until they are vaccinated in a few weeks.
Keep a door open.
Distance.
Assignments by email etc.

The patents refusing tests, I' guessing a lot will be ones who don't want to risk isolating and not being elligable for the £500, nothing to do with the kids.
Selfish yes but understandable hard choice for some.

And when the talk of the £500 becoming available on mass a few months there was uproar in here about it, people can't have it both ways.

Masks are different story and everyone who can should be wearing them.

Same old story unfortunately a chunk of society have no sense of social responsibility and it's everyones fault but theres when it goes tits up.

It's pathetic isn't it. And I am someone who has always been reasonably nonchalant about Covid.

But facebook is full of dickheads with their stupid conspiracy theories and many of those dickheads have children. But the mask thing doesn't surprise me. So many people even on MN adamant that they "couldn't" wear a mask even for 2 mins to nip into the Coop or whatever. As I said to DH, do you think people in the PRC tell the police and authorities there that they "can't" wear a mask?