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

@NailsNeedDoing

If you can't do the throat, you can opt to do both nostrils instead. No need to refuse due to a gag reflex

Is this true? Sorry to sound like I’m doubtful, but the gagging is putting me off doing my home tests as regularly as I should be, so I’d love to know about it if we are allowed to do it like that. Is it still as accurate, or it is stuff like this that’s leading to false results?

Yes, if necessary 2 nostrils can be swabbed instead of throat and one nostril. It says this on the paperwork on my LFT kit I have at home and I was told this when I went for a pcr test. I was also asked about this when I was swabbed in hospital.

@Xenia

The bottom line as far as I know is the Government has said in England whether exempt or not no teenager in the classroom may be made to wear a mask (or have CV19 tests) and if they refuse they cannot be denied their education.

If people do not like that then they need to lobby their MP.

This is good news .Not everyone is a sheep . We will look back at 2020/21 and feel shamed .

Toolatetofixate - our front rows can't be 2m away from the front of the class. Simply no room. Many are within 1m of the front. To walk down the sides of the room you are definitely within a metre. If you tried to walk down the middle of rows you're touch the tables.

I teach infants so no chance of just standing at the front to teach.

@Abraxan

Toolatetofixate - our front rows can't be 2m away from the front of the class. Simply no room. Many are within 1m of the front. To walk down the sides of the room you are definitely within a metre. If you tried to walk down the middle of rows you're touch the tables.

I teach infants so no chance of just standing at the front to teach.

I don't worry about walking within 1m or less of the children sometimes, or brushing a table etc. etc. The risk is incredibly low.

Yes, it's different in the lower school. I don't know any colleagues who are panicking. They wash their hands more often and the children are now well used to the new way of doing things. Even the p1s and 2s are good at giving their teachers space when they're reminded.

It's a nice atmosphere. Everyone was so pleased to be back last August.

Toolatetofixate

The risk is incredibly low.

The risk might be very low. Sadly for some of us - and I know I'm not the only school staff in this thread, let alone on MN or in real life, where the risk caught us though.

I caught covid and was hospitalised. I was off work for a long time and I'm still not well fully now. I'll take be taking additional medication for life since I caught covid.

My movements and contacts, plus my knowledge of what happened in school around that time regarding covid and our staff, children and families, prior to covid point to school, and point most likely to me catching it from a child.

@Xenia

The bottom line as far as I know is the Government has said in England whether exempt or not no teenager in the classroom may be made to wear a mask (or have CV19 tests) and if they refuse they cannot be denied their education.

If people do not like that then they need to lobby their MP.

I am delighted that all of my pupils have worn masks as I would refuse to teach any child face to face in my classroom if they didn’t. The key phrase, Xenia, is ‘denied an education’. The children who refuse to wear masks can sit in a room away from me and I will teach them via a video link. They are still being educated. Alternatively, I will tech the class from home via video link. They are still being educated. The phrasing is deliberately woolly.

I don’t care about your views on Covid, vaccines, ‘face nappies’, my relative safety as a teacher or whatever. Do what you like but I will be protecting myself in the weeks left until Easter. Mask wearing in class until then is my line. You and your children can deal with the consequences of your own actions.

And yes, in September I was very happy to return and see everyone. Whilst i was concerned I was happy to be doing my job properly and not behind a screen all day. I was a little anxious about my own health but did what I could, take the precautions available to me when it came to work but ultimately I needed to be in close contact with children each day. There were no staff rooms open, staff meetings were via zoom in separate classrooms,my role means I don't usually have a second adult in the room with me, etc. Following the government guidelines I was working with over 250 children each week, without masks and without SDing, I love my job. I wasn't panicking. I was concerned about some aspects.

Sadly for me it caught me and it really affected me.

Sadly for around 75% of my colleagues they had to put up,with catching covid. So did a number of our pupils and several of our parents.

Abraxan
But you didn't die so you should stop whining.
Any teacher sharing their experience needs to shut up because, well, just because, well, it's hysterical covid panic (or whatever other way those posters want to dismiss people who've been affected).

That's the line of some posters on here: teachers aren't at a higher risk of dying if they catch covid so they should stop talking about the risks.
It's mixed with a healthy dose of your classrooms are fine and you don't need to be so close to students that you're breathing on them, I manage to keep my distance so you can too. . . So maybe I don't keep 2m, but 1m is fine and low risk... ok so maybe I'm so close that I'm brushing past students, but the risk is low... the risk is low everyone, don't discuss reasonable health and safety measures because the risk is low

Basically, if you're not dead then be grateful you're alive and tough luck on any lasting illness.

@LolaSmiles

Abraxan But you didn't die so you should stop whining. Any teacher sharing their experience needs to shut up because, well, just because, well, it's hysterical covid panic (or whatever other way those posters want to dismiss people who've been affected).

That's the line of some posters on here: teachers aren't at a higher risk of dying if they catch covid so they should stop talking about the risks.
It's mixed with a healthy dose of your classrooms are fine and you don't need to be so close to students that you're breathing on them, I manage to keep my distance so you can too. . . So maybe I don't keep 2m, but 1m is fine and low risk... ok so maybe I'm so close that I'm brushing past students, but the risk is low... the risk is low everyone, don't discuss reasonable health and safety measures because the risk is low

Basically, if you're not dead then be grateful you're alive and tough luck on any lasting illness.

Exactly. I'm still alive to tell the tale, so my experience isn't important.

At least it makes a change from being told that I didn't catch in from school, no chance it came from one of the children I taught, and instead it must have come from dd or dh, both of whom have never tested positive, have never had symptoms, have never been in contact with anyone who has had covid/symptoms (except me!) and that it may have been caught at the supermarket I never went to, or from perhaps the shop delivery person instead. But definitely not from school. And it is just coincidence that the many other staff, children and parents caught it around the same time - we all got it elsewhere and independently from one another.

Year 10 class today. One of them wore a mask, one out of 25. Head says we can't enforce it. I'm guessing it'll be none by next lesson. Fed up of the government giving half hearted 'recommendations', that in practice mean nothing is done. I'm group 6 but there's no point creating a drama.

I've been really impressed with year 10 today. Head taken the hardest line possible and expectations are that students wear masks. Any not wearing a mask get a parental phone call. All bar 2 had a mask on.

@rwalker

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.

Absolutely! Many people who are genuinely exempt from wearing a mask do actually behave with courtesy and consideration towards others. But there's also an element who don't.

We have chap who regularly visits our local convenience store who is exempt - according to the staff. This apparently also allows him to bring his dog into the shop and to refuse to social distance in the queue. None of the staff ever challenge him because they've been told not to.

There really should have been some sort of badge issued to genuinely exempt individuals from the start.

@BustopherPonsonbyJones says "I am delighted that all of my pupils have worn masks as I would refuse to teach any child face to face in my classroom if they didn’t."

Really really glad to hear this - and that schools are backing you by allowing you to take this line. Wish more places did this.

I don't get this unless geniune reason
My ds at college and not a question if not wearing a mask, he did come down last week and say ''mum you know that tests are not compulsory' so we had a discussion as to why they may help and he agreed , yes its uncomfortable but as no medical reason not to do its the right thing to do , and his 15 year old brother is doing same , masks and tests

Society has to work on statistics and averages otherwise we'd be in a hell of a state.

But telling an individual not to worry because statistics is unhelpful. Not least because according to one set of statistics I am at the same risk as, say, someone who is out and about all day working closely with groups of people. That person should worry more than I do. It is meaningless.

We will look back at 2020/21 and feel shamed

Indeed. How people have behaved in not protecting society, how government has failed to protect society, shameful.

I’ve been teaching some quite challenging young people this week - history of poor behaviour at school, minimal achievement - and without exception, they wore face coverings all day long despite finding the classroom environment an uncomfortable place in itself. They did this, they said, because I’m old (I really am) and they wanted me to be safe. So lovely of them.

@NailsNeedDoing yep . It says that in the instructions. I have a terrible gag reflex.

I read a tip online that suggested holding your breath when swabbing to suppress the gag reflex. My daughter said it worked for her today.

@NailsNeedDoing

If you can't do the throat, you can opt to do both nostrils instead. No need to refuse due to a gag reflex

Is this true? Sorry to sound like I’m doubtful, but the gagging is putting me off doing my home tests as regularly as I should be, so I’d love to know about it if we are allowed to do it like that. Is it still as accurate, or it is stuff like this that’s leading to false results?

That is true.

My husband has a stock of flow tests that he takes at home (works in NHS hospital) - they are told they can just use both nostrils

Dd has a thing to say she is exempt from wearing a mask. She chooses to wear it 99% of the time (because she can) but takes it off for a quick breather on occasion when needed.

Today a teacher told her off for wearing the mask and said that she shouldn’t wear it as she’s exempt. She tried to explain that she wants to but was told off for arguing with the teacher.
She is consenting to lateral flow monitoring.

I work on a mental health ward. Patients don’t wear masks and we have the tiniest of windows. We only swab on admission or if displaying symptoms. No lateral flow tests for patients. It doesn’t make it right and I do really feel for you (for all teachers), more of a ‘I get it’.

@BustopherPonsonbyJones says "I am delighted that all of my pupils have worn masks as I would refuse to teach any child face to face in my classroom if they didn’t."

What about a child with epilepsy or cerebral palsy/autism, for example, who cannot wear a mask due to it triggering panic and seizures. Would you refuse to teach them if they weren’t wearing a mask?

@Dustyboots
No, I wouldn’t refuse to teach a child whose genuine medical needs prevented them from wearing a mask, But it is highly likely there would only be one or two children with these type of conditions per class anyway. There is a difference between children with a long-established history of medical or emotional issues (of whom school would probably be aware) and the recently self-diagnosed chancers who just don’t like wearing a mask very much.

@BustopherPonsonbyJones

Genuinely interested in whether or not your HT would back you refusing to teach a non masked student? Ours has been as strong as they feel they can be but stopped short of internal or external exclusion due to the DfE wording on the guidance.

@Hcolhcsra

Year 10 class today. One of them wore a mask, one out of 25. Head says we can't enforce it. I'm guessing it'll be none by next lesson. Fed up of the government giving half hearted 'recommendations', that in practice mean nothing is done. I'm group 6 but there's no point creating a drama.

I do agree that the govt should have made them more compulsory except of course for exemptions But the fact that the post made straight after yours had a similar class with great compliance tells me your SMT need to back you more too?

I am so sorry your class is so crappy. I am sure this will stay in you mind for a long while