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

@Vintagevixen Nobody seems to have managed to get a RCT for face coverings in a pandemic past an ethics committee yet. Can you imagine the null hypothesis?

Natural experiments take longer but there are a few preprints out there.

As I don't currently have a team of students to do the leg work, I'll happily accept the reviews by those who do www.pnas.org/content/118/4/e2014564118?fbclid=IwAR0jN0sXO46tpZbzBJrw0KnHkv61GXNRnD218gO7rYBieqNjEonifdtvI2I

Hi, the DANMASK study was an RCT so it can be done.

I guess we will be seeing more RCT's over the next year on the subject.

I'm so grateful that my son's school is being very strict on testing and masks. Students were all given an appointment to be tested at the end of last week. It was MANDATORY - the sole exception being if you were a boarder who lived abroad or an unreasonable distance away (no, he's not at Eton or the like, it's a state school but they also have approx 70 boarders, a few of whom have had to attend lessons from abroad since Christmas, which is a bit tricky from a diff time zone!).

The letter we received was very clear that students would not be allowed to attend school this week unless they had provided a negative test. I'm not aware that anyone has challenged this, and almost every student is wearing masks in class now. It did say to contact them asap if the student had had a positive Covid test in the last 90 days, as the lateral flow tests wouldn't be used for them (maybe they used PCR instead as lateral flow would generate a false positive? I don't know)

Think a lot of the ethical problems with a non masked control group is the fact that they were done in hospitals, DANMASK I think is literally the first in the community.

Anyone who has ever been down the wrong end of a patient whilst doing personal care knows why it's unethical to have an unmasked control group in hospital workers!

I would imagine studies in the community don't face the same problem

The Danmask study looks at whether a source control product acts as PPE. It is irrelevant in the context of mask wearing in a class room.

Absolutely right, as discussed up thread it doesn't look at source control and I never said it did despite another poster claiming I did. It is however an example that RCT's are ethically possible to do.

Lots more studies are needed to provide proof of mask wearing in schools and other areas of the community. My point is that there are none so we can't say it's an evidence based intervention.

Lots of meta analyses, lots of study of respiratory spatter and breath samples done in labs with perfectly fitting clean masks on stock still subjects or dummies.

But can these be applied to real life situations eg masks that are damp, don't fit, have been stuffed in pockets, dropped on floors, taken off and reapplied like most schoolchildren do!

Plus is anyone looking at the potential negatives? I can't find anyone who is. Possible inhalation of micro plastics and fibres, compromised dental health, skin problems, perception problems (I'm clumsy myself and they worsen this), psychological effects - like the poster up thread who spoke about her daughters suicide attempt where masks were a factor, the massive increase in plastic waste etc. Should we not consider these effects on our young?

Plus is anyone looking at the potential negatives? I can't find anyone who is
Google scholar is useful here
www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/18/6655

scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=psychological+effects+of+face+mask&oq=psychological+effects+of+face

Cool I haven't seen that one, thanks!

Will read it, is it pitched for adults or children?

[quote BustopherPonsonbyJones]@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.[/quote]
I'd be curious to hear whether you though sensory issues or autism would fall under your expert opinion of medical conditions you would accept for not excluding to teach a child in a profession you CHOSE to go into? Or do you not believe in hidden disabilities? What about kids who struggle with anxiety if they were them for longer periods of time? Not deserving of your wonderful teaching input either? Kids who might have suffered trauma and are exempt but maybe parents haven't disclosed? Not worthy either I bet?

I'd seriously be concerned if you were my child's teacher as you clearly don't have the capacity to risk assess correctly.

Horrible post. Horrible and goady

You surely must know that we're talking about students who are refusing because then can, not because they need to

If you've not been in a classroom with teenagers in the last few years it might be very difficult to understand

I'm talking about teenagers who are happily wearing masks on the bus (and taking selfies and tagging the college so they're visible to staff) but refusing to wear them in class because they've been told they can refuse

They're sharing fags and cans of pop at break time. They're having house 'seshes'

They tell us why they're not wearing them. They te us they won't have a test because they can't be asked to queue

There's no wondering on our behalf. We know what's going on.

I love my job, I love making a difference with teenagers, I love the challenges that teaching kids with hectic lives brings. There aren't many left in my job who do. We can't get staff. Those we recruit don't stay. If I go down with long covid there aren't many waiting to snap up my job.

I am very pleased someone had a class where only one wore a mask. There is no law that says they have to wear them in class. If the state wants to change that law and the guidance then it needs to do so. Face coverings all day in a classroom has more downsides for teenagers than positives.

Face coverings all day in a classroom has more downsides for teenagers than positives.

What nonsense!

Face coverings all day in a classroom has more downsides for teenagers than positives

References for that statement please @Xenia

Also do you realise that face coverings are worn to reduce egress and not ingress?

Face coverings all day in a classroom has more downsides for teenagers than positives.

Absolutely no downsides for the teenagers I teach. They may well pass their first Maths exam ever at the end of it.

@Workyticket

Horrible post. Horrible and goady

You surely must know that we're talking about students who are refusing because then can, not because they need to

If you've not been in a classroom with teenagers in the last few years it might be very difficult to understand

I'm talking about teenagers who are happily wearing masks on the bus (and taking selfies and tagging the college so they're visible to staff) but refusing to wear them in class because they've been told they can refuse

They're sharing fags and cans of pop at break time. They're having house 'seshes'

They tell us why they're not wearing them. They te us they won't have a test because they can't be asked to queue

There's no wondering on our behalf. We know what's going on.

I love my job, I love making a difference with teenagers, I love the challenges that teaching kids with hectic lives brings. There aren't many left in my job who do. We can't get staff. Those we recruit don't stay. If I go down with long covid there aren't many waiting to snap up my job.

You are right OP (I'm in a school too.)

I've had kids who I've insisted on sitting 2m apart during my time laugh and say but as soon as we are in the corridor we won't be and we had a sesh at the weekend. Sharing lunches and drinks. Swapping phones. Hanging out together after school. Oh and they don't distance on their way in or before the bell.

But those who post things like 'schools re opening' haven't a scooby.

Of course lots of kids have had traumas. But using they to make OP feel bad is outrageous.

Yes I agree.

Anyone who actually works in a school as opposed to just thinking they are an expert in what goes on in them will know that pupils from all year groups mix before school, after school and even during school breaks. So the whole idea of strict year group "bubbles" is flawed. Oh and we also know that most young people refusing to wear masks do not in fact have medical issues because well...we're not stupid

Spoke to my MiL last night - she is a retired teacher in Quebec. As of this week all primary schools in Quebec's red zones will have to wear a mask in class. The government has distributed child-sized masks to schools. It applies from grade one - six and includes time in school and on the school bus.

@lucye1

Seems many teachers think they know it all .Yet for the last year been paid to do very little etc.If a child is legally allowed not to wear a mask.Thats the law, get another job if you do not like it .A good lawyer would be all over the school and you would end up been sacked. Pink Floyd years ago got it right. “Teacher , leave those kids alone” . The level of pathetic snowflakes in the education system is alarming . Go to work , and teach .Leave the rest to the families and government

You are a disgrace.

Paid to do very little????

Ps, OP knows they are legally allowed to not wear it. She isn't forcing them to wear it. A good lawyer would laugh in your face and remind you she has freedom of speech.

I actually can't say what I want or I'd be banned.

@Workyticket

Horrible post. Horrible and goady

You surely must know that we're talking about students who are refusing because then can, not because they need to

If you've not been in a classroom with teenagers in the last few years it might be very difficult to understand

I'm talking about teenagers who are happily wearing masks on the bus (and taking selfies and tagging the college so they're visible to staff) but refusing to wear them in class because they've been told they can refuse

They're sharing fags and cans of pop at break time. They're having house 'seshes'

They tell us why they're not wearing them. They te us they won't have a test because they can't be asked to queue

There's no wondering on our behalf. We know what's going on.

I love my job, I love making a difference with teenagers, I love the challenges that teaching kids with hectic lives brings. There aren't many left in my job who do. We can't get staff. Those we recruit don't stay. If I go down with long covid there aren't many waiting to snap up my job.

Totally support you on this. Some pupils of course can't wear a mask. But that's clearly not the case fór the class you are talking about I really don't know how you stomach it, but from this thread you can see the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, as to where they get the entitled attitude from

@lucye1

Seems many teachers think they know it all .Yet for the last year been paid to do very little etc.If a child is legally allowed not to wear a mask.Thats the law, get another job if you do not like it .A good lawyer would be all over the school and you would end up been sacked. Pink Floyd years ago got it right. “Teacher , leave those kids alone” . The level of pathetic snowflakes in the education system is alarming . Go to work , and teach .Leave the rest to the families and government

You can see where the kids get it from with posts like this I might not always see eye to eye with my kids school, and there are good and bad staff everywhere, like every profession. But this type of know it all attitude is pathetic

Go to work , and teach .Leave the rest to the families and government
I assume by this statement, along with your goady post, you want to see :
The end of enrichment activities
A drastic reduction in the increasing remit of topics added into PSHE at the request of parents/government
Reduction in pastoral care in school
Teachers not supporting students with issue south of school such as social media bullying

None of those are teaching so we should stop them?

Our useless government have to take some blame for this. The mask wearing in schools should have been mandatory as in other countries (medical cases exempt) and it would have much easier.

Oh bless @lucye1 believing conspiracy theories is not a life skill.

Please allow teachers to help your child develop critical thinking skills.