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

Kids need a doctor's letter in Germany. Otherwise they must wear an mask. Or parents can choose not to send their kids in if they disagree with mask wearing.

I'm on the fence with lateral flow testing, it seems inaccurate and expensive. But schools need to stay open, so...

A headteacher from a lovely school died from covid right at the start of the pandemic so take up where I am has been really high...... Probably to avoid the wrath of being judged in the playground I'm really sorry youre having to put yourself at risk like this. The rules should be no mask or test, no school.

Ds has ASD and was really struggling to test. His school phoned me 20 mins before we were going to leave yesterday, saying they didn't really want him in without a negative test. They told me to get him to spit in a cup and test that. Which he was able to do.
I was under the impression it wasn't compulsory but despite Ds having a disability, they weren't comfortable at all with him being in school and not testing.

The fact of whether the OP is vulnerable or not is whataboutery. Those same students will be going round corridors to different teachers, of different ages and vulnerabilities, encountering admin and support staff, bus drivers possibly,let alone other students who may well be vulnerable or have vulnerable family members and who may end up having no choice other than to sit next to them.

Some schools do seem to be handling it better : everyone in my year 11 class wore a mask yesterday, including a boy who technically had an exemption. Those with exemptions (or in a few cases whose parents have refused) are clearly flagged on our registers so that we don't challenge them.

I'd want to speak to my union about the situation in your place OP.

Btw to the previous poster who wrote about face shields , snoods etc. The DfE guidance specifies masks and is (thankfully from my point of view) pretty clear that shields are not appropriate without a mask.

I didn't think it was to do with exemptions. I thought the Government said even if not exempt no teenager has to wear a mask in class unless they want to.

The legal wording, as you know, isn't 'unless they want to'.

My students all wanted to yesterday. It sounds like there is an issue of entitlement culture at OP's place. I bet they wear masks in shops and if they wanted their hair done or to go to a cinema. It's a two fingers up culture, sadly, which can prevails when teens herd in groups. And is being actively encouraged by a small, fairly orchetsrated group online.

I don't want to wear a mask xenia. No one wants to! But I do. I am not going to not wear a mask just because I fancy a bit of libertarian legal quibbling.

@Piggywaspushed

The legal wording, as you know, isn't 'unless they want to'.

My students all wanted to yesterday. It sounds like there is an issue of entitlement culture at OP's place. I bet they wear masks in shops and if they wanted their hair done or to go to a cinema. It's a two fingers up culture, sadly, which can prevails when teens herd in groups. And is being actively encouraged by a small, fairly orchetsrated group online.

I think this is right.

I feel for you OP. I can't bear this kind of level of entitlement. And this is not aimed at people with disabilities. I don't believe that that proportion of students are unable to neither have tests nor wear masks without the OP being aware of it.

That's frustrating OP.

Only 8 children in our whole school (650 pupils) are exempt from wearing masks. There are more who could be exempt but a vast majority of them want to wear them because it makes them feel safer. We've only had a handful not take lateral flow tests either. I am both shocked and pleased that this is the case - we've had a lot of covid in the area and in the school and before Christmas it was a very different picture. Some of our families have lost more than one relative to Covid and are certainly taking a very different stance now.

@Xenia is correct. This isn't about being exempt. They know they don't have to wear one...so they aren't! And whilst I agree to the fact that maybe they shouldn't be forced to, the fact that this can't be challenged to a large group of 16 year olds that would all wear one going into a shop/takeaway is what I have an issue with. Unfortunately, I know some of their views are coming from their parents. I hear the same things mentioned on here.

Piggy this is not in legislation. The Government guidance says no child should be required to wear a mask or no one should be denied an education if they will not put one on (and same with tests). I was pointed to it on MN the other day when I thought the Government had taken that part out of the new guidance but someone found it still in there.

it is very important schools and parents and teenagers are 100% clear on this however. So I wish it were in new legislation. I look at new legislation every day but have not seen anything about this particular issue. I will see if i can find the link to the guidance on the other thread.

This is the other thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4175457-Is-anyone-planning-on-refusing-to-allow-their-children-to-have-the-lateral-flow-tests?pg=35.

Sorry to hear this. Some of them are definitely just trying it on, aren't they. It's very disrespectful of you and of their classmates. It's just not possible that 9 out of 25 have valid reasons.

I live in France and in my children's schools there are no children who are exempt from wearing a mask. None.
Exemptions are possible here in France, but from your doctor as I understand it.

Our school said that 99 percent of kids had come forward for testing and no positive tests.

Is it possible to rearrange your room OP.
I'd sit all the non mask wearers together as far from me as possible at the back and put all the compliant kids in front of them.
I'm a bit sick of the special kids whos parents let them do whatever they like, like the rules don't apply and the world should revolve around them.

If a school makes children learn in a different room or go how to watch the proceedings by webcam they might be sued.
If they make those who choose not to wear masks sit at the back of the class that may be okay as long as that is not 100% BAME or disabled people which might not look good so be very careful before insisting those exercising free choice not to wear a mask must sit at the back.

If 100% in a class refuse to wear a mask then the sitting at the back of the class issue is not then an issue so it is obviously going to vary from class to class.

@Iamsodonewith2020

I actually think if you opt out of testing and masks with no reason then you shouldn’t be allowed in school. Why should these children benefit from others compliance and sense social and moral responsibility

I do understand your feelings, but testing is a medical procedure and by law relies on informed consent. Coercion (by saying a child must stay home if not tested) is totally illegal in this respect and could land school staff in seriously hot water if they enforced this.

I know it isn't legislation xenia. But the wording in DfE guidelines is not about 'want'.

What kind of world do we live in where it is easier for a school to deal with a child not wearing a blazer or without a tie , than someone refusing to (choosing not to if you will) not wear a mask? The (tiny group) of libertarians seem to have won the day here and it is bonkers: and potentially dangerous to public health.

The government are a bunch of fuckwits who didn't want anyone to wear masks in schools anyway (hence the 'review' at Easter) but felt that they had to be seen to be doing something because of the massive infection rates in schools before Christmas that led to them being closed (belatedly) in January.

They're only doing this so they can put on their shiny DfE propaganda videos the 'measures' that are being taken to ensure that schools are safe so send your kids back. They don't actually give a shit if they are safe or not.

And of course they're not safe. They go against everything the general public are told to do to protect themselves against covid. If schools were safe, everyone would be able to crowd into small rooms with 30 other people. What the govt actually means is 'we've decided that it's ok for teachers to have to take that risk and we're not going to put funding into lessening it'. The LFTs are just a last desperate attempt to make the billions spent on Operation Moonshot not a total waste.

Surely FE can mandate - university has a no mask no attendance policy, only a note from the medical centre gets you an exemption and visors have to be worn

In the college I work in we (support services) issue exemption cards to students who are exempt. There are not that many, to be honest. There is some paperwork to fill outto get one. Anyone without an exemption lanyard is asked to wear a mask by every single member of staff they come across.

Teenagers like to conform and this policy seems to be working, as they have something visible either way: mask or lanyard.

we've decided that it's ok for teachers to have to take that risk and we're not going to put funding into lessening it'

Actually that should be 'we've decided that it's ok for teachers, school staff, pupils and families of pupils to have to take that risk and we're not going to put funding into lessening it'.

That they are forcing kids with extremely vulnerable family members (not safe enough for them to stop shielding though is it?) back to school with the threat of fines is sickening.

No test, no mask should equal no school unless you provide a doctor’s letter.
Why can’t this feeble government protect teachers? People are going to get ill and die because of this. So many teachers are 50+.

Only 50% of my one child's secondary of 1300 students have opted in to the tests.

Really? Goodness . Well over 90% at mine!