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

Legally we can't require the kids to wear them. We can ask them, but can't sanction them for refusal, regardless of whether they are genuinely exempt or just titting about.

That's not the school's fault.

ahem, letter to awkward students & parents (not to known vulnerable)
"for your safety (dear students) if you are exempt from lateral flow tests& wearing masks we will hold remote lessons via screen into a tent on the field"
emphasis on their safety of course, because classrooms would be sooo dangerous for them
(exclusions for really proven vulnerable, of course)

@MiddlesexGirl
exactly!

I would just like an honest answer from a teacher if my dd was to have anaphylaxis or if any child had a sudden illness in school would they help or just refuse because of covid I am a very worried parent

Oh dear @Vintagevixen
You clearly haven't read any of the scientific evidence then!

@GalesThisMorning

Year 8 - is that 12? I would be so unimpressed if I had a 12 year old sat in my classroom refusing to wear a mask because her mum had read the studies and wants her to be a critical thinker

Its 13 - and what is wrong with looking at evidence and analysing it? Actual academic and medical research, articles at source published on respected medical websites and medical journals, by respected academic institutions?

I would be even more unimpressed if a teacher didn't value informed critical thinking and wasn't trying to teach this TBH. The evidence is so incredibly weak for mask wearing, why should we not question it? I

It's depressing if we are starting to disregard actual evidence based interventions and are basing them on opinion, especially for me as a critical care nurse. All interventions need to be based on actual strong evidence!

But I suppose that's the trouble with threads like these - people can't engage in evidence based discussion, they all just pile in and follow the majority opinion.

@noblegiraffe

Legally we can't require the kids to wear them. We can ask them, but can't sanction them for refusal, regardless of whether they are genuinely exempt or just titting about.

That's not the school's fault.

Our school has lanyards for those that are medically exempt. Are the 9 that arent wearing them wearing the lanyard or just simply not wearing the mask because thats 2 different things.

@Ineedaweeee

I would just like an honest answer from a teacher if my dd was to have anaphylaxis or if any child had a sudden illness in school would they help or just refuse because of covid I am a very worried parent

Have you spoken to the school, and why do you think they wouldn't help?

Of course we'd help, Ineedaweeee

I like the tent on school playing field idea!
Maybe the teachers can remotely supervise though!

Blimey, over-entitled, 'me me me' parents = over-entitled 'me me me' kids!

Bet the parents are going to refuse the covid jab too 'because it's not compulsory and I have the right to refuse it. and fuck everyone else.'

Probably the same oiks who either don't wear a mask, or wear one over their mouth but have their nose exposed. And who have been having 8 to 10 people around their house every week for the past few months, (who are no WAY all in their 'bubble.')

And who cry and sob because granny dies of covid 4 weeks after a family 'get-together,' and blame the Government for her death. (Even though one of them took it to her. Easier to blame the Government than to take responsibility for it yourself I suppose...)

No wonder covid has been so bad with so many stupid people around.

No fucking WAY are virtually 50% of children 'exempt...'

I agree with a pp that it's a shame you can't just send them home, and they have an 'absent' mark against them. They used to do this at DD's school, if a child turned up with the 'wrong' shoes, or without their tie.

As another poster said 'stick to the rules, your child is no more special than anyone else's...'

You have my sympathy @Workyticket

The lack of scientific understanding from someone claiming to work in a highly specialised medical environment is very worrying. Not to say disgraceful. Have you thought about asking for extra training @Vintagevixen? Because it sounds like your scientific knowledge is worryingly lacking.
Mind you, I don't expect you come out with your claptrap to your superiors at work.

It would be interesting though if you could provide links to your "theories".

Turning to the govt though, they've allowed this ridiculous state of affairs to happen. Apart from throwing teachers AND students to the lions, this total absence of ability to make a coherent rule says it all.

People all over MN (and presumably the country) are being allowed to self-identity as unable to wear a mask and nobody can ask them why.

Why is that? Do we not ask blue badge holders to present medical documentation before they're allowed one? Do we not ask children with other underlying pathologies to provide proof that they need to go to the loo more often/need a quiet space/need extra time for a test?

If we are now in a position where we can't ask people why they are not exempt from.protecting themselves and others from catching a disease that might kill them, then we might as well cancel all the above and more as well.

Which is an abhorrent insult to those who have GENUINELY had to fight for recognition of their rights.

I work in a large hospital, had many patients ask me if I can get a letter for them to say they’re exempt, when asked what their exemption is 9 times out of 10 they don’t have one or they think they’re exempt because of something that’s not an exemption. I’ve also had many people openly admit they just don’t like wearing them (so want a letter to say they’re exempt).

It’s also interesting to me that in an extremely large acute hospital I can’t remember seeing a single staff member around the hospital not wearing a mask. I work in a department of 80 and not a single person is unable to wear one, now NHS staff have illnesses and disabilities like everyone else, so why can we all wear one for 12 hours a day, but there are so many people who apparently cannot wear one for half an hour at the shops? I honestly believe that if we were to really look into it, most people claiming to be exempt aren’t, like the kids in OPs class, most just don’t want to.

The evidence is so incredibly weak for mask wearing, why should we not question it?

Question it, fine. Decide to unilaterally overrule public health advice during a pandemic due to your own googling? Where would we be if everyone did that?

@Vintagevixen

DD hates masks. I have reviewed the academic evidence and see no reason to force her into one when the intervention is unproven and no academic has even looked into the potential effects of masks ( physical and psychological).

There are theories that masks increase risk of Covid spread - they force air to exit though the sides of masks which has a nebuliser effect hence breaking large droplets into finer smaller aerosols that linger in the air for longer.

Oh dear God. I despair.

@MiddlesexGirl

Oh dear *@Vintagevixen* You clearly haven't read any of the scientific evidence then!

I've read loads of it - the Prof Melinda Mills Meta analysis - the recent Danish RCT that was the biggest one ever done on mask wearing in the community and found no significant statistical difference in mask wearers and no mask wearers. The only other RCT is one carried out on a tiny sample of HCP's in Vietnam using cloth face coverings - to showed a possible increased risk of infection to them.

I would link but I'm on my Mac and still haven't worked out how to link on it (old techno person!) but very easily googlable.

I would just like an honest answer from a teacher if my dd was to have anaphylaxis or if any child had a sudden illness in school would they help or just refuse because of covid I am a very worried parent
First aiders will treat as normal at my school.We have the normal medical room and a separate room for those who become unwell with suspected covid.

@StepOutOfLine

The lack of scientific understanding from someone claiming to work in a highly specialised medical environment is very worrying. Not to say disgraceful. Have you thought about asking for extra training *@Vintagevixen*? Because it sounds like your scientific knowledge is worryingly lacking. Mind you, I don't expect you come out with your claptrap to your superiors at work.

It would be interesting though if you could provide links to your "theories".

Turning to the govt though, they've allowed this ridiculous state of affairs to happen. Apart from throwing teachers AND students to the lions, this total absence of ability to make a coherent rule says it all.

People all over MN (and presumably the country) are being allowed to self-identity as unable to wear a mask and nobody can ask them why.

Why is that? Do we not ask blue badge holders to present medical documentation before they're allowed one? Do we not ask children with other underlying pathologies to provide proof that they need to go to the loo more often/need a quiet space/need extra time for a test?

If we are now in a position where we can't ask people why they are not exempt from.protecting themselves and others from catching a disease that might kill them, then we might as well cancel all the above and more as well.

Which is an abhorrent insult to those who have GENUINELY had to fight for recognition of their rights.

You can't march up to a blue badge holder and demand to know the details of their disabilities. I don't wear a mask. That's between me and my GP. It is also not for medical reasons. I don't wear a lanyard as I'm not going to advertise that I'm different. It is none of your business why I don't wear a mask.

I haven't worn one ever. And no one during any of the lockdowns, has ever asked me why or queried it. Thank Christ the real world isn't like mumsnet in this regard.

found no significant statistical difference in mask wearers and no mask wearers.

The Danish study that didn't actually look at whether masks reduce the risk of transmitting covid?

Are you intentionally misrepresenting it?

I have spoken to school, I have read everything, I have just not had anyone say to me all help will be there its just about covid I'm just very worried

Re the Danish mask study

www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4586

www.medpagetoday.com/blogs/vinay-prasad/89778

fullfact.org/health/danish-mask-wearing-spectator/

Easily googlable, as you say.

littlepattilou
I think the opposite. Now it looks like vaccine passports are going to come into force, they'll be wanting first dibs on a vaccine so they can go abroad for holidays in the summer and complaining if they aren't a priority.

@Ineedaweeee

I have spoken to school, I have read everything, I have just not had anyone say to me all help will be there its just about covid I'm just very worried

Help will be there. No staff member is going to let your child suffer because of Covid.

Prof Melinda Mills the eminent sociologist whose study published in the journals is about compliance rather than the actual science?
Or a different one?

Really sorry, it is the same experience around shops etc. You just know most aren't exempt, they just don't want to wear a mask.
My two didn't want to take the test, but realised it was the right thing to do-even if they aren't perfect tests. Their school has been really good about tests and the uptake is high. Mask wearing is also high.

So frustrating. Luckily the rates of infection around our way are very low, but won't stay that way if people are behaving so selfishly.