No more masks in classrooms - hurray!

[TeddingtonTrashbag]

Hurray!
I am a secondary teacher and just hope it really happens.

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/05/06/exclusive-end-masks-classroom-boris-johnson-defies-unions/

@ceeveebee

Perhaps the fact that 100 pupils out of 900 have caught it whilst wearing masks proves that they don’t actually work?

Completely illogical statement with no supporting evidence.

That's like saying thousands of people dying in car crashes every year is proof seatbelts don't work.

Ridiculous.

I haven't read all of the article, but the words 'Johnson to defy unions' Really??? Was it not our own government's scientific advisers who evrntually told us that masks were essential indoors, in crowded spaces to limit spread? If this is no longer the case then enough but why bring the unions into it?

It's a pity.

Look at the school everyone was talking about yesterday. In an unvaccinated population of adult-sized teens, the risks of transmission are still quite high, and in terms of virus drift/shift, it's an environment which the most tramsmissible forms.

I think indoors groups, for all those who have reached adult size (so secondaries) where distancing in not possible, should remain mitigated by masks. I would take a different view if:

a) teens could be spread out, as aduits are for other indoor groups. Not possible in classrooms

b) this was about something optional (like going to a club, bar, theatre, cinema) so those who have specific vulnerabilities can choose not to attend and not miss anything crucial.

If you have a student wearing the same mask everyday then that has to be down to the family being ignorant. I wouldn’t let DS wear the same pants everyday so why let them wear the same mask?

@ceeveebee

Perhaps the fact that 100 pupils out of 900 have caught it whilst wearing masks proves that they don’t actually work?

Who said they caught it whilst wearing masks though? Where’s the evidence for this? Also, a lot of schools don’t even encourage students to wear masks properly in lessons. Staff don’t even wear them when they should be. Many schools claim all students wear masks, but inside lessons it’s a whole different story.

@mrshoho

I haven't read all of the article, but the words 'Johnson to defy unions' Really??? Was it not our own government's scientific advisers who evrntually told us that masks were essential indoors, in crowded spaces to limit spread? If this is no longer the case then enough but why bring the unions into it?

Because "Boris defies Unions" plays out better amongst the general public than "Boris defies science... again."

I hope this is true, my son might start wearing his hearing aids again. He currently refuses to as each time he has to remove his mask they ping out and embarrass him. So he can't hear, can't lipread and just refuses to go maskless as the teachers who don't know him are constantly on at him to show his exemption card, embarrassing him further. This is good news for us for sure!

Good

They are not just pointless, they are damaging

Surely this means no more masks in shops, factories, buses, planes, shopping malls etc.

@duffeldaisy

The WHO has just officially confirmed Covid is airborne. A school has just had 100 children come down with Covid, and the government is apparently about to announce the new variant is a Variant of Concern, the same one sweeping through India.

This is not the time to be stopping masks in schools.

Just officially confirmed? Christ i could have told them that ages ago.

@duffeldaisy - as a teacher I can assure you that trying to teach in a gazebo would be nigh on impossible! I do take my classes outside occasionally to escape the mask situation. It’s really hard teaching English which relies on class discussion with masks on.

Those against this clearly haven't worked in a secondary school recently.

Constant, as in literally every 2-3 minutes reminding students to pull their mask up all day. Wasting time with those who want to argue about it and providing sanctions. It's taking so much time away from learning that it's ridiculous.

Because "Boris defies Unions" plays out better amongst the general public than "Boris defies science... again."

Nicely put!

I wonder if other countries have the same issue with students @Mrgrinch?

Surgical masks in a surgical environment put on correctly and worn correctly, work. A piece of cloth shoved in pockets, touched inside and out with unclean hands - worse than useless. I cannot wait to see the back of them, but I suspect they won’t go. Too many people see them as a magic talisman.

In the classrooms. They will still be asked to wear masks in corridors/communal areas.

Why? It’s not a massive burden to wear a face mask. If it protects people from A DEADLY SERIOUS KILLER ILLNESS the what are we celebrating removing one of the easiest steps we have to help prevent it spreading?? I’d rather my kids were as safe as we can make them tbh. Why are people so against protecting themselves? And their CHIKDREN? I don’t understand this viewpoint.

@Thatswatshesaid

I’m a speech and language therapist in schools I don’t think people understand the damage marks are doing to the education and social development of students who have communication needs (far more than people realise). I don’t object to wearing them in shops for longer but kids with SEN, ASD, hearing impairment, dyslexia, English as an additional language etc have all suffered so much in this pandemic and their the most effected by mask wearing.

Agree. I'm in primary, where we don't have to wear them except where we can't distance from other adults. However our school policy, as many others I've heard of, is adults in masks all the time. I'm supposed to teach a group of children who are struggling with phonics, in a mask. It's impossible. They need to see my mouth movements. Just one example, they can't tell the difference between "th" and "f". I can't wait for masks to go.

Also, why would you issue sanctions to those not wearing them? Surely they are ENCOURAGED in class , not legally enforceable.

@ceeveebee

Perhaps the fact that 100 pupils out of 900 have caught it whilst wearing masks proves that they don’t actually work?

We'd need far more into than this.

It's possible they wear them in school and then mix outside of school, on buses etc without them.

It's possible they aren't wearing them properly.

I wouldn't rule out they don't work just yet or be thrilled they are going to go just yet.

Too many unanswered questions for me

It's a stupid decision.

Many adults associated with schools are unvaccinated and the Indian variant of concern is now in this country.

@Pleasenomoreglitter

Surely kids under 12 aren’t forced to wear them? In Scotland primary kids don’t wear them but secondary kids do. I know there’s nothing ‘magic’ about suddenly going to high school, but they have to draw the lines somewhere. I agree young kids need to see your face and expressions etc. Plus they have been proved to be a really low risk group, so I understand why there is a difference in the requested requirement to wear masks.

brilliant

Good that we are getting back to normal

@ElphabaTWitch

Why? It’s not a massive burden to wear a face mask. If it protects people from A DEADLY SERIOUS KILLER ILLNESS the what are we celebrating removing one of the easiest steps we have to help prevent it spreading?? I’d rather my kids were as safe as we can make them tbh. Why are people so against protecting themselves? And their CHIKDREN? I don’t understand this viewpoint.

Because it’s so hard to teach with children wearing them. Ask a question, someone answers, you ask three times for them to repeat themselves. Someone asks you a question and you can’t hear. Someone’s talking in class - no idea who.