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/

I'm so glad if they are. My children have never had so many sore throats and it's making their teenage acne much worse. This is impacting hugely on their confidence

@supersonicginandtonic

I'm so glad if they are. My children have never had so many sore throats and it's making their teenage acne much worse. This is impacting hugely on their confidence

Well that's all that matters then

@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.

Yep!

Can't wait to burn the fucking things.

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.

Surely it's no problem to see who's talking in class if the person they're speaking to has to ask them to repeat it 3 times.

@LoopyPoopy

Mask wearing has made my daughter much less anxious about going to school as she doesn’t want to catch it or bring it home. The school have had a huge reduction in cases since masks were introduced therefore less disruption to their education. We haven’t had one period of isolation compared to three times before. I know which I prefer.

Were any of you shielding, immunocompromised, etc? It's shocking that the level of paranoia over this, a virus that well over 90% of people survive with no ill effect and a huge number don't even know they have, that children are 'anxious' about catching it or bringing it home.

Respiratory viruses are here to stay. Communicable disease are just that.

Did the schools close with 1 case of chickenpox, norovirus, influenza or send the entire class home to isolate?

This is ridiculous.

I think it's too soon. It's short sighted. I"m a teacher and the masks don't make my job any easier, but it sure as hell is an easy step to take to try and keep transmission down.

It’s interesting that prevalence in children aged 2 to 11 (who do not wear masks and definitely do not socially distance) is currently running exactly the same level as mask-wearing secondary school children. One might expect it to be higher in younger children if masks work so well?

Both mine are primary. 8yo says once parents have left and doors closed, most teachers don't bother with the masks - don't blame them at all. Obviously all the kids aren't in them (big school, 600 kids, nursery + staff) loads of mixing, lots of contact sport allowed, cuddles and contact between staff & the younger kids too. My 4yo today needed a hug from his teacher as he was getting very clingy and upset at the door. Not a single case since reopening. No one SD outside the gates anymore either, and more and more like me not covering their faces. Good.

Not a single case since reopening. No one SD outside the gates anymore either, and more and more like me not covering their faces. Good.
But SD at the gates and wearing a face covering when in groups is such a basic minimum thing that we can all do, I don't see why it is good tbh. We are not out of the woods yet and it would be better if people would do these things for a little longer. Of course young DC who need a hug should get one, and of course sport should be on for the well-being of young people. But I don't see why teenage children and adults shouldn't keep the masks for a bit longer.

Gavin has an excellent track record for making great decisions in educational policy. Oh wait...

@osbertthesyrianhamster totally agree.
If the children are coming home anxious about a virus that most don’t even know they have then likely it’s the parents projecting their fear / anxiety on to them
The media / government have done a very good job with fear. Many people have taken leave of rational thinking and risk assessment. Crazy but this aspect will also be making history

@ceeveebee

It’s interesting that prevalence in children aged 2 to 11 (who do not wear masks and definitely do not socially distance) is currently running exactly the same level as mask-wearing secondary school children. One might expect it to be higher in younger children if masks work so well?

If they're at the same level then, yes mask wearing is working as it's well documented that younger children don't seem to catch it as easily. Primary school aged are also not doing the lateral flow tests, picking up the asymptomatic cases. With both of those applying I would expect primary aged cases to be noticeably less than secondary, all other things being equal.

Maybe some children are concerned about bringing it home because they have vulnerable family members. Maybe they are aware that there are many clinically vulnerable people in society and they wan to do their bit to try and minimise the spread.

It is not easy to wear a mask all day.
It is not easy to learn in a mask, or be a teenager in a mask. Why do people say it is easy? Maybe for some. Nearly all the teenagers I teach hate them.
We can't hear each other, they can't contribute to lessons, or concentrate well.
You can't tell who is talking at the times you want everyone quiet.
Last night I went out to eat and the girl serving me was wearing a mask. She was a girl I knew from school, so had been wearing one all day and then all evening.
She is not at risk from this virus. I think it is asking too much.

Were any of you shielding, immunocompromised, etc? It's shocking that the level of paranoia over this, a virus that well over 90% of people survive with no ill effect and a huge number don't even know they have, that children are 'anxious' about catching it or bringing it home.

Yes, I shielded briefly at the start then received letters again later in to reshield (didn't that time as was already at home til mid March, then first vaccine before I returned to school.

I am CV.

I caught covid most likely from a child in school, based in my movements and what I know of what was happening in our school before and after.

I was rushed to hospital with complications due to covid.

I had 7 weeks off school. 7 months later I still have some long covid issues. I will be on medication for good also as a result.

So actually, yes - I do have experience of all this. It hasn't been a pleasant or easy route. The children I teach are primary do no masks or SD anyway.

Both mine are primary. 8yo says once parents have left and doors closed, most teachers don't bother with the masks - don't blame them at all.

As it the guidelines in primary.
Masks are not advised for staff or pupils in primary except for when meeting adults or older students from secondary schools, such as drop off and pick up.

Were any of you shielding, immunocompromised, etc?

I was shielding and my DC aged 12 had to start immunosuppressant therapy last month.

On balance, I'd prefer masks to stay, especially as informed scientific opinion seems in favour of masks staying till June 21st at least.

However, if masks in the classroom go, then maybe a compromise position might be that they come back if rates start rising rapidly in secondary school children.

I wonder whether they will remain a voluntary option?

@ceeveebee Re prevalence in primary school children, this was much lower than in secondary school children in the autumn. Secondary school kids are closer to being adults and seemed to be passing on the virus more effectively.

If the rates are equally low, then it would tend to suggest that mitigating factors are helping in secondary school.

@MargaretThursday the figures are from the ONS infection survey, not from the government dashboard, and so is based on a representative sample across the whole of the country, most of whom will be asymptomatic so the point about LFD testing doesn’t apply to this.

Also, if you look back at the January ONS figures, it was more prevalent in younger children than in any other age group, so not sure there is any real proof that younger children catch it less easily?

@CovidHalloween

Remind me again- what did they do in Chile? Oh yeah, they had a decent % of the population vaccinated but relaxed the rules far too quickly ending up in a mess even though their vaccination program was doing brilliantly. Add Indian variant to the mix here and it’s a perfect cocktail. This is getting better by the minute.

That would be because the vaccine they used was only 3% effective after one dose.

[quote ceeveebee]@MargaretThursday the figures are from the ONS infection survey, not from the government dashboard, and so is based on a representative sample across the whole of the country, most of whom will be asymptomatic so the point about LFD testing doesn’t apply to this.

Also, if you look back at the January ONS figures, it was more prevalent in younger children than in any other age group, so not sure there is any real proof that younger children catch it less easily?[/quote]
Ah. A lot of primary school children were still in school in January, some classes had almost all the children in, because of special exemptions of various sorts.

[quote ceeveebee]@MargaretThursday the figures are from the ONS infection survey, not from the government dashboard, and so is based on a representative sample across the whole of the country, most of whom will be asymptomatic so the point about LFD testing doesn’t apply to this.

Also, if you look back at the January ONS figures, it was more prevalent in younger children than in any other age group, so not sure there is any real proof that younger children catch it less easily?[/quote]
Primary were back in far greater numbers-some of the schools were at 80% of normal numbers. The secondary schools were around 5-10%.

[quote Thunderpunt]@itsgettingwierd you make it sound so easy. The school are more than happy for him to not wear a mask, but when you have supply teachers in and out, a school of over 1200 pupils - you can't expect every teacher to know my son is exempt so it's natural he will be questioned.
Plus he doesn't want to not wear one as that makes him stand out as well. It's hard enough being a 14 year old boy with a disability, the wearing of masks has made it worse (especially as i now have the uphill battle of getting him to start wearing the HA again once masks are outlawed) [/quote]
It's is easy though. It only isn't of people make it difficult.

My ds college gave the students a badge for their lanyard. It said college name and the colour indicates mask exempt. And all staff should know what it means.

Ok, you may have an odd external supply teacher who doesn't get the information. But that maybe once a week max. And it's not too much to ask at the odd time the student proves exception.

Aargh, I’m not sure! It feels a bit soon, but then my Dd is mask exempt because of asthma so is getting the benefit of others wearing them without the inconvenience (although I know she’d swap asthma for having the inconvenience any day, as it’s horrible for her).

I do feel for teachers having to teach in them, and for kids.

@AppleKatie

To be honest the way they are being worn is so shit they clearly aren’t offering any protection (dirty, pulled up and down literally every 3 mins, not covering noses, stretched out of shape etc etc...) so I doubt this will make much difference.

I speak as a teacher currently awaiting a Covid test result.

Only the vaccine will make me feel reassured.

If I had a penny for a) each time I tell a student to pull up their mask / put one on ....