Annoyed that schools weren’t mentioned once in the press conference

[OnceuponaRainbow18]

So masks back in shops and on public transport, where most people are double jabbed and can distance, yet not in secondary schools where majority unvaccinated and unable to distance at all. But don’t fear we can open a window.

We are in Scotland. Face masks have been compulsory in Schools all year and it hasn't made any difference to rates of covid just to their education, socialisation, health from having damp pieces of unwashed fabric on their faces.

Nearly every child in my child's class has had covid - public health confident they didn't catch it from each other - only two had symptoms: one a sore throat for three days and one a cough for two. My child had none (and a negative LFT) but missed all her holiday activities to isolate anyway.

As for a second jab - they don't get this because thisrisk of myocarditis is then too close to the risk from covid.

I'd support masks in schools but before we even have that discussion - do all schools have CO2 monitors for every classroom? Air filtration systems? Keeping kids in year groups and not moving around so much (which will help contain outbreaks as covid airborne)?

There's so much that could be done before you even get to masks and none of it is happening, and there's already huge disruptions and lots of teachers off sick with covid in all the local secondaries and some primaries too - whole years sent home as not enough teachers to safely operate.

More children have died and been hospitalised since schools went back without any mitigation than when there were mitigations in schools.

I agree it seems largely pointless masking on public transport and in shops when schools are spreading it merrily and then children bringing it home to their families.

I do still mask everywhere I'm indoors (and sometimes outdoors too) but I'm a sitting duck with my kids in schools and I could understand those who wouldn't want to bother given their highest risk by far is via their kids and their kids are being given no protections at all.
A feeling of 'what's the point'.

And I agree with PP. The people talking and making decisions have zero experience of caring for children, and it shows.

Ahh here come the angry teachers again 🥴😂 look at Scotland, masks have made such a difference there haven’t they 🥴 I’ll happily dig mine out again for the shops but I’d hate to wear one all day. I’m glad my kid is primary age & this won’t be a thing in her life!

@Difgkdjfjffjsjs

God here we go again; it was shown that teachers were at much lower risk than many other workers. Please don’t start this nonsense again re closing schools, it’s never going to happen

Where was it shown @Difgkdjfjffjsjs?

As the bmj says social and education workers were only second to health care workers.

oem.bmj.com/content/78/5/307#DC1

No teachers want schools to close - we never did but just carrying on as normal doesn't work!

@theemperorhasnoclothes

I'd support masks in schools but before we even have that discussion - do all schools have CO2 monitors for every classroom? Air filtration systems? Keeping kids in year groups and not moving around so much (which will help contain outbreaks as covid airborne)?

There's so much that could be done before you even get to masks and none of it is happening, and there's already huge disruptions and lots of teachers off sick with covid in all the local secondaries and some primaries too - whole years sent home as not enough teachers to safely operate.

More children have died and been hospitalised since schools went back without any mitigation than when there were mitigations in schools.

I agree it seems largely pointless masking on public transport and in shops when schools are spreading it merrily and then children bringing it home to their families.

I do still mask everywhere I'm indoors (and sometimes outdoors too) but I'm a sitting duck with my kids in schools and I could understand those who wouldn't want to bother given their highest risk by far is via their kids and their kids are being given no protections at all.
A feeling of 'what's the point'.

What’s the point… for me The point is to protect OFHER PEOPLe There is no greater example of the Americanisation of English cultures than our selfishness and eroding of the Concept of public good

I think the latest science shows that ventilation is actually better than masks in terms of limiting transmission - why isn't there proper ventilation in schools?

@theemperorhasnoclothes

And I agree with PP. The people talking and making decisions have zero experience of caring for children, and it shows.

If they did then they would say no masks in class and recognise the importance of visual interaction for their teaching and development.

Also, I remember last summer before schools went back, it was suggested that classrooms should have a fan blowing air towards the windows (this was proven to be very effective in restaurants), but I've not heard this suggested for ages? Imo this would be more beneficial than half hearted, grubby mask wearing.

@Tabbydancer

I agree, but the idea of common good implies reciprocity and it was noted since September that there were essentially two pandemics going on - one in people without contact with children and the other in children and their close contacts.

I do mask, but I am not happy that my children have no basic protections - not even ventilation - in their schools. Not even information about whether or not they've had contact with a case of covid - so we can't afford to see my elderly parents who are vulnerable and need our help.

I still do it, but I can understand why some people are fed up. There are plenty of parents who are vulnerable and no-one is doing anything to protect them. So the idea they should go out of their way to protect others must be very upsetting.

Thank god they didn't mention schools. You can see some schools now already making their own rules up - forcing pcrs for contacts even though they are not mandatory

IF teachers are vaccinated then really why are we so terrified its ridiculous. Almost all will get cold/flu symptoms. Why are teachers so scared of covid? - no one i know in real life behaves like people (teachers) on here its madness.

If you are double vax (never mind boostered), giving covid second thought really is irrational

Its all the bloody testing causing the disruption, the sooner parents cotton on and stop testing the better.

@ViceLikeBlip

Also, I remember last summer before schools went back, it was suggested that classrooms should have a fan blowing air towards the windows (this was proven to be very effective in restaurants), but I've not heard this suggested for ages? Imo this would be more beneficial than half hearted, grubby mask wearing.

I agree, there have been some studies showing just how effective even opening the windows a little can be in the winter. I can see no good reason why there is not ventilation in schools. Other than wanting kids to catch covid.

I have friends in another country - they can go online and see the ventilation status of their kids classrooms.

@HelplesslyHoping

As if people on here are complaining about their kids wearing masks! Your precious kids will survive wearing a mask, they might not survive being on a ventilator though

Up until reading this I didn’t feel like we were going back to step one. And here we have the old ‘ventilator’ jibe again! So 2020!

I know quite a lot of double vaccinated people seriously ill with covid and having got long covid.

And the whole point of the new variant is that it may evade the vaccine.

Is it really worth risking lives just to not open a window and have CO2 monitors in schools? Ventilation would lower spread of other respiratory diseases too and lead to greater attendance overall (and there are some studies linking ventilation to better educational outcomes also).

@Bobholll
Thanks for the support 😳😞
Its fuck all to do with “angry” teachers, more pointing out that if your kids teachers are off their education suffers, that is not under debate, and surely even the most anti teacher parent alive wants their kids to learn? ( maybe not 🤨)

Surely it’s too early to mention schools?
I can understand why they said nothing. To include schools raises more questions then it answers.

@theemperorhasnoclothes

Some of the new build schools don’t have windows that open as they are 4 stories high!

Every child in my class are within 2m of me when we do the carpet input. They are also within 2m of the majority of the school when we have an assembly.

Give them a chance.

They've got to wait until 11.59pm Sunday night at the very earliest before instructing head teachers to introduce new procedures by 7.30am.

I'd support masks in schools but before we even have that discussion - do all schools have CO2 monitors for every classroom?
We have one in every 5 or so rooms. They start going red by 10am even with windows open.

Air filtration systems?
No. Some rooms don't have opening windows either.

Keeping kids in year groups and not moving around so much (which will help contain outbreaks as covid airborne)?
No. Schools were explicitly told not to do this from September. We could roll out our emergency timetable - but we were told not to have one, and it would be hugely disruptive to any students not in exam years.

Well we can open a window - but the kids will close it. Or whinge that it’s cold.

@NeverDropYourMooncup

Give them a chance.

They've got to wait until 11.59pm Sunday night at the very earliest before instructing head teachers to introduce new procedures by 7.30am.

That made me chuckle, but it's so true.

Schools don't have proper ventilation because that would cost the Government money>

I am sure the Government guidance for schools will be quietly posted at midnight one Sunday expecting schools to implement it on Monday, if previous guidance is anything to go by.

@theemperorhasnoclothes

I think the latest science shows that ventilation is actually better than masks in terms of limiting transmission - why isn't there proper ventilation in schools?

Because most schools were built in the cheapest way possible I'd assume.

Many don't even have properly opening windows.

@Iratus

Well we can open a window - but the kids will close it. Or whinge that it’s cold.

As well they might. They're more likely to be harmed by the cold than covid.