Masks in classrooms secondary

[Hummmmming]

www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/01/schools-in-england-told-wear-masks-in-class-as-fears-mount-of-omicron-surge?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Until the 26th of January

I guess it's only important if we want schools to be able to stay open as much as possible to teach as many students as possible.

"Why are they deleted?"

Presumably because they broke posting guideline in some way?

There's clearly been a mass invasion of Us4Them anti-vax agit proppers today.

There are threads popping up like mushrooms, and if you AS the OPs are all either brand new or namechangers. Lots of posters are namechanger/brand new as well.

@walksen

"Why are they deleted?"

Presumably because they broke posting guideline in some way?

It’s quoted below how does it break guidelines?

About virtue signalling

Odd decision

Don't know marsha. I have only seen them in fragments. Guessing disinformation.

The anti vaxx threads have become almost umoderatable - MNHQ has become entirely reactive rather than trawling through threads themselves (hence reposts seem to be left nowadays) - so unless we report anti vaxx/anti anything else disinformation it will stand.

And they invariably give themselves away by using U4T buzzwords.

the article I read says that teachers are not expected to wear them, i really hope thats not true what a poor example to set the children, shields if not masks, not excuses about lipreading etc there.

pupil respect will sink even lower if this happens.

I didn't wear one last time in the classroom (a specific thing in my school). We stayed in our boxes at the front 2m away. Kids couldn't have cared less tbh.

"pupil respect will sink even lower if this happens."

What do you mean?

Not sure what you mean by even lower either....

"excuses about lipreading"

The hearing impaired students in my a level class would not learn anything if I was wearing a mask

@ontana

"excuses about lipreading"

The hearing impaired students in my a level class would not learn anything if I was wearing a mask

You'd presumably be wearing a clear one like every other teacher of hearing impaired students has in situations where masks have been obligatory. Wouldn't you?

I think that it would be reasonable to remove a mask in some situations to aid communication.

A classroom of 35 people though would not usually involve all 35 people speaking at once.

It is also possible to have some exposition of slides done by recorded voice (worked quite well at our secondary) - of course wouldn't be suitable for hearing impaired students.

It's a question of minimising risk where possible, in order to keep as many students in school as we can,

@Geamhradh I agree, masks better than remote learning. I said this. But still detrimental to learning. I am fed up of this being refuted by non teachers.

I'm pleased that ds's school is supportive, both of him not wearing a mask and also not doing LFT's, unless of course posters think it is acceptable for two to be pinning him down whilst another does the test, twice a week.

"It's a question of minimising risk where possible, in order to keep as many students in school as we can"

I doubt we can minimise risk in any meaningful way with Omicron with cloth masks or similar. Think of the outbreaks where fully vaxxed people with negativ lft's went to parties/ bars etc then a week later over two thirds tested positive. We also know prior delta infection is not very protective against infection with Omicron.

We have kids in primary not vaxxed at all, secondaries where about half of kids are. It will likely spread through pupils and staff quite quickly. This half term will be very disrupted and maybe settle down after that.

Unless/ until the next variant comes along I guess !

@herecomesthsun

I guess it's only important if we want schools to be able to stay open as much as possible to teach as many students as possible.

That's not important to a certain group. They only care that schools are open to teach their child/ren.

@ontana

"excuses about lipreading"

The hearing impaired students in my a level class would not learn anything if I was wearing a mask

How do they manage to learn from home? If via a screen for lip-reading, has it been considered that you teach lessons from a distance, whilst projecting your face onto a whiteboard at the front of the class? Sort of like virtual teaching but you are there in the room when needed? Might offer even a fraction more safety to both staff and pupils.

In Scotland masks were mandatory in schools last term but my understanding from a lot of children ( mine and Friends’) is that teachers grew increasingly comfortable/ relaxed with the pupils either not wearing masks or sitting under chins etc .

@Whitefire

I'm pleased that ds's school is supportive, both of him not wearing a mask and also not doing LFT's, unless of course posters think it is acceptable for two to be pinning him down whilst another does the test, twice a week.

I'd be shocked if any of the teachers or school staff on here would be happy working in a school that wouldn't be supportive to any child in the same circumstances that it sounds your son has.

Has anyone on here suggested otherwise?

@Twinklingstarface

In Scotland masks were mandatory in schools last term but my understanding from a lot of children ( mine and Friends’) is that teachers grew increasingly comfortable/ relaxed with the pupils either not wearing masks or sitting under chins etc .

You mean that parents weren't ensuring their children were making masks appropriately and teachers got on with teaching as they had/have no power to tackle this?

I'm not sure that your child and friends' children would be a big enough sample size to confer that teachers were generally comfortable with pupils not doing what they are told.

@Twinklingstarface

In Scotland masks were mandatory in schools last term but my understanding from a lot of children ( mine and Friends’) is that teachers grew increasingly comfortable/ relaxed with the pupils either not wearing masks or sitting under chins etc .

Perhaps they knew it was a complete waste of time since said children are all mixing without masks outside of school anyway.

We haven't been mixing much as we really don't want to get ill in the middle of a surge (DS being immunocompromised and shielding and all)

We had no clear masks made available, school couldn't get hold of them so instead we wore visors. After a while the evidence seemed to say that visors were pretty ineffective. So when teaching HI students, teachers removed their masks and distanced where possible.

Students got used to pulling down their mask to speak to me. They are still worn by the large majority fkr the majority of the lesson. I hope it at least lowers the viral load and possibly slows the spread although with omricon anything is possible.

https://twitter.com/nadhimzahawi?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

So lucky... Nadhim has everything under control 🙄