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

@AlecTrevelyan006

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/01/03/used-love-school-now-dreading-going-back/

April MacKay said:
Masks in classrooms won’t put an end to Covid in schools. It will just stop our learning and our recovery from lockdown. And, just like before, it’s clear the Government’s primary motivation is politics not infection control. Politicians want to be seen to be doing something and we teenagers are low-hanging fruit.

Well, I’ve had enough. Secondary school pupils like me have made so many sacrifices during this pandemic. Over the course of three lockdowns, we’ve lost a chunk of our education, watched friends drift away, and missed important rites of passage.

Yes, we’ve had our families, but we’re at the age where we want a bit of independence – and the pandemic has taken that away from us too.

Surely sucking all the joy out of our school lives by forcing us to wear masks yet again is a step too far?

We all agree that vaccines work. Now is the moment to put our faith in them, and give teenagers our lives back

My students have seen it (I suppose, though it's not been discussed as we've been in masks since March 2020) as a small price to pay, along with vaccination and SD to actually be in school and for that school to have had, since September, little or no disruption to f2f learning.

Masks work
Vaccines work
SD works

None of them in isolation, or when done incorrectly.

But I'm willing to bet there are far more teenagers sick to the back teeth of the "I'm done" " I'm not going to follow any rules" whining adults around them than there are teenagers like the above.

The 'forced to' rhetoric is quite tiring and toddler like.

I think another line used for vulnerable families was 'just homeschool then' which I'd like to recycle for those throwing their toys out of the pram about masks in school.

But I'm willing to bet there are far more teenagers sick to the back teeth of the "I'm done" " I'm not going to follow any rules" whining adults around them than there are teenagers like the above.

Agreed. None of the teens I know like wearing masks, but they like adults treating them with contempt even less.
Fake letters purporting to be from teens is a new low.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1044767/Evidence_summary_-_face_coverings.pdf

… 80% of pupils reported that wearing a face covering made it difficult to communicate, and more than half felt wearing one made learning more difficult (55%).

… almost all secondary leaders and teachers (94%) thought that wearing face coverings has made communication between teachers and students more difficult, with 59% saying it has made it a lot more difficult.

… Research into the effect of mask wearing on communication has found that concealing a speaker’s lips led to lower performance, lower confidence scores, and increased perceived effort on the part of the listener. Moreover, meta-cognitive monitoring was worse when listening in these conditions compared with listening to an unmasked talker. A survey of impacts on communication with mask wearing in adults reported that face coverings negatively impact hearing, understanding, engagement, and feelings of connection with the speaker.

…

Thanks for the link @AlecTrevelyan006
I haven't read the full document yet, but even just the start of it clearly lays out the reasons for the requirement of face covering within schools 👍

@kittensinthekitchen the crucial line in those extracts are worn correctly and suitable level........
School children (and most adults) do neither of these!

Article from the US about how useful cloth masks are against omicron.....described by a leading Dr as a face decoration!
The govt doesn't even provide all health care professionals with N95/FFP2 grade it's hardly going to occur in schools!

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/cloth-masks-useless-omicron-expert-b1980394.html%3famp

It also says cannot mitigate against poor ventilation.......schools have been found to regularly be poorly ventilated despite windows with CO2 monitors reading Amber or red over 1000 ppm......over 800ppm shows poor ventilation!
This is the real crux this is what needs to be improved not masks in schools!
It's a 2 day old sticking plaster over a large open wound......gives a visual sign that's it's doing something underneath not really other then hiding it from others!

Ah don't worry, the benefit of wearing of masks - even incorrectly - still "significantly outweighs" not wearing one (attached)

I agree with you RE ventilation. Which is why, in the absence of properly funding ventilation systems, we need to take whatever measures we can, such as face coverings, improved hygiene and keeping windows open where possible.

If only the people whinging about masks put as much energy into petitioning the govt for ventilation funding. Or general school funding.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59895934

Evidence on face masks in schools ‘inconclusive’

🤣🤣

Looking at the numbers, the raw data did show a decrease in absences in the schools that used masks, over a 3 week period.

However, the sample sizes needed to be bigger to rule out the difference arising by chance.

So if anything, that would tend to support the wearing of masks to reduce absences in schools (and would support researchers repeating the study with a larger sample size)

@AlecTrevelyan006

… 80% of pupils reported that wearing a face covering made it difficult to communicate, and more than half felt wearing one made learning more difficult (55%).

… almost all secondary leaders and teachers (94%) thought that wearing face coverings has made communication between teachers and students more difficult, with 59% saying it has made it a lot more difficult.

… Research into the effect of mask wearing on communication has found that concealing a speaker’s lips led to lower performance, lower confidence scores, and increased perceived effort on the part of the listener. Moreover, meta-cognitive monitoring was worse when listening in these conditions compared with listening to an unmasked talker. A survey of impacts on communication with mask wearing in adults reported that face coverings negatively impact hearing, understanding, engagement, and feelings of connection with the speaker.

…

A TeacherTapp survey done a few days ago showed the vast vast majority of teachers feel that the advantages of mask wearing outweigh the disadvantages.

You also missed copying this part:

*A survey conducted by the Department for Education in March 2021 found that pupils
had a somewhat positive attitude towards wearing face coverings. Pupils generally
agreed that face coverings made others (87%) and themselves (70%) feel safe. *

@Piggywaspushed

That's said in the document said poster linked earlier today. The one that clearly states the reduction in transmission when face coverings are used in schools.

It's funny to see what some people think is acceptable 'data' when it comes to self-reporting, and what's not (I.e. whatever they want to be)

This whole thing about how masks aren't great - of course they aren't what we'd want in an ideal world, but they're better than uncontrolled covid and closing schools due to insufficient staff to operate safely.

At this point, they're all we've got since the government hasn't seen fit to do anything else, and if we'd controlled covid (ventilation, air filtration, isolation of close contacts, bubbles etc) in schools to the best of our ability then we probably wouldn't need them.

So all those people complaining about restrictions throughout, like U4T, have CAUSED masks to be necessary in schools. It's their fault. So now they can suck it up.

[quote kittensinthekitchen]@Piggywaspushed

That's said in the document said poster linked earlier today. The one that clearly states the reduction in transmission when face coverings are used in schools.

It's funny to see what some people think is acceptable 'data' when it comes to self-reporting, and what's not (I.e. whatever they want to be)[/quote]
Yes, I know. ..

My daughter feels safer since masks came in, having seen her fellow students and teachers 'drop like flies' (her words) before they were brought in and as mentioned before, once they started mandating them in corridors 80% of the kids wore them in class too. By choice.

⚡️⚡️⚡️SCHOOLS SHOULD BE OPEN, NO MATTER WHAT⚡️⚡️⚡️

Okay, schools can be open but there's a few things we need to do.

⚡️⚡️⚡️KIDS IN SCHOOLS IS THE PRIORITY⚡️⚡️⚡️

Great. Okay, first we need the windows open...

⚡️⚡️⚡️BUT THOMAS DOESNT LIKE TO WEAR A JUMPER...⚡️⚡️⚡️

We need your kids to test regularly. There are exemptions if needed...

⚡️⚡️⚡️BUT CHINA SWAB PEOPLE'S BUMHOLE⚡️⚡️⚡️

We also need kids to spend lunchtime outside, unless the weather is bad...

⚡️⚡️⚡️KIDS WERE LOCKED IN THEIR ROOMS FOR 73 MONTHS, NOW YOU WANT THEM TO HAVE FRESH AIR??⚡️⚡️⚡️

We need teenagers to wear a face covering, unless they can't. They can take them off when they're outside at lunch time...

⚡️⚡️⚡️YOU WANT MY AVA TO WEAR A FACE NAPPY NONSTOP FOR 10 HOURS A DAY?? BUT WHAT IF SHE NEEDS TO SPEAK LOUDER?⚡️⚡️⚡️

Sorry, this is what we need to do to try to keep schools open as best we can...

⚡️⚡️⚡️BUT CHILDREN NEED TO BE IN SCHOOL NO MATTER WHAT. I'M KEEPING RYAN HOME UNTIL THIS IS OVER⚡️⚡️⚡️

Yes, I know. ..

@Piggywaspushed

But s/he doesn't

@theemperorhasnoclothes

My daughter feels safer since masks came in, having seen her fellow students and teachers 'drop like flies' (her words) before they were brought in and as mentioned before, once they started mandating them in corridors 80% of the kids wore them in class too. By choice.

Drop like flies? Her fellow students and teachers died or collapsed in large numbers? Right. I believe this is the meaning of drop like flies, unless you wanted to use a hyperbole?

Why is your dd so worried? Among all the young people who we know have had Covid not a single one was critically ill? Most had the lights of cold symptoms. It's commendable that she is worried about teachers, but herself or her peers?

Maybe some young people don't particularly want to be put into a situation where they are very liable to catch a new disease, the medium to long term effects of which we don't fully understand?

Especially so if they don't want parents/grandparents/ teachers to get infected; and some young people are vulnerable themselves.