To be horrified at kids being 'labelled' like this ?

[espressotogo]

DD senior school age goes back tomorrow - no exemptions and she will be masked up as requested despite my absolute disgust at the policy. The school has asserted that children with exemptions will need to provide proof and will be made to wear a badge or lanyard to show their exemption on school property and transport.
AIBU to be horrified that children will be 'badged' like this - surely not wearing the mask is sufficient to show their exemption for a policy that is advisory and with zero proof of efficacy ?

Give it a rest ffs

It will be so teachers aren't constantly asking them to wear a mask/ why aren't they wearing one. Nothing sinister at all.

Well I suppose the alternative if children don't wear masks is home schooling again

I don't see a problem with wearing a lanyard if you are exempt.

Surely not wearing a mask is sufficient ? It is in the wider world ?

Assume you have a much better plan for ending the pandemic without school closures OP?

And no not wearing one doesn't automatically mean they are exempt. Pupils forget to put them on and you'd be surprised how many don't come in to school with a mask .

Give what a rest ??

I agree with you actually. Our school have asked for a note that simply says 'x will not be wearing a mask, as they are exempt' in their planners, and have specifically told us not to give further info beyond that. That seems a more sensible policy, to me.

Ill informed whining

I have seen people in the "wider world" wearing lanyards.

Assume you have a much better plan for ending the pandemic without school closures OP?

Do you have any evidence that this policy will do so ? It hasn't worked in Scotland and Wales and the government have zero proof that it will do anything

It will help teachers to know which students to remind and which to leave alone, to avoid harassing them with reminders all day.

I have seen people in the "wider world" wearing lanyards.

Yes, by choice

My teen with ASD would be very upset to have to wear a badge/lanyard at school and I think a blanket policy like this would be unlawful. My teen can sometimes wear a mask, and cannot at other times. She has an EHCP, her teacher should know. She can carry an exemption card perhaps and bring it out on request, but she would feel that this would label her as different amongst her peers and wouldn’t want to draw attention.

@espressotogo

Surely not wearing a mask is sufficient ? It is in the wider world ?

And hwo do you propose the staff monitor who's meant to have one and who isn't? Would you be happy for your exempt child to be asked 6 times a day by different teachers?

Ill informed whining

Explain how I am 'ill informed' ???

YABU

@espressotogo

Surely not wearing a mask is sufficient ? It is in the wider world ?

Well it shouldn't be. People pretend they are exempt. Everyone should have to prove it, not just kids. YABVVU.

When you said " zero proof of efficacy"

That's ill informed

A clear policy, no middle ground is necessary. That's what they've done. Crack on, OP and support your school, don't be a pansy. It'll be over soon enough.

@espressotogo the idea that secondary school pupils will do what they’re told unless they have an exemption is sadly laughable. My DC are constantly horrified by the “fuck you” attitude that so many of their school contemporaries have for teachers. Lots of them don’t bother or deliberately choose not to just to be contrary.

I feel so sorry for the teachers

@espressotogo

Surely not wearing a mask is sufficient ? It is in the wider world ?

In the wider world people also aren't being told they have to wear a particular tie, blazer etc. DS2's school has said mask now counts as part of the uniform, which they are super strict on, and will send kid home if they are not correctly dressed. They will have same attitude to not wearing a mask as not wearing a tie. So unless a kid wants to be stopped continuously and told to put on a mask - as they would be stopped continuously and told to put on a tie - they have to wear a lanyard. Now, I am not saying I agree with their attitude to uniform in the slightest. I don't. But it does show that schools are not the same as the wider world in general.

Most young people hate wearing the masks and will try and avoid them as much as possible. If they could get away with just saying they are exempt many would.

Very interesting interview I heard last night OP.

In US the maks wearing in schools varies from school district to school district.
Some have been made to wear masks for months, others have never had to.
They are now analysing data from the different districts. Obviously taking into account rural v. urban etc they have found

1. in schools where kids wear masks, fewer kids have been off sick with Covid.
2. in schools where kids wear masks, there are fewer staff abscences due to Covid.
3. In the families of the kids in the schools where they are wearing masks, there are fewer cases of Covid.

Now I am not a fan of masks, but those figures were pretty compelling.

There are plenty of school rules that children break every day why do you expect all the non exempt children to behave and comply with this rule 100% of the time?

How should teacher tackle the problem of non exempt children not wearing masks?

If only children did as they were told!