Decision on masks for primary in Ireland?

[SuperDuperC]

Hi all, we're in Cork! Just keeping an eye on the news today that they may be deciding on whether children in primary will have to wear masks. Just wanting to see how everyone feels about it? I will personally feel really sad if it comes to this, they've been affected so much already and wearing a mask for 5 odd hours will be uncomfortable and block all facial expressions between each other 😕

I'm a primary teacher and I totally disagree. Most adults can't wear a mask properly how will kids. Plus they will be taking them off to eat.. pulling them to talk, getting damp while they are sweating in the yard.
Children are already sitting in cold damp classrooms, this is a step too far.

Especially after the scenes at ucc and ul Christmas parties...

No please not on primary age kids.

I find it ridiculous that secondary age in Scotland are masked up all day other than lunch.

It can't be good for skin. It can't be good for MH, it can't be good for communication or hearing individual sounds in words.

No not on primary kids

The thing is vaccination and masks won't stop this virus as clearly we are seeing this right now, huge hike in cases and we are still so strict and diligent. I strongely believe masks won't make a dent tbh . They clearly aren't anyway!
My family member in spain tells me exactly the same circulation in spain and they are still masked up from 6 years. The only thing that will slow it is if we stay inside and not socialise and lockdown and spring , sunmer it will receed and then come next winter it will be the same thing again.

@Radyward

Im infuriated. Like mow the eu say the vaccine only valid for 9 months.surely it will be a sort of bkackmail Vaccinate your children and restrictions may ease. Blah blah. Tony Holohan is destroying my kids childhood. Another variant like seriously ' its to keep us queuring up. Soon we wont be able to tnink forourselves oh wait thats happening right now

Exactly my point about someone (read - pharmaceuticals and their mates) making money somewhere...very handy for them that countries will need to buy the vaccine intermittently for...well who knows how long? No I'm not a conspiracy lover I can just see what is actually happening in front of my eyes 👀

[quote Joolsin]The alternative to adapting, if the numbers keep going up and up and up, is back to homeschooling. Do any of the complainers want that? That was shit for parents, children and teachers. When we came back in Sep 2020, we had some very nervous children, some who'd been bereaved, some who had fallen behind academically or socially or behaviourally. They all got quickly into the swing of bubbles, sanitising hands and all the rest of it. They loved the few extra fun things we were able to do with them. They are happy to be in school and if we all treat the mask-wearing in an encouraging way, they will be happy to wear them. Here's an article from Scientific American magazine with study results, for those who want evidence www.scientificamerican.com/article/masks-are-a-must-have-to-go-back-to-school-during-the-delta-variant-surge1/[/quote]
I agree with this ^

But the point is all of the lockdowns/school closures and resulting homeschooling was for what exactly? We went through all of it just to be told yet again numbers are rising so do x y and z to avoid another lockdown and pressure on the hospitals, oh and inject this into your 5 year old too please, we know it's not as effective as we'd hoped but stick it in anyway 🤯

But this is a new virus, nobody can predict what is going to happen! I don't agree with everything the government has done to deal with it, but in this instance I honestly don't think it will cause great harm to primary school children to wear masks. My secondary-school aged DC got used to it. My primary schooler already wears a mask if we go to shops etc and I'm sure will be fine if they are required to wear them at school. It might not help, but we might as well try it and see?

@LifeInAHamsterWheel

But this is a new virus, nobody can predict what is going to happen! I don't agree with everything the government has done to deal with it, but in this instance I honestly don't think it will cause great harm to primary school children to wear masks. My secondary-school aged DC got used to it. My primary schooler already wears a mask if we go to shops etc and I'm sure will be fine if they are required to wear them at school. It might not help, but we might as well try it and see?

I'm just so frustrated that people will be out in clubs and bars/restaurants etc maskless and not social distancing and for the 6 precious hours my child spends in school every day he will have to wear something that is restrictive (sorry but it is) and he has to do this to 'help others'? The schools have been offered no other helpful options, hepa filters? Funding for staff to maybe reduce child/teacher ratios?

I think that masks for primary school children is far from ideal, for all the reasons already outlined. However, staffing is becoming more challenging. If we keep on going as we are, schools will not last the winter and the thought of homeschooling again fills me with dread. If the masks help, even a little, to slow things down and let's the schools stay open then I'm all for it. I'd rather my son in school masked up than at home again.

Id like to see the data on kids in masks and their efficacy
These dirty disgusting pieces of cloth do ZERO.all they are are security theatre. Box ticking by the govt at the expense of my child !! When will this mask wearing be over ? What is the end point ? Is there even one. I am not willing to have my kids in masks for 6 hrs a day to appease these covid crazys in govt.

Yep adults can go clubbing and 8 yr olds wear masks to prove what exactly.

@Radyward

Yep adults can go clubbing and 8 yr olds wear masks to prove what exactly.

That's it exactly children have been treated like shit that don't matter though all of this.

Unfortunately they can't vote or pay tax so they don't matter a shiny fuck. They should be bloody grateful to be in school.

School is a human right. Not something that should be threatened to be taken away.
Sorry I'm angry 😠 children deserve better.

It's all distressing but I think I'm sad also about the fact that so many are willing to lay down and accept this, blinkers on, completely trusting of a government and will be more than happy to also let their children get the jab, it's a different world 😔 I've never accepted it all but now it's starting to creep into my kids lives I'm very bloody angry!

It's easy to target children , remember the words "vectors" applied to them. And apparently children under 12 should avoid indoor settings now but pubs etc are ok for others. Of course parents will be accused of being precious etc. We'll end up in lockdown anyway. I'd also love to see the facts of how much this will reduce transmission.

@SuperDuperC

But the point is all of the lockdowns/school closures and resulting homeschooling was for what exactly? We went through all of it just to be told yet again numbers are rising so do x y and z to avoid another lockdown and pressure on the hospitals, oh and inject this into your 5 year old too please, we know it's not as effective as we'd hoped but stick it in anyway 🤯

Agree 100% with this. Also our school has just cancelled after school activities yet unvaccinated adults can go to gyms, evening classes etc

I just don’t understand how we can be two years into this mess and the govt still haven’t grasped the basic fact that health underpins everything.

Fix the fucking Health Service.

OchonAgusOchonOh

Can you point me to one please?

As far as I know, there isn’t any robust study showing a significant effect of mask wearing. The much trumpeted Bangladesh study has been shown to be deeply problematic, in spite of all the headlines it got a few months back.

Would v much like to see what you are basing your assertions on - genuinely.

www.scientificamerican.com/article/masks-are-a-must-have-to-go-back-to-school-during-the-delta-variant-surge1/

20 months of been told on repeat that the schools are 'safe'. They were deemed so safe in fact that it was deemed crucial that children in ASD classes should be sent back to school in a level 5 pandemic as their education mattered! Children who have a 100 per cent recovery rate from covid are now been blamed just as we hear vaccine approval for the 5 to 11 year old age group has been granted by the EMA. Now after 20 months kf been told the schools are 'safe' they decide masking our children is necessary. A neurologist in Germany spoke out early in the pandemic on this very topic and she outlined how masking the developing brains of children causes permanent brain damage. No risk assessments have been done. Where is this going? Its time to rise. Parents protect your children or this will never end.

If all adults had worn masks in the first place it probably wouldnt have come to this. No way should a child be made to wear a mask.

No mask mandate for children should be brought in without having, at the very least, child development experts/psychologists involved. Oh and actual evidence that young children wearing masks makes a blind bit of difference. Covid is not the only thing that matters.

Apparantly the national parents council are gettinh 1000's of emails over this
So far i have emailed varadkar/ micheal martin / peadar toibin / Tony Holohan plus now the NPC with objections to this. Treating young kids as the issue causing this while nite clubs and pubs remain open is disgusting. Im prayimg the emails havr some inpact

@Puppalicious

No mask mandate for children should be brought in without having, at the very least, child development experts/psychologists involved. Oh and actual evidence that young children wearing masks makes a blind bit of difference. Covid is not the only thing that matters.

Exactly, and no child development expert can say with 100% certainly that masks won't affect development, because simply they've never done experiments on what happens when children can't see other children's faces or expressions.

Could you imagine the up roar if someone said they wanted to run such an experiment.

BTW I'm not in Ireland, but Scotland who are likely to follow anyone doing something different to England.

Nobody could hand on heart say it won't affect children, particularly those with mild autism or autistic trates.