Masks all day in school

[ihearttc]

Furious just about sums up how I feel at the moment. Just had an email from DS1’s school (he is going into Y11) saying they will be required to wear masks all day long in school from the minute they get inside the school gates to when they leave. They are allowed to take them off to eat lunch but will need to be put back on immediately. Before I fire off an email to the school, just wondered how I stand legally with refusing to give permission for him to wear one all day long? It’s completely against the DofE guidance which states corridors and transitions only.
We live rurally and are in a very very low Covid area for what’s its worth, no where near areas on local lockdown.

@itsgettingweird

I haven’t complained to them that they were shit in lockdown, simply explaining that on here to show that this is the straw that broke the camels back so to speak. I don’t think it is necessary to wear a mask all day, every day especially in an area which had got such low infection rates. If infection rates were rising when they started back to school and to perhaps prevent school shutting them absolutely bring them in but it is not necessary now.

I don’t think it is necessary to wear a mask all day

That’s an opinion though, not a clear fact.

I'll be surprised if more schools don't introduce this. It's becoming very clear that individual schools will be blamed if there's an outbreak, or even worse, a death attributed to a case caught in school. You don't know if there are teachers or students in the extremely clinically vulnerable group and the SLT have a duty of care to them too. In the absence of clear advice from government it's understandable if schools do their own risk assessments and decide that masks are necessary in trying to make schools safer for everyone.

@PinkFondantFancy

I'd personally send an email to the head saying that your personal view is that it's unnecessary and that you'd be happy with a return without masks, just with increased handwashing or whatever, and what will be the threshold/criteria for a removal of this rule? He won't care actually what your personal view is but if all those not keen remain silent, they'll assume everyone's thrilled with it.

In reality I'd give it 2 weeks until the whole idea is binned. What's going to happen when people turn up without? Make them fish one out of lost property?

This is a sensible suggestion if you want to email.

But see how it goes. If he's the only one not wearing one for non medical reasons then he may feel self conscious too with classmates, teachers. In year 11 he's more than old enough to assess this and may be embarrassed if his parent intervenes.

@noblegiraffe

I don’t think it is necessary to wear a mask all day

That’s an opinion though, not a clear fact.

It's not recommended though is it? Unless you work in a hospital.

@noblegiraffe
I know on here it’s difficult to get across in text how people are but honestly I have nothing but praise for schools, staff and heads so please don’t think I’m not supportive. I work incredibly hard to ensure the children in my school are supported and it frustrates me when my own child isn’t being given that level of support as well. Everything else his school has suggested makes complete sense and I have no issues with any of it but I really feel this is going to cause more problems in the long run.
Clearly I can’t drive him the 15 miles to the next nearest school whilst also working as well and I’m never going to find another school which is doing the exact same set of subjects he is doing with the same exam boards so we are going to have to just deal with it and he will need to wear one.

Better to say he hasn’t been in school for six months which is true and avoids the rebuttles. Still frustrating though, especially with the low provision you detail.

On masks I thought it corridor etc only but up to HT. I’m not sure what the DfE document says but should be there.

It's not recommended though is it?

I don’t think the list of what is and isn’t recommended in schools in England is driven by science, rather finance and politics. Heads will be the best placed to make this observation.

Unfortunately the government has decided to wash its hands of all responsibility for making difficult decisions and has said heads, not scientists, should be the ones to decide what is appropriate for their setting.

I really wish this was a case at my dc's school. Even young children are wearing them all day in other countries, why can't secondary children?

@noblegiraffe

It's not recommended though is it?

I don’t think the list of what is and isn’t recommended in schools in England is driven by science, rather finance and politics. Heads will be the best placed to make this observation.

Unfortunately the government has decided to wash its hands of all responsibility for making difficult decisions and has said heads, not scientists, should be the ones to decide what is appropriate for their setting.

Heads who have limited scientific knowledge and fuck all qualifications? I wouldn't trust their judgement either.

How many teenagers are going to wear the masks properly? How many will have a clean one every time they take it off? I'm gonna guess at a very small minority. Is it going to make them touch their faces more? Almost definitely.

Will it protect the teachers? No, probably not.

Should op lie down and accept something she doesn't agree with? Definitely not.

The latest guidance says should be avoided in class but I cant see whether HT can still ask for them. I know a private school has (in press) but state might be different.

I really feel this is going to cause more problems in the long run

Then let it play out? The problems should speak for themselves fairly quickly. Teachers do change their minds and policies if they are not working.

I don’t know if you’ve seen the wanky letter on social media that parents have genuinely been sending to heads about how they’d better not stealth-vaccinate their kid, check their temperature (it mimics putting a gun to their head - honestly!) make them wear a mask (you can tell they wanted to write muzzle) because they will claim an invisible disability and other total hysterical shite?

That’s what heads are dealing with right now.

@ihearttc
I’ve been in school throughout with no social distancing and no mask wearing.
That’s because those weren’t the guidance then!! If you work in a school you’d know that this is NEW guidance. Head teachers discretion when and where they wear masks. If you don’t like it, move him, if that’s their rule you need to stick with it. It’s a Head trying to protect their staff and pupils, not doing it to piss you off!!

@noblegiraffe

I really feel this is going to cause more problems in the long run

Then let it play out? The problems should speak for themselves fairly quickly. Teachers do change their minds and policies if they are not working.

I don’t know if you’ve seen the wanky letter on social media that parents have genuinely been sending to heads about how they’d better not stealth-vaccinate their kid, check their temperature (it mimics putting a gun to their head - honestly!) make them wear a mask (you can tell they wanted to write muzzle) because they will claim an invisible disability and other total hysterical shite?

That’s what heads are dealing with right now.

Why is it hysterical (which is a word much frowned upon on MN you know?) To not want your kid masked, temperature checked or vaccinated without your knowledge?

That's not hysterical in the slightest.

Do you genuinely think a teacher will vaccinate a child @TrustTheGeneGenie

To not want your kid masked, temperature checked or vaccinated without your knowledge?

Because schools don’t stealthy mask, temp check or vaccinate kids? It’s utterly bonkers to start with the assumption that they would, instead of, y’know, communicating policies, getting permission slips in etc etc.

@ineedaholidaynow

Do you genuinely think a teacher will vaccinate a child *@TrustTheGeneGenie*

Absolutely not but it's not hysterical to not want that to happen. Considering there have been rumours it will be mandatory it's hardly a surprise that some people will be worried about this.

Calling genuinely worried people hysterical is unfair.

You are being hysterical. I teach in Asia. Every single child over the age of 4 wears a mask all day except PE and eating, no exceptions; it is the rule for every child including my own young children. They are fine, it is fine, the whole thing is not the big deal you are making it out to be. And coronavirus rates are very very low here and children have been back in school since June with almost no evidence of the virus spreading in schools. So not only is it fine, it is working.

@noblegiraffe

To not want your kid masked, temperature checked or vaccinated without your knowledge?

Because schools don’t stealthy mask, temp check or vaccinate kids? It’s utterly bonkers to start with the assumption that they would, instead of, y’know, communicating policies, getting permission slips in etc etc.

Ah yes because people really trust, and want to communicate with people who call them hysterical don't they? It shows a real sense of respect and empathy for the parent doesn't it? Your tone is really friendly and approachable isn't it?

No. No and no. That's why people won't engage. Hardly a surprise.

@LadyPenelope68

It’s still not in the guidance, unless I’ve missed it the 5 times I’ve read it since Friday (which is completely possible so happy to be corrected.)

The point I’m making is that I’ve been with young children who are not capable of social distancing yet we are not expected to wear masks when we go back next week.

So you think it is reasonable to write to a head teacher and ask them not to vaccinate your child, when that is never going to happen

Ah yes because people really trust, and want to communicate with people who call them hysterical don't they? It shows a real sense of respect and empathy for the parent doesn't it? Your tone is really friendly and approachable isn't it?

Eh? My lack of friendly and approachable tone on MN when replying to batshit crazy suggestions means I’m likely to slip your kid a vaccine when you’re not looking?

I’ll be too busy teaching them maths.

@noblegiraffe

Ah yes because people really trust, and want to communicate with people who call them hysterical don't they? It shows a real sense of respect and empathy for the parent doesn't it? Your tone is really friendly and approachable isn't it?

Eh? My lack of friendly and approachable tone on MN when replying to batshit crazy suggestions means I’m likely to slip your kid a vaccine when you’re not looking?

I’ll be too busy teaching them maths.

No it means you're probably not a teacher people feel they can approach.

And do you not think HT have a lot on their plate at the moment, to then have to deal with an email from a parent asking them not to vaccinate their child.

Maybe I will have to tell the local schools I deal with to remember to put that in their risk assessment - remember don't vaccinate the pupils.

@ineedaholidaynow

So you think it is reasonable to write to a head teacher and ask them not to vaccinate your child, when that is never going to happen

Would I do it? No.

Do I think it's reasonable? Well, yes. It's reasonable to write to your head with any concern you might have.