Denied Education for wearing a face mask

[Sumh]

I’m on the NHS extremely vulnerable shielding category. My 12 year old daughter is attending state secondary school. She is being denied to enter her classroom because she chooses to wear a plain cloth face mask. She has been left outside the class on her own with little provided worksheets to work on her own but no directed teaching.

The DfE ‘guidance’ on face coverings in education August 26 to schools highlights it’s just a ‘guidance’ and not mandatory, that it is not necessary/recommended/ to wear face mask because it may hinder communication by wearing face masks in education,

“ On the basis of current evidence, in light of the mitigating measures education settings are taking, and the negative impact on communication, face coverings will not generally be necessary in the classroom even where social distancing is not possible. There is greater use of the system of controls for minimising risk, including through keeping in small and consistent groups or bubbles, and greater scope for physical distancing by staff within classrooms. Face coverings can have a negative impact on learning and teaching and so their use in the classroom should be avoided.”

but then fines of not wearing face masks in other settings are doubling, retail business staff now have to wear face masks, a legislation is in place enforcing wearing of face mask above the age of 11 in certain settings and plus the booth were cabinet ministers stand and give press briefing has 3 pictures, one is a face mask. All of this is an implied message to the public of how important it is to wear a face mask.

With all this message including WHOs recommendation that all 12 years plus should wear face mask, is it right that a U.K. state school should be denying a child from her right to education on a not mandatory guidance for simply taking extra precaution?

Both myself and my daughter do not go out without wearing a face mask which we have been doing so since March 2020 and she herself strongly agrees to wear one in school at all times for my safety. Having spoken to the senior managers and informing them of my NHS letter of previously shielding the school are still refusing, replying to me “it could open a floodgate!” but are they not digging a hole for them by denying a child education!

This guidance states for example when if it is mandatory to wear a face mask in school like corridors and communal areas but a child refuses to wear a face mask, then no one should be excluded from education for not wearing a face mask.

My child wants to wear one for hers and my safety without affecting anyone else’s liberty and yet she is being excluded from education.

Your thoughts will be appreciated.

It seems a very odd stance for the school to take. Is she usually troublesome in the classroom? is she generally well behaved?
We're in an area of enhanced lockdown (sorry, can't think of the proper term) and children are all wearing masks in school, some of them choose to wear them all the time, and we have no issue with it. Staff are allowed to wear masks or visors as much as they wish too.
I think my children's school say take them off in class, but I know (from previous dealings with them) that if a child wanted to wear one at all times, they would be allowed, particularly in cases where they're living with vulnerable family members.

IT does seem odd and wrong that she is not allowed to. Personally I think masks should be a choice and as far as I know most secondary schools either have it as a choice or as a requirement.

What is there thinking behind not allowing her in the classroom? FLoodgate seems odd

I can well understand why schools don’t want masks in classrooms - it’s hard to enforce uniform standards for masks, and then it will become a fashion show etc.

As others have said, there is zero evidence that face coverings protect the wearer. There’s little evidence they help at all, but at best they reduce the viral output of people who are infectious.

YABU for disrupting your daughter’s education over what is effectively a superstition

Students in my school are encouraged to wear them in corridors and may wear them in class as long as they wear them for the entire lesson and no fiddling with it. Staff have also all been provided with visors (not as effective I know). You can change schools if you're not happy with how your one is dealing with covid.

Why is changing school a better answer than trying to change the school you are in?

I've just found out that teachers at my kids school wear masks if they want to. I would be asking the school why a plain cloth mask isn't acceptable.

there is zero evidence that face coverings protect the wearer.

This has been repeated a lot on this thread - ironically, with no evidence being presented ;)

Different types of masks provide different degrees of protection, but it's unlikely that a correctly worn cloth mask provides no protection at all - as someone else suggested, even if it reduces potential viral exposure (load) then it protects both the OPs daughter and her.

I find many of the replies here astonishing. If the mere presence of a child wearing a plain face covering will cause discipline to collapse, then the school has much bigger problems to worry about!

No 12 year old should be that scared imo! Poor kid!

Many scientists and research is now showing that masks can offer some protection to the wearer in different ways.m - mainly that they can help reduce the viral load inhaled being inhaled by the wearer.

So whilst masks work best when everyone wears one, and it's main job is to protect others from the wearer, they may well help the wearer too.

@Sumh

Thankyou! My 12 year old would cry and is adamant she will not take her face mask off as she does not want to think that she could be the reason to lose her parent!

You need to tell her that this won't happen. Wearing a mask does not prevent infection. No matter what you "think". You may think the earth is flat. It isn't.

How awful of you to let her believe she could kill you by not wearing a mask. Not only isn't it true it's a vile thing to let her believe.

Stop it for goodness sake.

Your poor, poor child.

B) if they let her wear a mask (especially because there's no science backing it up) they'd have to let all the other kids wear masks, which would make teaching and controlling a class practically impossible.

And yet so many schools across the world manage to maintain control of their classes, and to teach effectively, whilst both staff and children are wearing masks.

It may require the teacher to use alternative methods in some cases but it's by no means practically impossible at all.

I think there's a few issues here.

I agree it's very strange the school is taking this stance, regardless of reasons it might feel justifies it.

The child is being segregated & not receiving instruction as she should be, and that can't be an acceptable outcome.

As Ochon said, in Ireland, all secondary students wear masks, and anyone 13 or over in public places.

So it's a perfectly normal event in many countries & schools.

With regard to the school, is there any chance that they are doing this (keeping your DD separate) due to concern for you?

In terms of mask-wearing, correct mask wearing will largely offer a barrier to transmitting the virus to others. Yes, it'll possibly also reduce viral load to protect wearer, and there's anecdotal evidence that those wearing a mask are generally more conscious of their behaviour eg distancing, hygiene etc.

(Side note - so many wear their masks incorrectly, you have to wonder how much use they are!)

But OP notwithstanding the above, I'm concerned your DD is that worried about infecting you. 😕

There's a small chance of this. If you ensure your own good practice, practice good hygiene & encourage your DD to wash her hands thoroughly when she gets home, changes her uniform etc, I think the risk is minimal.

I think you are in the wrong for putting her in this position, ultimately, though I hope the school clarify their reasoning.

if they let her wear a mask (especially because there's no science backing it up) they'd have to let all the other kids wear masks, which would make teaching and controlling a class practically impossible.

How would teaching and controlling the class be impossible just because the children are wearing a mask? My child’s school lets children wear masks in the classroom if they choose to. The teachers teach with masks on. It seems to work fine.

If face masks don't protect the wearer then why do the doctors and nurses caring for covid patients wear them?

@rorosemary

If face masks don't protect the wearer then why do the doctors and nurses caring for covid patients wear them?

Oh God @rorosemary

They wear high-grade, medical quality masks.

Plus they are also aiming to protect patients, staff & themselves.

There is definitely evidence that masks can help protect the wearer. Mask wearing makes it more likely you will get a milder or possibly asymptomatic illness. Also the Telegraph only a few days ago had an article about how mask wearing can possibly help develop some immunity as you are only exposed to a small number of virus particles. Many secondary schools are making masks optional and I think it's very unreasonable to ban masks. Are the staff allowed to wear masks? Have they read the WHO/Unicef guidance recommending all over 12s wear masks? Perhaps ask for special permission for your daughter or speak to the Health and Safety governor.

She wouldn’t be back in school if we didn’t explain to her not to think like this, but having watched news on TV for 7 months, my 12 year old came up to me on insisting to wearing a face mask in school at all time, that until I get a vaccine or the cases are almost non existence. We are proud of her maturity but we explained that I don’t think any head teacher will ask you to take it off. Boy we were shocked! to see that a non mandatory guidance as indicated by the guidance itself is the basis on which her school is argueing against.

My son (secondary / state) wears a mask in all lessons, as all the kids do. Behaviour is better than prelockdown but less to do with masks than some children remaining at home and being homeschooled. I don’t like wearing a mask myself. He seems quite happy about it.

@Sumh

my 12 year old came up to me on insisting to wearing a face mask in school at all time

I wouldn't be all proud about this. FFS.

Your DD is 12, OP. If she said this to you, you say, oh sweetheart, that's nice but don't worry, it won't be necessary.

You can protect yourself. Your DD wearing a mask in school isn't contributing positively or negatively.

Is it possible that the class teacher thinks they are protecting her by having her out in the corridor rather than in the classroom with other students?

By school following a guidance which is full of words like ‘may’ ‘not necessary’ ‘it’s an advise not mandatory’ are they not breaking any other law by denying education, like the education act 1996, section 9?
Schools are free to draw up their procedures in light of the guidance.
Different schools will have different risk assessments depending on size, buildings, air flow to rooms, cohort, any teaching and learning factors such as SEND/EAL, their timetables, how they're able to bubble pupils, logistics of keeping bubbles apart and so on.

This thread is starting to sound more like you've decided you want your own way and are seeking people to pat you on the back and agree with you.

FWIW, my school is compulsory masks in communal areas for all and optional in class. I agree with this approach, but my person opinion about how things should work is irrelevant to whether other schools are allowed to do things differently.

@Sumh

I’m not a legal expert but is this any relevant?

Education Act 1996

“Pupils to be educated in accordance with parents’ wishes.

In exercising or performing all their respective powers and duties under the Education Acts, the Secretary of [F1State and [F2local authorities]] shall have regard to the general principle that pupils are to be educated in accordance with the wishes of their parents, so far as that is compatible with the provision of efficient instruction and training and the avoidance of unreasonable public expenditure.

No, I'm afraid not. That is aimed at the Secretary of State and the LA, not at individual schools.

The relevant legislation is the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 which gives heads and governing bodies wide powers to make and enforce rules. Your school is entitled to insist that pupils do not wear masks in class and enforce that rule.

We are in a local lockdown area and even our children are not wearing masks in classrooms just corridors. They have to remove them when they come into the classroom, sanitise hands, remove mask and put it into a ziplock bag, sanitise hands again.

The local council has said this
‘In secondary schools staff, visitors and pupils must wear face coverings in corridors and communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain. They do not need to wear face coverings in classrooms where protective measures are in place.’

The school, I feel, has done a lot to safeguard the children, from limiting classroom changes, keeping year groups apart in both buildings and classrooms, staggered entry times, different gates, hand washing before entering the building with outside sinks, lanyard cards so no more biometric payments for lunch, a grab lunch system etc.

Your DD is receiving an education, the exact same one she would be receiving if she was in isolation (I believe they have worksheets in there) it may not include a teacher but then neither did lockdown learning online for us.

You have plainly terrified your daughter into thinking she must wear a face mask at all times to prevent you from dying. I find this absolutely horrifying. Much worse than what the school have done, which is also wrong.

@EarringsandLipstick

If face masks don't protect the wearer then why do the doctors and nurses caring for covid patients wear them?
Oh God @rorosemary

They wear high-grade, medical quality masks.*

Maybe the OPs child also does? I do. I wear proper masks, still people online tell me that it won't protect me. Plenty of people have access to proper masks and use them. But in every mask thread people are claiming that masks don't work. It really depends on the quality of mask though.