School staff not allowed to wear masks

The bigger problem is in secondary schools, where pupils don't all stay together as a "bubble" but have individual options. They are also more infectious and social distancing will just not be possible in some schools.

I’m struggling find anything at all that suggests teachers cannot wear masks if they choose to do so .

Individual schools have been imposing the rule by claiming that the government doesn't recommend them, which is true.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Thank you for that informative post Jillybird.

Its been announced today that all pupils at Belfast Royal Academy must wear masks. Dont know about teachers though.

Teachers are expendable. It doesn’t matter that children are big asymptomatic spreaders of Covid-19 as the latest statistics from the US is suggesting. Just let the lazy buggers get on with teaching them and to hell with the consequences.

My friend's granddaughter has been sent so much work to do at home by her excellent girls' state school that her Mum has been worried about her working too hard! She has been at it all day and on into the evening. She gets a postcard from the head teacher if she produces a particularly good piece of work!

Same here Phoebes

The younger one too, although getting her to get on with it was a bit more difficult. However, her teacher did phone for a chat each week.

Callistamon
Same here. My daughter was having a terrible job getting grandson motivated ( he does have the attention span of a gnat ?)
She contacted the school for advice. They asked what was he taking in his options when he goes back.
They sent work that he will be doing. Because he now has something that he's interested in he's done so well that the school sent him a certificate. I gave him money ?

If teachers are being asked to sign a document agreeing to not wearing a mask, it suggests that the school are attempting to obtain an agreement or variation to their terms of employment. Therefore it is for individual teachers to decide whether to sign and give up thwirvright to choose. Whether they still be an effective teacher muffled by a mask is a consequential issue. Perhaps
Clear head visors might be an option for the small minority of teachers concerned about the small risk. Many teachers ( and indeed supermarket / shop workers) have worked through the pandemic without masks, so it does suggest the risk of infection is low. It is obviously higher for NHS workers working in an environment with a high numbers of actual cases.

Well done! It's finding out what motivates them that is important.

I do think that teenage pupils should be required to wear masks and teachers should be able to do so if they wish. It's interesting to look at the Covid Guidelines about outside you home www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-safe-outside-your-home/staying-safe-outside-your-home and then compare them with what is expected in schools face to face contact and shouting being particularly of concern . As someone said on another thread would you send your teenage child into a pub,cafe or other indoor facility where social distancing wasn't being practised and masks were not worn?

Figures and stats keep changing all the time which I am sure you have noticed.
It is outrageous how people are being made to sink into a very deep fear.
Children need to be back in school as risks appear to be very low.

Interestingly, I came across The UK’s Independent Fact Checking Charity which has an almost 1,000 word long post which begins:

“Well! Well! Well! People are Waking up! Italy went against the WHO, saying no autopies [sic] on Covid-19, (wonder why?) Italy Did 50 autopsies and here's something you all need to read, before the nonexpert experts from FB delete it!”

The post claims, amongst other things, that Italy went against the WHO to perform post-mortems on Covid-19 patients, and found the disease is caused by a bacteria that causes blood clotting, not a virus.
There is a lot more information included.

We will get through this and there is a very bright light at the end of this awful long tunnel.

Trisher my daughter teaches 16 -18 year old students. I agree that they and their teachers should wear face masks. They are not children at that age.

It is a worry that if many teachers become ill then schools may have no choice but to close.

@Gagajo, if teachers had anything about them they would have already made a will. You do not have to a set age to make a will.

NannyC2 That is absolute nonsense! Covid-19 is not caused by bacteria.

It is not at all outrageous that people are realistic once they are given facts, not ridiculous claims.

BTW The risk of teenagers transmitting virus is as high as it is for adults. It's because some people disregard sensible precautions that the UK has such appalling case and death rates.

NannyC2 Fact Check says that those claims are false if you read the next paragraph!

That was the whole point of the Fact Check article.

Yes, someone who catches this virus could get a secondary bacterial infection, just as they can with 'flu, which can be dangerous.

This appears to be the FullFact posrst to which you were referring NannyC2:

fullfact.org/online/italy-covid-5g/

post* not "posrst"

God Bless you, growstuff

How have teachers been 'made to' do this?

Many teachers ( and indeed supermarket / shop workers) have worked through the pandemic without masks, so it does suggest the risk of infection is low.

They have not been working in the crowded conditions of a typical classroom.

AGAA4 I so agree. My DGS is 17 he's 6ft+ and so bigger than a lot of adults. He wears a mask to the shops and on public transport, he would have no problem with wearing one in his school. He is very sensible but there are teens who won't be, and who will be indulging in risky behaviour outside school, teachers should be properly protected.