{"id":28838,"date":"2021-05-06T10:01:16","date_gmt":"2021-05-06T09:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=28838"},"modified":"2021-05-06T14:49:54","modified_gmt":"2021-05-06T13:49:54","slug":"we-must-move-cautiously","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=28838","title":{"rendered":"‘We must move cautiously’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Unite has joined other education unions, scientists, public health experts, parents and pupils in calling for Covid safety measures in secondary schools to remain in place and only be lifted once there is strong evidence supporting the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The call comes after reports that the government was weighing up lifting the requirement on May 17 that secondary school pupils and staff wear face coverings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dozens of education unions, including Unite, alongside nearly 20 leading scientists and public health experts, as well as more than 400 parents and pupils, wrote an open letter to education secretary Gavin Williamson<\/a> calling on him to halt these plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe are extremely concerned at reports that the government plans to stop requiring children to wear face coverings in secondary school classrooms from 17 May in England,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 the letter read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe are not aware of any plans to lift face covering requirements in relation to shops or transport, where people generally spend less time in close contact with large groups.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the letter, the group called on the government to consider that more than 40,000 children have suffered from long-Covid, where symptoms of the virus persist for more than five weeks, as well as 114,000 school staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe ONS data indicates that two-thirds of people with long COVID have some degree of limitation in activity, suggesting that the condition has important impacts on people\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s day to day lives,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 the letter noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The letter also highlighted the cautious measures that other countries which have been successful in controlling the virus have taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bCountries like Israel fully emerged from lockdown after fully vaccinating more than 80% of adults, and only re-opened schools fully in the last few weeks, with mitigations still in place, including mask mandates in classrooms,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 the letter read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘It doesn’t make sense’<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

UniteLive spoke to concerned parent Bella whose daughter, Hazel, is in secondary school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAs parents of a secondary school child, we fully support and want staff and pupils to keep wearing face masks in school,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI know that transmission is really high in secondary schools because my daughter has been home self-isolating on three or four separate occasions because of a confirmed case she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been in contact with in school. When things were really bad, different school years, which are around 300 students each, would be out almost every week.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella said one of her biggest concerns is for teachers, who she believes should have been prioritised for the vaccine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe government has treated teachers appallingly throughout the whole pandemic,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she noted. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey should have been prioritised for the vaccine because they were so keen to keep children in school \u00e2\u20ac\u201c if the government wants children in schools, the safest way to do that would be to have vaccinated teachers. The next line of defence are all the other measures to help control transmission including wearing face coverings so it really doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make sense that they want to scrap this vital measure this so soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI think teachers and other school staff have a right to feel safe,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Bella added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bAt the end of the day, they have their own families as well and they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to be going home wondering if they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to infect their own families.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘I want people to be safe but I also miss things being normal’<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s daughter Hazel, who is autistic, has struggled wearing a face covering in many respects, especially since a face covering can be a barrier to important social cues like facial expressions. Although Hazel, 12, has an exemption card, she voluntarily continues to wear a face covering in school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hazel herself has told UniteLive what that feels like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u00e2\u20ac\u015bI know we wear them to keep each other safe but being taught by someone in a face mask is really hard,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt muffles their voice and you can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see their lips moving so following lessons is quite stressful because you feel like you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re always missing stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAlso it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not like when you go to a shop and you just put your mask on to go inside and get something,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Hazel added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe have our masks on all day long, we only take them off to eat or drink and even that is only allowed in certain areas. I started at my school in September and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never seen some of my teachers faces. I want people to be safe and not get sick but I also miss things being normal so much.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, on the whole, mum Bella believes Hazel’s and other children\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mental health has suffered much more under lockdown when schools were closed \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and teachers have played a vital role in supporting pupils ever since they re-opened. \u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bHazel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s teachers have all been fantastic and so supportive,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey put a real emphasis on well-being when they all went back because I think they knew that the children were not in a very good place. The most recent lockdown affected everyone a lot harder than the previous one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding to Tory MPs who have previously said pupils\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 mental health was suffering wearing face coverings in schools, Bella said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bI think teachers are well aware of mental health issues and I think they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re the best people to make that judgement call in schools, rather than government. I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see that the government knows more than the teachers who are on the frontline supporting our children day in and day out.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long-covid risk<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unite national health and safety advisor Rob Miguel said that the union is calling for a full review of wearing face coverings in secondary schools ahead of June 21 – the next date in the government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s roadmap out of lockdown when most restrictions are set to be lifted. No changes should be made before then and before the evidence is carefully evaluated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAs we have said in our collective letter to the education secretary, on May 17, there are no plans to remove face covering requirements in, for example, public transport or in shops so it really doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make sense that you would remove that requirement in secondary schools at that particular time,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere is evidence that long-Covid can affect children as well as adults,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Miguel added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bData shows that at least 43,000 children and 114,000 teaching staff are suffering from long-Covid \u00e2\u20ac\u201c this is a significant number. There is evidence also that the virus may act systemically \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just affect the lungs but can also damage the heart and kidneys. This could have a lifelong debilitating impact on both pupils and teaching staff. We must move cautiously because of this fact alone.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miguel also highlighted the fact that because children are not vaccinated, the risk of transmission in schools is high \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and even if children tend not fall seriously ill, high transmission gives the virus more opportunity to mutate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThese mutations could then be passed on to adults in the wider population as there is evidence that some mutations make it more difficult for the vaccine to control,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miguel said he understands that face coverings can be uncomfortable and distressing for many children \u00e2\u20ac\u201c as well as adults \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and he added that their efficacy also depends on them being used correctly, which is often not the case with children who may be reticent to wear them. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why Unite is calling for schools to have standards on masks accompanied by education on how to wear them effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bFace coverings have an integral role to play in a suite of other controls and protective measures \u00e2\u20ac\u201c for example, proper ventilation, using outdoor spaces when appropriate, testing, and hand hygiene among others — and so their importance should be seen in this wider context. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fundamental that, guided by scientific evidence, we use every tool at our disposal to help stop transmission of the virus.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Hajera Blagg<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unite has joined other education unions, scientists, public health experts, parents and pupils in calling for Covid safety measures in secondary schools to remain in place and only be lifted once there is strong evidence supporting the decision. The call comes after reports that the government was weighing up lifting the requirement on May 17 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28839,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1308,17],"tags":[1295,1364,733],"wps_subtitle":"Unite joins education unions, scientists and parents in warning over scrapping face coverings in secondary schools too soon","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28838"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28838"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28838\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28849,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28838\/revisions\/28849"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}