Masks and Schools
Why some groups struggle and can we keep them safe?
I was talking to a friend yesterday about children wearing masks in school.
She is an educator who teaches in a red state. She laments the fact that there are no mask mandates in the classrooms where she works.
I’m of a civil libertarian bent. I am what used to be called a liberal — I believe in protecting the rights of each individual, including those I disagree with. I’m one of those people who will say “I vehemently think your opinion is misguided and wrong, but I will fight for your right to say it.” And, to be honest, my friend feels the same way.
After all, one reason she became a teacher is that she is an idealist who wants children to learn to think for themselves.
The two of us had a nuanced, detail-oriented and specific discussion about mask mandates in public schools.
She livened the theory with personal experience.
Because students in her area don’t wear masks, there have been COVID outbreaks in the public school system. This is obviously a bad thing. However, in general, the children who get sick are resilient and recover. More at risk are teachers.
“My friend just got COVID a second time,” my friend said. “From her students. Not only do they not wear masks, they don’t wash their hands and they are still going to parties. They don’t realize there is a pandemic going on. My friend is immune compromised. Why doesn’t anyone care about her safety?”
Why indeed.
“What other precautions are they taking?” I asked. “In a local private school in my area, they do an every other day schedule so instead of 30 students, there are only 15 at a time.”
I pointed out that masks are not a panacea — however, they do work to contain the spread of disease if used properly. Are students taught how to use a mask, and are they proper N95 masks?
My friend had done research that showed that even a cloth mask can provide some protection.
I had done research that showed some of the cons of masking for young children, who need to be able to see facial expressions as part of their development. A JAMA study out of Germany also showed that 68% of children experienced problems due to elevated carbon dioxide levels from wearing masks.
This study was from a credible source. At least, JAMA, along with New England Journal of Medicine, and Lancet are sources I trust.
The issue is that making the best decision is not simple. There may be health concerns associated with young children wearing masks, but do these risks outweigh the potential damage done to youngsters by COVID?
Would a two tier system make sense, where young children are given some freedom from mask mandates but older students are required to follow security measures?
And even if risks of COVID are manageable for children, they don’t exist in a vacuum. They may recover from COVID but deal with long term effects. Or they may pass it on to an elderly relative or immune-compromised parent.
I remember having a discussion with a college aged friend at the start of the pandemic. She was hurt when I insisted on meeting outdoors and keeping social distance.
I became angry when she told me about visiting her grandparents after a rave.
“You’re allowed to risk your own life, though I think you’re being foolish,” I told her. “But you need to quarantine yourself from your grandparents if you’re going to party.”
I respect her right to her own body and her choices. But I pointed out that her rights end where another person’s rights begin.
Thankfully she and I are still friends.
However, what I said to her applies to other situations as well, such as requiring students to wear masks in school.
Ultimately, one person’s choice does not outweigh the needs of others to be safe. While public schools exist to serve students, do they need to allow students into the building who refuse to follow important rules?
Yet flexibility might be possible.
What if public schools had mask mandates for in-person attendance, but continued to allow online learning for those who could not or did not wear masks?
What about allowing parents who object to masks to create bubbles with like-minded people and host small learning pods in their homes? This could give them a choice while minimizing their impact on others.
As someone who cares about individual rights, I would like to see options for those for whom the mask mandates may not work. For example, for children with Down’s Syndrome (who often have health concerns when it comes to masks) or with asthma, etc. At the same time, it is sensible for schools to set on-site masking requirements based on the real safety concerns.
Instead of calling each other names, maybe we could have compassion for a child with learning disabilities who finds it hard to wear a mask.
Parents should listen to teachers who have seen colleagues and children get sick from COVID while sharing their own concerns.
Masks save lives. But one size does not necessarily fit all.
Instead of demonizing the disabled or those with medical conditions that make it hard to comply, let’s have compassion and respect choices while still protecting ourselves.
