Wearing masks in school is of no benefit to children but rather causes harm

A letter from Hugh McCarthy:
A school pupil’s capacity to express feelings is affected by being masked. Non-verbal communication with teachers is lostA school pupil’s capacity to express feelings is affected by being masked. Non-verbal communication with teachers is lost
A school pupil’s capacity to express feelings is affected by being masked. Non-verbal communication with teachers is lost

Why are Northern Ireland school children still wearing masks?

Now that the English, Welsh and Scottish governments have dropped the requirement for schoolchildren to wear masks and it is optional in the Irish Republic, why are our children still strongly recommended to wear them in school?

This is plainly ridiculous.

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The overwhelming body of scientific evidence shows that children are almost totally unaffected by the virus, whilst the evidence for the efficacy of masks has always been weak (the Department of Education’s own Evidence Summary indicates that masks have no statistically significant effect on transmission).

What is indisputable is that wearing masks cause harm.

Teaching, and hence learning, relies on communication, the essential verbal and non-verbal communication between child and teacher cannot take place behind a mask.

All those non-verbal cues which teachers use to gauge understanding are being lost.

A child’s capacity to express feelings and emotions is being affected by being masked.

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Some children cannot make eye contact and can’t sleep, clear signs of psychological distress and of course, impacting on their capacity to learn.

Referrals to schools’ counselling services have rocketed.

How can it be healthy for a child to wear a mask six or seven hours per day?

How can we justify a measure which has no benefit to children and accept the damage to their education, mental health and social development?

It is long past the time to end this abuse of our children.

Hugh McCarthy, (MSc BSc Hons BA, Ex principal Killicomaine Junior High, Portadown), Newtownabbey

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