Japan teachers struggle to get kids to take off masks even as temps hit dangerous levels

27 comments

1. >Even then, some children were seen passing through the school gate for home with their masks on.

   Yet another “wHy ArEn’t ThEy TaKiNg OfF mAsKs?!” news article based on observations of the most crowded places people outside could possibly be.

2. This is like the perfect storm: first take a country where compliance with what the majority does is practically baked into the DNA. Add to this two parties with different priorities (teachers who don’t want heatstroke cases and dead kids on their watch, and parents who are worried about infection), and psycho hot weather. All we need now is some mixed messaging and lack of co-ordination from the authorities, and we’re set for a time bomb.

3. >There are also some children who refuse to doff their masks as they are embarrassed about showing their faces.

   > More than two years into the pandemic, masks have become part of people’s lives and there are now few opportunities to show our full face to others. A phrase now commonly seen on the internet compares removing masks to stripping off one’s underwear, calling masks “face underpants.” An Adachi Ward official said, “Some children cover their mouth with their hands out of embarrassment even after removing their masks at teachers’ instruction.”

   I found this paragraph really sad and concerning.

4. Umm
   As a school teacher who constantly is asking students to wear their masks in class.
   I strongly disagree with this clickbait.

   It’s horrible when a kid is coughing up a storm and not wearing a mask.

5. This seems flawed on multiple levels. Masks are so normal over there there isn’t really any reason to take them off. (Not that there’s much of one over here…) I taught over there pre covid and at least half of every class would wear masks because of allergies, or they didn’t want to get sick, or just because.

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7. This just in: clickbait blames climate change on children instead of industry

8. Japanese people: “meh, I guess I’ll just wear my mask”
   a certain demographic on reddit: “Japan is DOOOMED we’re never return to NORMAAAAL this is not NORMAAAAL everyone will die because of their mask!!”

9. Because it’s SO DANGEROUS to wear a friggin’ mask. Yeah, right. And they don’ help protect against diseases, either. (Which is why the level of influenza infections has been so low lately they are having trouble making influenza vaccinations…) More anti-science idiots.

   How about THIS: Make sure the teachers encourage kids to DRINK enough in hot weather. Allow (or require) them to carry drink bottles, and allow them drink from their bottles DURING classes. (Carrying drinks is discouraged or outright prohibited for students in many Japanese schools.)

   Stop blaming the darned masks, which don’t have much effect on overheat at all.

10. It’s gonna be very interesting to see research from different countries regarding stuff like this and also public health, childhood obesity etc depending on the country’s Covid strategy. My own country Sweden didn’t have lockdown in the same way (however it has been very misreported in foreign media that we all just lived as normal without any restrictions, that’s NOT true) and things like not disrupting children’s schooling too much were a big part of that.

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12. Wow the manga “new normal” was absolute on point about this

13. Good for them that they care of themselves!!

14. This subreddit is something else.

    You will not stop covid with masks alone.

    If you’re not implementing other measures like shutting spaces where people congregate such as shops, restaurants and trains with people squashed like sardines, masks will not help. Covid is absolutely rampant in Japan even with masks on.

    I have been pro-mask all the way through this epidemic but it’s time to ditch them because covid is here to stay for years and at the severity the dominant strains are at, it’s almost identical to the flu.

15. It’s a very difficult problem for teachers. They take responsibility for child safety so need to be careful of both Covid infection and heatsroke. What’s a better choice for teachers to prevent children from the threats?

16. But why? If they want to wear them, let them wear them. We’re just getting to the end of the Pandemic now. Relax. Give them a few minutes at least.

17. It’s so damn obvious how many people commenting have never done any sort of strenuous activity out in the summer heat, let alone in 100+ F degree weather and with a mask on. Stop this damn insanity, y’all “grown-ups” are fucking up these kid’s psychological and social well-being for what amounts to security theater like when the TSA grabs your junk to make sure you haven’t carried a testicle bomb onto the plane. Children have stronger and more adaptive immune systems than most, but only when allowed to be exposed to germs and literally going by CDC stats, the mortality rate for children if infected and hospitalized is like 0.01% edit: and that’s including the tons of obese kids in the US which Japan lacks

18. Funny how people really believe masks are “making a big difference” …Also most Japanese people lack self-esteem so good luck japanese government
    trying to uncover their faces. That being said, masks make things better for us the introverted ones. So anyway 🤷‍♂️

19. I teach middle school in USA and they are using them as their security blankets now, also have them same issue with them wearing hoodies and sweats in 100+ Degree Fahrenheit temperatures

20. I hate this subreddit. It’s just filled with people getting offended by Japanese because they’re “overly” protective about Covid.

21. Most kids don’t wear masks outside of school (in my area at least) only wearing them when while attending school.

    Same with my sane co workers .

22. It’s really sad that even when I asked my high school students to take off their masks for pictures they reply with “ I don’t like the look of my face” I look better with a mask on” it’s depressing hearing such words..

23. Americans in this thread:

    *”How ever will Japanese children cope with masks?! It’s going to damage them psychologically!!! Just imagine what will happen 20 years from now!”*

    Also Americans:

    *”Ok, Billy, time for another active-shooter drill. Remember you can spread the blood of your dead classmates on your body so the gunmen think you’re dead too. Also, your two moms are an abomination to God.”*

24. I’m seeing too many news posts griping about Japanese people still wearing masks in this subreddit recently.

    Just let them be. If they want to keep their masks on, let them. How difficult can that be?

25. lmao I be walking around japan as the only one without a mask haha

26. I think majority of Japanese teacher struggle all right just to get to school, that is where the struggle starts and stops.

27. I’m from the Uk and here no one wear masks. We’ve ditched everything covid basically