Working Space | Conflict Resolution
Losing face On April 13th, COVID-19 Response Minister, Chris Hipkins, announced that all of New Zealand would move to the orange light traffic setting from 11.59pm on April 14th. At orange, some masking requirements are lifted – most notably in schools – though for the most part, are still encouraged. Health experts from around the nation suggest that removing mask mandates in schools as the country moves to orange is “disappointing”. This is because some parents and caregivers contend that masks are potentially interfering with student’s social developmental skills. Recognising emotions is the cornerstone for how we interact, socialise, and resolve conflict with others. Unsurprisingly, children are better able to identify emotions in uncovered faces compared to masked faces. But are masks really stunting pupils’ ability to positively communicate with one another? Marina Bedny is an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University who studies brain development in people who are blind. Weighing in on the classroom debate, she feels that wearing a mask is not something that would, to her, seem like it would “matter at all for a child’s development.” “We tend to underestimate how flexible our mind and our brain is. “We’ve found that people who are blind have some superior abilities at understanding spoken sentences… perhaps because language is such an important source of information,” she reasons. With that being said, teachers and students may need to prompt themselves to communicate their feelings more using words when masked, rather than relying on their facial expressions. This can vastly lessen the chance of misunderstandings and conflict arising. Lynn Perry, an associate professor in the psychology department at the University of Miami is part of a team that has been monitoring speech development in pre-school students since before COVID-19 arrived. The team compared a group of students from early 2020, before
masks arrived, with a class in 2021, wherein they found no change in the amount of language production.
Mandate decision was no surprise
“We’re seeing really similar amounts of talking, vocabulary development, language growth, language development, with or without masks,” she says.
The Government’s decision to remove vaccine mandates for education workers comes as no surprise, says PPTA Te Wehengarua president, Melanie Webber.
Here in New Zealand, developmental and community paediatrician Dr Jin Russell acknowledges that there is an educational, social, and developmental cost to wearing masks.
“PPTA’s support of the mandates stemmed from our policy, led by members, that we would support public health advice around COVID-19.
However, this needs to be balanced against the price of lots of viral illnesses circulating which could subsequently impact students’ inperson learning time.
“We supported the mandates as the best means of keeping teachers, students, and their communities, particularly the vulnerable, safe against a raging and deadly global pandemic.
She reasons that despite no longer being mandatory for pupils in year 4, and upwards, wearing masks in schools should still be “strongly recommended” – as they are an essential component of a “multi-layer approach” to minimising the spread of Covid. Russell believes that schools should maintain a strong mask-wearing philosophy while at orange, which could then be re-evaluated following what may be a “particularly difficult” winter, when viruses naturally thrive, and healthcare services are stretched. “Children will have lots of other opportunities for mask-free time when outdoors and outside of schools,” she says. Whether pupils are masked, or unmasked, maintaining regular check–ins with students as to how they’re thinking, feeling, and behaving regarding masks is perhaps the most important takeaway from this. Ultimately, keeping open lines of communication will help parents and schools respond more effectively to their pupil’s needs.
24 | Term 2, 2022 www.principalstoday.co.nz
“For us, the mandates were always about protecting ourselves but equally importantly trying to prevent young children, elderly and those who are immunocompromised, from being infected. “While the vast majority of secondary teachers were vaccinated before the mandates were introduced, the requirement meant that vaccination rates across the education sector rose significantly, and we are now at the stage where the mandates have done their job and are not needed any longer. “The removal of them is a decision that has been made based on the best public health advice. However, this does not mean a return to any sense of normality at the moment.” Melanie says the mandates had been extremely difficult for the relatively small number of secondary teachers who chose not to be vaccinated.
“With teacher shortages continuing in secondary, it is likely that many of these teachers will be able to find new jobs in education now they are able to return. “There will certainly be plenty of opportunities for relief teaching as schools continue to be hugely affected by Omicron.” Melanie says schools will need to work through details related to the employment of unvaccinated teachers. “And they will need to support staff, particularly those who are immuno-compromised or have underlying health conditions, who feel anxious about working alongside unvaccinated people.” This will need to be worked through on a school-by- school basis but we hope there will be some clear national guidelines that schools can follow. “The mandates are just one element of the huge disruption COVID-19 has wreaked in school life over the last two years. “Teachers have risen swiftly and impressively to the challenges of COVID-19 but there is no doubt the pandemic has really taken its toll on students and teachers. Hopefully there will be light at the end of the tunnel soon.”
