WITH less than three weeks for the recommendation of mask-wearing in enclosed spaces to be lifted, teachers and students have shared mixed responses about adhering to the novel coronavirus pandemic protocol in classrooms.

Since March 18, all the COVID-19 restrictions under the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA) were withdrawn, but the education ministry in its most recent bulletin urged school administrations to recommend the wearing of masks among staff and students, especially in enclosed environments such as classrooms and auditoriums.

Demitri Brown, class three teacher at RJR Basic School in St Andrew, told the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday that he has no trouble getting students to wear masks.

“My students have adopted to the whole situation, so I don’t think they are reluctant in wearing the masks. Our mask breaks will normally be during lunchtime and break time and we would also change the masks from time to time and tell the parents to ensure they have extra masks as well,” he said.

Trishauna Hall Brown, a grade four teacher at Central Branch All-Age, said that even though most of her students are accustomed to the safety protocol, there are still a few students who are reluctant.

“I think they are routine now in wearing it. You will see glitches and you will have to tell them, ‘Pull up the mask’. When you set them in a particular routine, it is hard for you to break it,” said Hall Brown.

“Chances are if they are told at home that they can stop wearing it, then they would come and be hesitant in wearing it. But as a teacher, once you say, ‘Wear your mask’, they will put it on,” she added.

Her student, nine-year-old Alejandro Bennett, expressed discomfort in wearing the mask.

“It is a bit hard to breathe but I still think I should wear it because of the pandemic,” he said.

His peer, Parise Walters, nine, said, “I don’t have a problem wearing my mask because coronavirus is going on and I don’t want to get sick.”

But a grade three senior teacher at the school, Della Smith, said since the relaxing of the measures, mask-wearing has been tedious in the classroom.

“We constantly have to be reminding them to wear the mask — sometimes it is down or on the floor. By break time — half of the class does not have on a mask,” said Smith, noting, however, that students adhere to hand washing very well.

The concern raised at Webster Memorial Basic School was not different.

“One specific student in my class tells me, ‘Teacher, I feel like I’m suffocating’, and I’ll tell him to pull it down or little or I make him step outside…so we’re really looking forward for when the mask thing will be out for them, especially because as young children they really can’t manage it,” said Michele Hamilton, a senior teacher at the school.

Hamilton also said it is difficult to hear students when they call or speak because the masks restrict their sound.

The school’s principal, Kay-Ann Russell Temple, explained that there will be a revision of the mask-wearing protocol after the Easter term, in order to prepare students for any further relaxation of the health protocol.

Principal at Boys’ Town All-Age Sylvia Banks-Claire said her students view mask-wearing as a means of confinement.

“If we practise other safety measures such as washing hands and keeping a little distance, I believe eventually it will work out because the mask is not healthy either. So anywhere you take it there’s a disadvantage,” she said.

One 12-year-old student at the school said: “It a stifle mi. Mi have asthma so it hard fi breathe. Sometimes I try to keep it on like when the dust a blow but it hard.”

Another student said his parents encouraged him to wear his mask, even after the requirement is lifted.

“I wear the mask to protect myself…sometimes I put it under mi chin when I want likkle air but even if my friends not wearing it, I going still wear mine,” he said.

The wearing of face masks is no longer mandatory, but is advised to be worn in enclosed spaces to which the public has access, for example, supermarkets, banks, and tax offices until April 15.