It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... No, actually, it was just the worst of times. 

In a world ravaged by the relentless trauma of disease and suffering. Where no man was safe. Where families were pushed to the limits, testing their bravery and resilience each and every day. 

No one knowing when the end would be the end, when men, women and children could resume their simple lives. To be able to go boldly into a friend’s house - right inside - for no reason other than company, conversation and the desire to share a bottle of wine with someone you’re not actually related to.

In a time when the ruler of the land decreed that all should return to education, regardless of science, sense and sanity, without detailed, fully formed rules or guidance so each citizen could guide their offspring into a safe and secure resumption of their academic journey (and suggesting that the people “should” rather than “must” adhere to the rules). 

Schools reopening: A lawless microsociety

When leaders of education were left hanging in a mist of uncertainty - abandoned, shipwrecked on an island of confusion and indecision. Where the rules meant nothing: a lawless microsociety.

When all seemed lost and all hope had almost gone, there came one. One who would challenge, one who would not go quietly. One who was quite happily minding her own business, doing her home learning. Until the moment she learned the secret: the secret that would set her apart from her friends. The secret of the mask: it wasn’t compulsory.

She was bold, she was brave, she knew that life was for living and that her time was now.

The rule-breaker, the risk-taker, the change-maker. She was the one who would shake this place up. She alone would defy the system. She would not be held back by suggestions, recommendations. There was no “should” in her vocabulary. 

She laughed in the face of reason. Her mission, to undermine authority. She did not care about the welfare of others. She had insider knowledge that gave her power and she was determined to use it to its fullest.

Covid: The rise of the mask anarchist

The masked were weak, she said, and she would not be like them. She would fight to bring change, even if it meant having to sit apart from her class in every lesson in case she breathed on them. No one could tell her what to do. She knew her rights, and she didn’t care who she had to hurt to prove them. 

From a place where children were restrained and restricted by conformity, this trailblazer had the power and the tenacity to challenge her leaders. Many had asked her to change, to behave, to respect others, to be part of the community she belonged to. She could not be that person. Her destiny was set. 

She knew her path was one of dishonour, disregard and revolution. The mask was not hers to wear. It was an accessory of the weak, the compliant, the sheeple. 

This spring, we will see the rise of the anarchist. Only one student will break the rules. Only one can lead the way against the regime. Only one will get into trouble with her head of year for not wearing a mask when everyone else is. 

One will lead, but many will surely follow...because they can. Together, they will put everyone in school at risk - and the government has seen to it that there is nothing their teachers can do to stop them.

Zoë Crockford is an art teacher at a secondary school in Bournemouth