Government looking at making secondary school pupils wear masks in the classroom

The Government is looking at making secondary school pupils in England wear face masks in the classroom, i can reveal.

Sources involved in discussions about reopening schools told i that mask wearing was likely to be extended in secondaries as part of an enhanced ‘system of controls’ in response to the more transmissible Kent variant.

Consideration has also been given to extending masks to primary schools, but sources said they thought this was unlikely to be adopted.

Last year, the Government gave headteachers the discretion to require pupils in secondary schools to wear face coverings in indoor communal areas like corridors where it is difficult to social distance.

During the current lockdown in England, it is compulsory for pupils who are still attending secondary school in-person – either because they are a child of a key worker or because they are vulnerable – to wear masks while they are moving around the site.

But until now the Government has staunchly resisted the use of masks in the classroom because of concerns that it could impede learning.

However, the emergence of the more infectious Kent variant has forced ministers to think again.

A source involved in talks about reopening told i that while a final decision had not yet been made, it was “likely” that wearing a mask in the classroom would become a “requirement” when pupils return to secondary schools.

Another individual involved in discussions told i that: “Masks is a point of conversation right now.

“We’re trying to assess the level of utility in terms of infection control, and how much compromise that would have on the success of education, particularly with younger year groups. That’s a live discussion.”

Public Health England was feeding in the latest scientific evidence on the effectiveness of masks in stopping transmission, they said.

To date there has been no requirement for primary school children to wear masks. The DfE has given consideration to whether this should be changed, but the sources believed it was unlikely to happen.

They pointed out that older students could properly understand mask hygiene and were more likely to transmit the virus. Mask wearing is also believed to have a more negative impact on the teaching and emotional wellbeing of younger children.

One source said: “If you ask young children to wear them – even if you could reassure yourself that scientifically that has an impact – is the impact large enough to outweigh the educational compromise? It’s really about trying to assess those balances.”

A DfE spokesperson told i that the Government regularly reviewed the scientific and medical evidence to make sure that safety facilities in schools were guided by the most up-to-date understanding.

Masks in classrooms around the world
The Westminster Government has shied away from pupils wearing masks in the classroom in England, but it has already happened in Scotland and is commonplace in many other countries.
In October, the Scottish Government advised senior pupils and their teachers to wear face coverings in the classroom if their school was in the two highest levels of the country’s regional tiers system.
Pupils have long been made to wear masks in the classroom in France, and last autumn this was extended to all children aged six and over. In the US, classroom masks have been mandated in the state of Massachusetts. Mask wearing in the classroom is also common in East Asian countries like China and Japan.
Even in England, some schools have already broken ranks with the Government’s existing policy that they should be “avoided” in classrooms.
In November, the Sapientia Education Trust – an academy chain in Norfolk which runs six schools – introduced masks in lessons “to offer additional protection”.

— to inews.co.uk