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Teachers' unions call for compulsory face masks for schoolchildren

A teacher wearing a face mask teaches pupils, one also in a mask, at a school in London last month - AFP
A teacher wearing a face mask teaches pupils, one also in a mask, at a school in London last month - AFP
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter

A fresh row broke out over face masks on Sunday night as teaching unions urged ministers to consider making them mandatory for children in all secondary schools.

It came as at least 10 schools decided to break with official Government guidance in order to make face coverings compulsory or "strongly encouraged" when pupils return in September.

Unions said recent announcements requiring the wearing of masks on public transport and in shops had "highlighted the need for similar protections to be in place in schools and colleges".

Patrick Roach, the general secretary of the NASUWT teachers' union, said: "The Government's guidance for schools is now out of step with wider public health guidance and guidance to other employers where it is recognised that, where physical distancing cannot be assured, face masks should be worn.

"Teachers and other staff working in schools also want to be assured that, when they return to the workplace in September, they will be afforded the same level of protection as other workers, and that the guidance for schools will be brought into line with guidance for other workplaces."

Mr Roach noted that Government advice means children over the age of 11 are required to wear coverings when they visit "a range" of facilities such as shops and banks. He said: "So there is a strong argument that face masks should also be made compulsory for children when they return to secondary schools in September."

Face covering rules in England
Face covering rules in England

At least 10 schools look set to flout guidance in September, with one comprehensive, Holmes Chapel, in Cheshire, including masks in its new school uniform and directing parents to a designated shop where they can be bought for £3.

Fallibroome Academy, in Macclesfield, said it "expected" students to wear masks in corridors, and Brighton College has told parents the "current expectation" is that masks would be required when pupils move around the site.

Meanwhile, the GMB union has written to Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, urging him to adjust the "double standards" in the Government guidance on face masks.

National officer Karen Leonard said it was "plain common sense" that teachers and other workers in schools should be able to wear coverings.

She said: "Changing the rules for buses and shops to enforce the wearing of masks while actively discouraging those working in schools from even wearing them is causing untold confusion.

"It's time for Gavin Williamson and his colleagues to rethink their position, provide clarity and consistency for our valuable school staff, and ensure PPE [personal protective equipment] – including face masks – is available and can be worn by staff in schools where required."

Julie McCulloch, the director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said she expected "most schools" to follow the guidance but conceded that there is "a fair degree of confusion among the public about why face coverings are required in some settings but not in schools".

Masks were made a requirement on public transport last month and became mandatory in shops, takeaways and banks on Friday.

Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said last week: "We're not recommending masks for schools because if you're in a classroom with kids all day then a mask doesn't give you protection."

Meanwhile, a new report from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change argued that people should be ordered to wear face masks in "all public environments" and called for teachers to be supplied with plastic face shields.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We have set out the controls schools should use, including cleaning and hygiene measures, to substantially reduce the risk of transmission of the virus when they open to all children from September.

"This does not include the wearing of face coverings as we believe the system of controls laid out adequately reduced the risk of transmission to both staff and students."

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