Fears over kids sharing masks

CONCERNS have been raised about high school kids in Renfrewshire ignoring Covid- 19 regulations after groups of pupils have been spotted sharing face coverings.

At the council’s latest education board meeting, Councillor Karen Kennedy claimed she had witnessed gangs of students at her own children’s high school passing masks between each other as they went in and out of the building.

The worrying sight led her to demand answers from top officials about what health guidance was being given to pupils and what levels of cleaning were taking place in schools.

Almost every high school in Renfrewshire has now reported at least one coronavirus case, while scores of primaries and early learning centres have also had infections.

Just this week, NHS Test and Protect teams have been called out to Linwood High, St Andrew’s Academy in Paisley and Trinity High in Renfrew alongside seven primaries across the region and two early learning and childcare centres.

Councillor Kennedy, who represents Paisley Northwest, said at the virtual meeting: “Being as a lot of our schools are having repeated episodes of Covid in them, I’d like to know what kind of cleaning is going on. I’ve also had two constituents come to me about children actually sharing masks.

“Outside my own children’s high school, I witnessed children coming out and passing over masks in order for them to go back in the building and then they are coming back out and passing the mask back to that person who gave it to them.

“I’ve got great concerns about this and I’d like to know about any deep cleaning which is taking place.”

Education chiefs insisted they are doing everything possible to ensure pupils realise their responsibilities but stressed they could not control whether they follow public health rules outside of school.

Senior pupils in S4 to S6 are now being asked to wear masks in classrooms during lessons as well as in communal areas such as corridors – which students of all ages are expected to do.

Children aged five and over should also be wearing a face covering while travelling on school transport.

Steven Quinn, director of children’s services, said during the meeting: “We do ask our young people to bring face coverings with them to secondary school and almost all are able to do so, however, there is a continual supply in our schools.”