Some students may need to wear masks

The Government’s U-turn on mask wearing means secondary school pupils will have to wear face coverings in parts of England.

The reversal follows similar directions issued north of the border.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the change followed updated advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) saying children aged over 12 should wear masks.

Face coverings will have to be worn in communal areas of schools in areas where local lockdowns have been introduced, and headteachers will have the option to ask pupils to wear them elsewhere in the country.

The new guidance – which also said masks will not be needed in classrooms – followed pressure from teaching unions and Scotland’s announcement along similar lines.

There, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said face coverings would be obligatory from Monday, August 31, in corridors and on school transport, adding: “There is increasing evidence that face coverings can provide some protection for the wearer as well as those around them.

“We also know that some pupi ls have found it very difficult to physically distance when moving around school, which could increase the risk of transmission of the virus.”

The change in England comes after Mr Williamson insisted measures being adopted by schools in order to limit the spread of coronavirus meant face masks and coverings were not required and a day after a Number 10 spokesman said there were no plans to review the guidance.