Unions call for pupils to wear face masks

Teaching staff entitled to the same protections as workers in shops and transport, say unions

Teaching unions have urged ministers to make face masks mandatory for children in schools. It comes as at least 10 schools decided to break with official government guidance, and will instead 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 in schools and colleges”.

‘Government guidance for schools is now out of step with wider public health guidance and guidance to other employers’

‘There is a strong argument that face masks should be made compulsory for children when they return to secondaries’

A FRESH row broke out over face masks last night, as teaching unions urged ministers to consider making them mandatory for children in schools.

It comes as at least 10 schools decided to break with official government guidance, and will instead make face coverings compulsory or “strongly encouraged” when pupils return in September.

Unions said that 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, 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 that children aged over 11 are required to wear coverings when they visit “a range” of facilities such as shops and banks.

“So there is a strong argument that face masks should also be made compulsory for children when they return to secondary schools in September,” he said.

At least 10 schools look set to flout government 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” was 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’s guidance on face masks.

National officer Karen Leonard says it is “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 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 – including face masks – is available and can be worn by staff in schools where required.”

Julie Mcculloch, director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, said she expected “most schools” to follow the guidance but there is “a fair degree of confusion 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.

The Government has so far resisted calls to change its guidance for school settings. Public Health England does not recommend the use of face coverings in schools because “pupils and staff are mixing in consistent groups, and because misuse may inadvertently increase the risk of transmission”.