Experts warn masks can blight speech development

FACE masks in schools could hinder pupils’ speech development, government scientists had warned prior to the about-turn on the issue, papers show.

New guidance will allow head teachers in England to ask pupils in Year 7 and above to wear face coverings in corridors and communal areas, but not in classrooms. In local lockdown areas, the move will be mandatory.

Teachers’ unions have also called for mandatory face masks for teachers and pupils in classrooms.

But a report from the Children’s Task and Finish Group, endorsed by the Scientific Advisory Group or Emergencies (Sage) on July 9 said the “detrimental development impacts may be greater than the potential protective benefit”.

Experts warned that masks are “likely to be unfeasible for younger children” and that they may increase face touching among older children.

They added: “The risks of affecting damage to general speech and language development is far greater than any risks of children transmitting.

“This is particularly important for children from less language-rich environments, bilingual children, or children from English as an additional language backgrounds.”

The report warned that wearing a mask could have a negative impact on deaf or hearing-impaired children or those with other sensory needs as well as those who struggle with emotional recognition and emotional regulation.

Sage currently only recommends the use of face masks for short periods in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not possible. Ros Herman, professor of child language and deafness at City, University of London, said: “Face masks could affect speech and language development as they attenuate the speech signal, making speech harder to hear, as well as disrupting face-to-face communication and access to expression, both important when parents communicate with children, and especially for deaf children.”

Dr Yvonne Wren, director of the Bristol Speech & Language Therapy Research Unit and a senior research fellow at the University of Bristol, said: “Children won’t see people’s faces, whether they’re smiling, looking stern. They’re going to get more confused, and children don’t learn as well when they’re emotional.”