Scottish pupils forced to keep masks on in lessons
NICOLA STURGEON has capitulated to teaching unions and rejected expert advice by forcing Scottish teenagers to continue to wear masks throughout the school day.
In a significant reversal, the Scottish Government announced yesterday that a mask mandate, which forces secondary pupils to wear coverings in lessons, will remain in force indefinitely.
The about-turn came days after leaked draft guidance suggested SNP ministers were about to announce a relaxation in school rules, which would have meant children would only have to wear masks in communal areas.
It means Scottish children will continue to face some of the harshest Covid rules, with adults allowed to remove masks in venues such as strip clubs and nightclubs but teenagers forced to wear them at school.
Experts on an advisory group set up by the Scottish Government had recommended a relaxation in rules in light of falling case numbers. The country’s most powerful teaching union, the EIS, opposed the change, claiming its members could be put at risk. Shirley Annesomerville, the SNP education secretary, claimed Scotland’s chief medical officer had supported the “cautious” approach.
She said the mandate would remain “for now” to allow more teenagers to be vaccinated and that the rules would be eased at the “earliest possible time”.
An insider with knowledge of the advisory group’s discussions said they believed the mandate was likely to remain until at least Christmas. “We’re now moving into winter and cases are expected to rise, so what’s the chance they’ll be removed this side of Christmas? I’m not sure it’s particularly high.”
Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS, admitted he had pushed for “great caution” in easing rules. “This delay from the Scottish Government, with regard to easing mitigations, is welcome,” he said.