Secondary pupils may be forced to cover their faces
Deputy Scottish Political Editor SECONDARY school pupils could be forced to wear face coverings in the classroom amid concerns closures this winter could impact next year’s exams.
Youngsters are not at present required to cover their mouths and noses in school.
However, Nicola Sturgeon has disclosed that new guidance ‘may well’ be issued today.
Experts are set to meet to discuss whether additional safety measures are needed following a spate of Covid-19 cases linked to schools.
Kingspark School in Dundee was forced to shut on Wednesday after eight adults tested positive for the virus, with full classes at other schools in self-isolation.
At First Minister’s questions, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie raised safety concerns from parents and teachers, and said it was ‘not credible’ to claim that ‘transmission simply won’t happen in schools’.
He said: ‘The evidence is clear that face coverings can reduce the spread of the virus, which is why they’re needed in other indoor spaces,’ and asked Miss Sturgeon if she believes masks should be worn in school.
Miss Sturgeon said concerns from parents were ‘entirely understandable’, noting there were a number of cases associated with schools.
She disclosed that the Scottish Government’s Education Recovery Group will meet today to discuss the return of schooling and whether or not any additional safety measures will be needed.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘In the vast bulk of the evidence so far the transmission is not within the schools. It’s community transmission that is causing issues for schools.’
The First Minister added that among measures being considered by experts will be whether or not older pupils will be required to wear face coverings in school.
She said: ‘This is something we have to constantly review and I’m sure it will be a topic of discussion at the Education Recovery Group.’
It comes amid concerns that senior pupils could miss out on vital learning in preparation for
‘Justifiably angry’
their exams if forced to quarantine due to cases of Covid-19 in schools.
The Us for Them campaign said children who are ill must ‘go home and get better’ but ministers must be careful before committing ‘hundreds of well pupils to home schooling that is likely to be even worse than it was last term’.
A spokesman said: ‘Ultimately, pupils who have been removed from school will sit exams in 2021. If these pupils have not received a full schooling then they will be justifiably angry and we will be back once more to a repeat of the SQA exam results fiasco.
‘We cannot commit another cohort of pupils to the disaster that they have suffered.’
An entire class at St Albert’s Primary School in Pollokshields, Glasgow, has been forced to quarantine after a positive case was identified. The local authority said there is ‘no evidence of transmission within the school itself’.
Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, said masks could be considered in other settings if levels of coronavirus rise.
In an interview on BBC Radio Scotland, she said: ‘I think if cases go up and we need particular settings to reopen that can’t (social distance)... face coverings indoors absolutely.’