BACKLASH OVER MASK PLAN FOR SCOTS SCHOOLS
Parents warn face coverings ‘could do more harm than good’
ALL secondary school pupils and teachers will be ordered to wear face masks between classes under controversial plans unveiled by Nicola Sturgeon.
The First Minister confirmed yesterday she wants to act after growing increasingly concerned about images of packed corridors which could allow schools to become a breeding ground for coronavirus.
Teaching unions have been lobbying ministers following concerns that the lack of physical distancing is a threat to the health of staff in schools.
But there has been a backlash from some parents amid claims that the move could cause ‘more harm than good’ for pupils – particularly those with conditions such as asthma.
The Scottish Conservatives also criticised the ‘blanket’ action and said school head teachers should be left to decide whether to act. Announcing the proposal,
Miss Sturgeon revealed there has been ‘exceptional’ demand for testing over the weekend, including a large number of pupils with traditional cold symptoms.
It came after the World Health Organisation (WHO) published new guidance saying children above the age of 12 should wear face masks.
At her daily coronavirus briefing yesterday, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘I said last week we here in Scotland were looking closely at this issue and taking advice from our expert advisory group.
‘By way of update today, I can confirm that the Education Secretary [John Swinney] is in the final stages of consulting with teachers and local authorities on a recommendation for the use of face coverings by staff and pupils in secondary schools when they are moving around in corridors and communal areas.
‘We are consulting on this specific measure because mixing between different groups is more likely in corridors and communal areas, increasing the potential for transmission.
‘Crowding and close contact in these areas is more likely and voices could be raised, resulting in greater potential for creating aerosol transmission.’
A series of recent outbreaks have been linked to schools, although Miss Sturgeon insists there is not yet any evidence of transmission of the virus within the school buildings.
She said it would be down to schools to enforce the decision to introduce face coverings and was unable to say whether they should be worn in outdoor areas in school grounds.
The Scottish Government will also consider supplying schools with face masks to hand to pupils who do not have their own.
Some schools have opted to press ahead with asking pupils to wear masks before the Scottish Government’s official position changed.
James Gillespie’s High School in Edinburgh announced yesterday that they should be worn in indoor corridors between classrooms.
Face masks are also being introduced at schools in the Highland Council area – including
‘Such a move could be hugely damaging’
Millburn Academy in Inverness and Grantown Grammar School, in Grantown.
But the Us For Them Scotland parent group pointed out there was limited scientific evidence to show the benefits. It raised concerns that the move will do ‘more harm than good’.
Jo Bisset, the group’s organiser, said: ‘Everyone appreciates the health and safety of pupils and teachers has to be a priority. But forcing children to wear masks when there’s little, if any, scientific evidence to support such a move could be hugely damaging. It could have an extremely negative impact on pupils with autism, hearing impairments and conditions such as asthma.’
She added: ‘Parents want to get their children back to school and for that experience to be as normal as it possibly can be.
‘Forced wearing of masks in the classroom, or when moving about the building, would not achieve any sense of normality for children who’ve endured quite enough in recent months.’
Miss Sturgeon said masks will not be recommended in the classroom as there is more scope for physical distancing there – although incident management teams can decide to go further in the event of cases occurring.
The Scottish Government’s scientific guidance on reopening schools said distancing was not required.
Defending the decision to change the guidance ‘in light of scientific evidence’, Miss Sturgeon said further details would be provided ‘over the next couple of days’.
But she said it would only be guidance, rather than ‘a mandatory system’ which would involve penalties and enforcement. Asked if pupils who consistently refuse to wear them would face exclusion, she said it would be up to schools to implement the guidance: ‘I don’t want us to get into the position here of talking about enforcement or exclusions.’
She added: ‘This is about making sure we are following the most upto-date advice to try to minimise the risk of transmission.’
Scottish Tory education spokesman Jamie Greene said: ‘We have long argued decisions in schools should be made at the most local level feasible. It is essential we suppress the virus to keep people safe and schools open.
‘Where head teachers deem face coverings to be appropriate in their local school, they should be supported. But the onus is now on Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney to explain to parents why and how the science irrefutably sup- ports their blanket decision, not the other way round.’
Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS teaching union, said: ‘The EIS continues to believe that effective physical distancing is the best means of reducing the risk of Covid-19 spread in schools.
‘We are continuing to press the Scottish Government for more staff and smaller classes to achieve this. We note the WHO advice on face coverings for those aged 12 and over, where one-metre distancing cannot be maintained.
‘In situations where physical distancing is difficult, for example in busy corridors when pupils are moving between classes, use of face coverings becomes more important and we welcome the current Scottish Government consultation on this issue.’ The GMB
trade union called for better access to testing in schools as it published findings of a survey of more than 1,400 members employed in support staff roles, including cleaners, janitors, caterers and pupil support assistants.
The study found 96 per cent of respondents believe regular testing should be offered, 63 per cent said they do not feel safe at their work and 46 per cent said they would not know what to do if there was a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19 at work.
Scottish Greens education spokesman Ross Greer said: ‘There is clear evidence face coverings significantly reduce transmission of the virus, so it is disappointing it’s taken the Government so long to hear teachers’ concerns, rather than make this inevitable change before schools reopened. I am confused as to why the First Minister thinks masks should be worn in corridors but not classrooms though.
‘She can’t have spent much time in high schools recently if she thinks social distancing is going on in classes of 20 to 30 teenagers when the classrooms are no bigger than they were in March.’
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