Secondary school pupils told to wear masks again

THOUSANDS of air cleaning units will be installed in schools as part of measures to help fight the Omicron surge.

Secondary school pupils are also being advised to wear face masks in the classroom, Nadhim Zahawi announced.

The Education Secretary said he made the temporary recommendation “to support pupils and teachers as they return to schools this term”. He also announced 7,000 air cleaning units for schools and colleges.

The twin moves were to strike a balance between managing Omicron cases and “reducing disruption to in-person learning”, the Department for Education (DFE) said.

The face masks plea was “short-term only” and the advice “builds on existing proportionate guidance that recommends face coverings for all adults in communal areas of all settings.”

The DFE added: “To maximise the number of children in school and college for the maximum amount of time, the Government is temporarily recommending that face coverings are worn in classrooms and teaching spaces for students in year 7 or above, in light of the Omicron variant surge.”

The advice will remain until January 26, when “Plan B” regulations are due to expire. It will be reviewed at that point.

Mr Zahawi said: “There is no doubt that the Omicron variant presents challenges, but the entire education sector has responded with a Herculean effort, and for that I thank each and every one of you.

“These measures will bolster our support for schools as we do everything in our power to minimise disruption.”

It comes after six education trade unions issued a joint call to arms.

They urged the Government to provide air-cleaning units to every school and college that needs them, to commit to providing schools with more resources if on-site testing is required and to provide extra financial support to cover the cost of supply staff for Covid-related absences.

But Ellen Townsend, a professor of psychology at Nottingham University, said of the masks ruling: “This is not a neutral intervention. Masks impair communication and development, and some children find them frightening or distressing.”

Meanwhile, Prof Paul

Hunter, a University of East Anglia public health expert, questioned the need for air filtration units.