Masks in class

Sir – When I heard that all pupils were to return to school on March 8, I was filled with hope. However, this turned to dismay when I read that masks will be required in secondary school classrooms (report, February 24).

As a teacher, I will not be able to carry out my job effectively if the faces that tell me whether my pupils are confused, happy or bored are covered. This is the last thing that young people need after a year of isolation, educational disruption and uncertainty about the future.

Boris Johnson said last August that masks in classrooms were “nonsensical”. I agree, as do many other teachers and parents. There is little evidence that this measure has much effect in schools, but it will have a severe impact on the learning experience of all secondary pupils. Anna Dunham

Melbourne, Derbyshire Sir – My children have been required to wear face masks in class at their academy since November 6.

This may look great on a compliance graph in a transmission model – but remember that these masks spend much of their time screwed up in the pockets of children. They are taken out and put back in for days on end, and touched by unwashed hands. They are pulled under the chin on the muddy playing field, dropped, picked up, and so on. This is a far cry from the World Health Organisation’s guidelines.

In the event of any transmission at school, it would be impossible to ascertain whether it took place despite the mask policy or because of it. Robert Curl

Fakenham, Norfolk