Scottish pupils required to keep face masks on in classroom

CHILDREN in Scotland will be forced to wear face masks throughout the school day and social distancing rules will remain in force in classrooms, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

The First Minister unveiled plans yesterday which would mean children faced harsher Covid-19 rules than adults, once the new school year begins north of the border later this month.

Pupils will be urged to take a lateral flow test before the end of the holidays and take tests twice a week after term begins. Staff will have to stay one metre apart from children and each other.

In England, schools will not be required to enforce face masks or bubbles unless there is a specific Covid outbreak. Secondary schoolchildren will be asked to take two lateral flow tests a week at home.

While there has been no requirement to wear masks in English schools since May, Ms Sturgeon appeared to have caved in to Scotland’s powerful teaching union, the EIS, which has demanded strict safety measures remain in force.

She confirmed distancing elsewhere in Scotland would be scrapped from Monday, in what has been described as the country’s Freedom Day.

However, rules in Scotland are not being eased to the same extent as in England, with laws mandating the use of face coverings remaining in force.

Jo Bisset, of the UFT Scotland parents’ group, said Scottish children would face harsher mask rules than any other group, a situation she described as “unacceptable”.

Adults visiting pubs or restaurants in Scotland will be able to remove masks while seated, eating or drinking but children will have to keep them on throughout lessons.

“While nightclubs reopen and football fans flock in their thousands to stadiums across the country, kids will still have to stew in masks all day,” Ms Bisset said. “Until the mask mandate in classrooms is removed, children will not be able to enjoy that sense of normality again.”