Pupils: Hearing Impairment

(asked on 9th February 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 17 May 2021 to Question 493 on Pupils: Hearing Impairment, what recent assessment he made of the potential merits of providing clear facemasks to enable lip reading for deaf children in schools during the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Will Quince Portrait
Will Quince
This question was answered on 24th February 2022

The use of face coverings may have a particular impact on those who rely on visual signals for communication. Those who communicate with visual signals, or provide support to those who do, are exempt from any recommendation to wear face coverings in education and childcare provision.

Face to face education for all students continues to be our top priority. Our guidance is clear that face coverings in classrooms are no longer required. In circumstances where face coverings are temporarily and exceptionally advised by directors of public health, transparent face coverings can also be worn. Transparent face coverings may be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19. However, the evidence to support this is currently very limited.

Face visors or shields can be worn by those exempt from wearing a face covering, but they are not an equivalent alternative in terms of source control of virus transmission. They should only be used after carrying out a risk assessment for the specific situation and should always be cleaned appropriately.

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