Children: Protective Clothing

(asked on 12th April 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits for social development among children of ceasing the use by children of facemasks in schools.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 22nd April 2021

It is vital that all pupils can attend school to minimise the long-term impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on their education, wellbeing, and wider development. This is why enabling all pupils to return to face to face education has remained a national priority as we begin to relax restrictions.

To support the return to full attendance on 8 March 2021, the Department published updated guidance for schools, which included updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

As the guidance outlines, where pupils in Year 7 and above are educated, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by staff and pupils when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors, and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.

Since 8 March and following an ongoing review of the available evidence and in line with public health advice, we also continue to recommend that face coverings should be worn in classrooms by staff and those in Year 7 and above unless social distancing can be maintained.

In primary schools, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by staff and adults in situations where social distancing between adults is not possible. Children in primary school should not wear face coverings.

The best available scientific evidence is that, when used correctly, wearing a face covering may reduce the spread of COVID-19 droplets in certain circumstances, helping to protect others.

We recognise that the wearing of face coverings may impact communication. The decision to continue with this additional precautionary measure of face coverings in classrooms is based on the latest public health advice balanced with intelligence on the impacts of face coverings and is a cautious approach that will help limit the risk of transmission. We will seek to remove face coverings at the first safe opportunity given the negative impact they may have on communication in the classroom.

Based on the current state of the COVID-19 outbreak and the positive progress being made, it is expected that face coverings will no longer be required for both staff and pupils in classrooms, or by pupils in all communal areas. This is subject to a further review process of the face covering policy as part of step 3 of the roadmap (no earlier than 17 May) based on the latest scientific evidence and advice.

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