Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the scientific evidence on wearing face coverings in communal areas in schools to reduce the risk of transmission of covid-19.

On 21 August 2020, the World Health Organisation published a new statement advising that “children aged 12 and over should wear face coverings under the same conditions as adults, particularly when they cannot guarantee at least a 1 metre distance from others and there is widespread transmission in the area.” As a result, the Department has revised its guidance on face coverings in schools and colleges, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education/face-coverings-in-education.

The guidance outlines that in areas of national government intervention, in schools where year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn by staff, visitors and pupils when moving around indoors. This includes corridors and communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain.

Nationwide, the Government is not recommending that face coverings are necessary in schools generally because a system of controls provides additional mitigating measures. However, schools have the discretion to require face coverings in indoor communal areas where social distancing cannot be safely managed, if they believe that it is right in their particular circumstances.

In primary schools where social distancing is not possible in indoor areas outside of classrooms between members of staff or visitors, head teachers have the discretion to decide whether to ask staff or visitors to wear, or agree to them wearing, face coverings in these circumstances. However, children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering.

Based on current evidence, and in light of the mitigating measures schools are already putting in place, face coverings will not be necessary in the classroom. Face coverings would have a negative impact on teaching and their use in the classroom should be avoided.