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Home News Education

Reactions as Minister says face coverings in secondary schools won’t be compulsory

"I assume House Of Commons will be open in full for ALL MPs from 8th of March "

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
2021-02-25 13:05
in Education, News
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Face coverings and asymptomatic Covid-19 tests in secondary schools will not be compulsory when pupils in England return to class next month, the schools minister has confirmed.

Nick Gibb acknowledged that it is “more challenging” to teach with face masks, but he said wearing face coverings is “highly recommended”.

Julia Hartley-Brewer was angry that the decision could have went the other way enforcing the use.

She Tweeted: “Why are journalists asking what evidence is needed to allow children to STOP wearing masks in secondary school? Why aren’t they asking what evidence there is FOR children to wear masks in the classroom in the first place?”

Why are journalists asking what evidence is needed to allow children to STOP wearing masks in secondary school? Why aren't they asking what evidence there is FOR children to wear masks in the classroom in the first place?

— Julia Hartley-Brewer (@JuliaHB1) February 22, 2021

Richard Tice also backed the argument to refuse to wear masks in schools. He tweeted: “Masks are bad for children’s mental health, which has already been massively damaged as well as their education. A huge hidden cost of this extended lockdown. Parents & children should refuse compulsory masks in schools.”

Masks are bad for children’s mental health, which has already been massively damaged as well as their education. A huge hidden cost of this extended lockdown. Parents & children should refuse compulsory masks in schools.

— Richard Tice (@TiceRichard) February 22, 2021

Gibb appealed to parents to allow their secondary school-age children to take part in regular voluntary rapid coronavirus tests when classrooms reopen from March 8.

He told Times Radio: “Of course we can’t make it mandatory on parents but we just hope that most parents will see the wisdom of testing their children twice a week.”

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Home-testing

Over the first two weeks of term, secondary school and college pupils will be asked to take three Covid-19 tests on site and one at home. They will then be sent home-testing kits to do twice-weekly.

Asked whether it should be a case of “no test, no school”, Mr Gibb told LBC radio: “No, we want to make sure it is not compulsory in that sense, and they will need the permission of the parents.

“In all these things, it is a balance of risk and just having anybody tested, frankly, and identifying asymptomatic cases is a bonus in terms of minimising the risk.”

He said he hopes that the vast majority of students will volunteer to use the lateral flow tests.

Primary school children will not need to take a rapid coronavirus test when they return to class.

Pupils will return to schools and colleges from Monday 8 March – here's everything you need to know: https://t.co/TrX6Dv8iZQ

— Department for Education (@educationgovuk) February 22, 2021

New variant

On face coverings, Mr Gibb told LBC: “It is more challenging to teach where you have masks on the children and on the teachers, but we have a new variant of this virus which is far more transmissible than the previous variant.”

Asked on BBC Breakfast whether secondary school pupils will have to wear face coverings, he said: “We are saying it is not mandatory for schools to have masks in classrooms but it is highly recommended because we want to do everything we can to reduce the risk of transmission in the school.”

His comments come after the National Deaf Children’s Society warned that the Government’s recommendation for face coverings to be worn could have a “devastating” effect on youngsters with hearing difficulties.

The Department for Education (DfE) has said teachers should continue to be sensitive to the additional needs of their students, such as deafness, in deciding whether it is appropriate to wear a face covering.

Reactions

There is a lot of chatter on social media regarding the face mask issue and schools reopening in general.

1.

So now we know that the Government's own scientists recommended a phased reopening of schools and warn that fully reopening schools could increase R by 40-60%.

The Government is ignoring that advice.

Forcing 10 million school pupils and staff back at the same time is reckless.

— Richard Burgon MP (@RichardBurgon) February 24, 2021

2.

i think i’ve seen this film before
and i didn’t like the ending #schoolsreopeninguk pic.twitter.com/gxoEAt3Ajt

— jeanie ? george harrison day (@jacksbees) February 22, 2021

3.

So basically they are sending all staff and students back to school, give them three weeks to catch covid, and then they can all spend the Easter holiday recovering from it. That's the plan, right? #schoolsreopeninguk #MakeSchoolsSafe

— Mac O'the Mills (@J_M_R_E) February 22, 2021

4.

boris last year: reopens schools and cases rise
boris this year: is doing the exact same thing #schoolsreopeninguk pic.twitter.com/58cWF2c48K

— caitlin | she/her 🙂 (@sighcaitlin) February 22, 2021

5.

I refuse to go back into a room full of people not socially distanced wearing no masks because my “education depends on it” I’d rather be alive and have no education & not put my family at risk then go into school catch covid & infect my members of my family #schoolsreopeninguk

— Jess Stacey (@xJessicaStaceyx) February 22, 2021

6.

I assume House Of Commons will be open in full for ALL MPs from 8th of March ?

It’s important for their mental health to be together just like they say it is for schools…#Lockdown4 #UsForMPs #RoadMap #schoolsreopeninguk #backtoschool pic.twitter.com/5NPg6MCwIk

— kerry Hooper ? (@hewitson10) February 22, 2021

Related: School reopening: Government has done ‘precious little’ to prepare for safe return

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