Pupils: Hearing Impairment

(asked on 4th March 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to update guidance for schools and colleges on the use of clear face coverings to meet the needs of students who are deaf or hard of hearing.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 10th March 2021

The Department has published updated guidance for schools to support the return to full attendance from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf

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

From 8 March, the Department recommends that in schools and colleges where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained.

Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in schools and colleges.

Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

The Department is recommending these additional precautionary measures for a limited period until Easter. As with all measures, they will be under review and guidance will be updated, as necessary.

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