Schools: Coronavirus
(asked on 2nd June 2020) - View Source
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of teachers and school staff wearing (a) face masks and (b) other coverings on pupil’s ability to learn.
The Department has published guidance on implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings. The Department worked closely with Public Health England on this guidance, which includes confirmation that wearing a face covering or face mask in schools or nurseries is not recommended.
Face coverings may be beneficial for short periods indoors where there is a risk of close social contact with people you do not usually meet and where social distancing and other measures cannot be maintained, for example on public transport or in some shops. This does not apply to schools or nurseries. Changing habits, cleaning and hygiene are effective measures in controlling the spread of the virus. Face coverings should not be worn in any circumstance by those who may not be able to handle them as directed (for example, young children) as it may inadvertently increase the risk of transmission.
The majority of staff in education settings will not require personal protective equipment (PPE) beyond what they would normally need for their work, even if they are not always able to maintain a distance of 2 metres from others. PPE is only needed in a very small number of cases including:
- children, young people and students whose care routinely already involves the use of PPE due to their intimate care needs should continue to receive their care in the same way
- if a pupil or student becomes unwell with symptoms of COVID-19 while in their setting and needs direct personal care until they can return home.
Further guidance on implementing protective measures can be found here: