Head Teachers Say New Government Covid Advice For Schools ‘Too Vague'

Teachers are calling for face masks to be mandatory for pupils in England and extended to include classrooms, amid pushback from sceptical MPs who warn that additional Covid curbs would cause “chaos” for pupils.

- Sally Weale

According to new government guidance in response to the Omicron variant, masks are merely “recommended” in communal areas and corridors in schools rather than being compulsory. In contrast, face coverings will be mandatory on public transport and in shops from today.

Headteachers say the advice is “too vague”, making it difficult to enforce effectively as parents and pupils can legitimately refuse to comply, leaving it up to schools to deal with confusion and dissent.

“It’s very difficult to manage on the ground,” said Richard Sheriff, executive headteacher of Harrogate grammar school and chief executive of the Red Kite Learning Trust. “Any parent or child can say: ‘You can’t make me .’” He told the government: “Make it obligatory by law, as we are doing in other places like transport.”

The two largest teaching unions, the National Education Union (NEU) and NASUWT, which represent the vast majority of teachers in England, said the government guidance should go further, extending mask wearing to classrooms.