Face masks chaos as Nicola Sturgeon is poised to order children to wear mouth coverings in Scottish school corridors and communal areas – as Boris rules them OUT for teachers and pupils
- Nicola Sturgeon said Scottish government consulting on using masks in school
- They will likely be required when students and staff travel between classes
- But No10 said there are no plans for masks to be required in English schools
Nicola Sturgeon today signalled secondary school pupils and staff in Scotland will be asked to wear face masks when they travel between classes – as Number 10 ruled out a similar move in England.
The Scottish First Minister said her government is consulting on exactly when and where the coverings will be required as she cited concerns about ventilation issues in corridors and communal areas.
However, Downing Street said there are ‘no plans’ for the UK Government to change its approach to the issue in England.
The Prime Minister’s deputy official spokesman said the wearing of masks would risk ‘obstructing communication’ while ministers insisted face coverings are ‘not necessary’ if guidance on school hygiene is followed.
The difference in approach is likely to cause confusion among parents and pupils as all four of the home nations try to get schools back up and running.
Nicola Sturgeon told her daily coronavirus briefing that her government is consulting on requiring pupils to wear face masks when travelling between classes
Boris Johnson today issued a plea to parents to send their children back to school in England next week. Downing Street has ruled out forcing pupils and staff to wear masks
Education is a devolved issue which means the administrations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can adopt their own policies.
The UK government’s current guidance for England does not recommend teachers or pupils should wear face masks.
But Ms Sturgeon told her daily coronavirus briefing that Scotland’s Education Secretary John Swinney is in the final stages of consulting with teachers and councils on the issue.
She said recommendations would not include pupils wearing masks while in the classroom.
The move follows requests from some schools north of the border for pupils to wear face coverings.
Ms Sturgeon said: ‘We’re consulting on this specific measure because, firstly, mixing between different groups is more likely in corridors and communal areas – increasing the potential for transmission.
‘Secondly, crowding and close contact in these areas is more likely and voices could be raised, resulting in greater potential for creating aerosol transmission.
‘Finally, there’s also less scope for ventilation in these areas.’
She said decisions are yet to be made on whether the guidance would apply to school transport and that decision will be made in the coming days.
Asked if the UK Government would follow Ms Sturgeon’s lead on the issue, the PM’s deputy official spokesman said: ‘There are no plans to review the guidance on face coverings in schools… we are conscious of the fact that it would obstruct communication between teachers and pupils.’
Earlier, the UK Government’s Schools Minister Nick Gibb had said masks are ‘not necessary’ for teachers or pupils.
He told the BBC: ‘We are always led by the scientific advice. What the current advice is is that if a school puts in place the measures that are in the guidance that we issued in early July, all of the hygiene pleasures I have been talking about, then masks are not necessary for staff or pupils.’
Asked if he believed the guidance could change, he said: ‘We always listen to whatever the current advice is from Public Health England, the chief medical officers, we always adhere to that advice.’
Unison is one a number of unions who have called for teachers to be allowed to wear a mask or face covering because of staff safety concerns.
‘It’s still unclear why government guidance won’t allow them, when they’re recommended for other workplaces,’ the union said.