Covid: Wales' high school pupils should wear masks in class - FM

Wales' secondary school pupils are being urged to wear face masks in class in a change to Covid guidance.

First Minister Mark Drakeford announced the changes on Monday following the emergence of the Omicron variant.

The move goes further than advice given in England to wear face masks in communal areas, and brings Wales level with Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Welsh government said the changes "should come into effect in all settings as soon as possible".

Mr Drakeford told LBC that secondary school pupils would be asked to wear face coverings in classrooms, and communal areas, under changes to guidance.

"In most of Wales mask wearing in communal areas is already part of the repertoire that schools use," he said.

"We think now is the moment, with three weeks left of term, to introduce some additional safeguards to try and keep our school population safe [and] the staff they are in contact with safe".

In a statement on Monday evening, Education Minister Jeremy Miles said: "All staff and learners in our secondary schools, colleges and universities should now wear face coverings while indoors where physical distancing cannot be maintained.

"This is a temporary, precautionary measure that will be in place for the remaining weeks of term at which point the position will be reviewed."

Ministers are also in talks with unions and councils about the possibility of schools breaking up early for Christmas.

He added it was a "top priority for us to do everything we can to keep our young people in school and learning in a normal way as is possible in the extraordinary circumstances we face".

It is not the first time pupils and teachers have been required to wear masks in classrooms, amid concerns about Covid.

Pupils over the age of 11 were required to wear masks, including in lessons, when they returned to school following last year's Christmas break.

However the rules were relaxed in September, after Mr Miles said he wanted to "bring some normality back to education".

Sally Holland, the Children's Commissioner for Wales, said: "It's an understandable temporary measure given the uncertainty posed by the new variant.

"It's important that the government keeps this under constant review to make sure that it continues to be proportionate, fair, and balances children's rights to education and health in challenging circumstances."

Jackie Parker, headteacher of Crickhowell High School in Powys, said her pupils had been wearing masks since they came back in September, except on breaks and at lunchtime.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast she said: "I think for us the numbers were such that we kept the masks and I think that's helped us be able to stay open and minimise the number of cases within the school.

"I think they feel safe and secure, naturally in an ideal we would all like to not be wearing masks but the evidence is so strong to wear them to prevent infection."

Ms Parker said she thought many schools had kept precautions at a reasonably high level and,with the high number of cases for Wales and the growing number of cases across the UK, she felt this was a sensible way forward to make sure students could stay ixn school.

Ms Parker said she would have to look at the data nearer the time before making a call on closing early for Christmas: "I am sure Welsh government will already be looking at whether this is something we need to consider."

She also said that if parents took their children out early for Christmas, she would not punish them.

"This is a unique dilemma for families and for us we are confident that the measures we are taking, face masks being worn all the time, and the other measures of social distancing, hand sanitising and continuing to do all the things we have done will minimise the risk, but I am very aware some families are very anxious.

"I think we have to be sensitive to what everyone is trying to achieve here, so I think we will take it as it comes."

Laura Doel, director of NAHT Cymru, said it was "sensible" to take a precautionary approach but there remains concern for primary schools.

"Even before the emergence of the new variant, NAHT Cymru has raised repeatedly its concerns that current measures needed to be reviewed and strengthened given the high numbers of cases of the delta variant in schools and the severe impact it is having on schools' ability to deliver education."

Debbie Thomas, head of policy at the National Deaf Children's Society Cymru, said: "Public health should be a priority, but it's vital to remember that face coverings make life extremely difficult for deaf students. Lip reading becomes impossible and facial expressions are much harder to see."

The Welsh Local Government Association welcomed reintroduction of masks.