Scottish Government to scrap face coverings in secondary classrooms

The Scottish Government is scrapping the requirement to wear face coverings in classrooms.

The First Minister has announced the change in Holyrood today.

It'll come into effect from the 28th of February.

But coverings will still be required in communal areas.

And Nicola Sturgeon says any staff or pupils who do still want to wear a mask in class should be supported in doing so.

Nicola Sturgeon said at 'First Minister's questions':

"On Tuesday, the Advisory Sub-Group on Education met to discuss a number of issues - including the use of face coverings in schools.

"The group re-iterated that the removal of mitigations in schools should be phased, and that the next step of the phased approach could begin after the February half term break, starting with the removal to wear face coverings in the classroom.

"The Sub-Group has advised that this change should apply to both pupils and staff in classrooms, and take effect from 28 February.

"This change will reduce barriers to communication in the classroom, and reduce any wellbeing impacts which arise from the use of face coverings - for example their use in support learning and teaching."

Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross argued this change should have taken place already.

He said:

"My party has demanded for weeks that young people are no longer forced to wear face coverings in classrooms for seven hours a day.

"Young people’s education has been unnecessarily disrupted for far too long.

"Finally, after weeks of refusing to budge, the government has u-turned.

"While it is welcome, it has taken far longer than was necessary."

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