Could face masks be scrapped in South Yorkshire classrooms?

The government's reportedly thinking of changing the guidance next week

Author: Ben BasonPublished 10th May 2021

There's a debate over whether face masks should be scrapped in South Yorkshire classrooms in a week's time.

The government's reportedly thinking of removing the guidance for schools to have children wearing them on the next lockdown easing date of 17th May.

But it's split opinion, with unions urging ministers to keep it in place.

Fiona Campbell is from the NEU in Doncaster - she says it'd be too dangerous:

"Rates in Doncaster particularly are higher than the national rates at the moment anyway and there are bubble closures in several schools in Doncaster.

"All these things are taking place with masks in place so if you're taking those masks out of that equation things are likely to get very much worse very quickly I think.

"It does make things difficult sometimes in terms of communication - we accept that there are logistical difficulties - but we would hope that schools have been able to find ways to address these as much as possible and I think removing those from classrooms is just leaving it wide open to coronavirus making a comeback in quite a dangerous way. "

But sixty percent of parents we asked in a poll on Twitter said face masks should be scrapped in the classroom.

Kay lives near Barnsley, has two children in secondary school, and is firmly against masks in school.

She says her children are shy as it is and the masks have made things worse:

"They don't tend to chat as much as I'd like anyway and this is just another barrier that's sent them into an even less communicative place. So I would say that the impact, out of the whole of the pandemic, of the wearing masks in class has been huge.

"The mental impact on the children has been enormous. How can you learn properly sat with a mask on? They're not comfortable. A lot of the kids at that age, their skin is not brilliant to start with. My son's skin is quite irritable and dry. It's uncomfortable and hot and we're coming up to summer."

The easing of restrictions next Monday should see hospitality reopened indoors, as well as indoor gatherings of up to six people.

We should get confirmation it's going ahead this week.

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