The Scottish Conservatives are calling on Nicola Sturgeon to drop the requirement for face masks to be worn in classrooms in her Covid update tomorrow.
The party believe it is time for SNP ministers to end the mixed messaging coming out of the Scottish Government by listening to their advisors and ending the restriction immediately.
Last week National Clinical Director Jason Leitch said that “the day is coming” for masks in classrooms to go, yet Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the need for them remained “absolute”.
Professor Devi Sridhar and infections expert Dr Christine Tait-Burkard are both in agreement with Professor Leitch.
Professor Sridhar, who sits on the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 Advisory Group, stated that children should be the first to be allowed to return to normality, with masks in classrooms dropped.
Education experts have previously spoken of the negative effects that wearing face coverings have on children’s education, particularly those with additional needs.
The Scottish Conservatives believe that the case against masks in classrooms is now overwhelming and that the First Minister should lift this restriction at tomorrow’s update.
Scottish Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education, Oliver Mundell MSP, said: “The SNP cannot keep ignoring the weight of argument against face masks in classrooms.
“Education experts are clear that face masks in classrooms have a negative impact on learning, especially for those children with extra needs, and scientific experts are in agreement that it’s safe for them to go.
“So there is no excuse for this restriction remaining in place, and Nicola Sturgeon should lift it immediately.
“Pupils, teachers and parents are desperate for a return to normal learning after two years of disruption, so it’s time the First Minister listened to her own experts.
"With curbs being eased across the country this week, under the SNP school kids remain all but forgotten as ministers continue to drag their heels at the expense of our children’s education.”
Notes
The Deputy First Minister has said that the requirement for face masks in public and schools remains ‘absolute’. John Swinney stated to the Covid-19 Committee: ‘As things stand just now, the Scottish Government is absolutely crystal clear that the requirement to wear face coverings in public spaces, in public transport, and in secondary schools remains absolute.’ (Scotsman, 20 January 2022, link).
The Scottish Government’s national clinical director believes the requirement of masks in schools will be withdrawn soon. Professor Jason Leitch stated on BBC Radio Scotland: ‘They’ll give us advice to remove them when they think it’s appropriate and I think that day is coming.’ (BBC News, 21 January 2022, link).
A leading infections expert predicted that masks in schools in Scotland could end next month. Dr Christine Tait-Burkard stated: ‘I would expect for schools that removal of face masks to be relatively soon, as in early to mid-February, and I’m expecting that actually even for the general public that restriction may be eased relatively soon thereafter.’ (iNews, 19 January 2022, link).
The Professor and Chair of Global Public Health has called for the removal of masks in schools. Professor Devi Sridhar tweeted: ‘Children should be the centre of a return to ‘normality’ and the first to have measures in schools such as masks eased. The question for me isn’t whether masks work (they clearly do)- it’s whether the benefits outweigh the negatives. That’s a political decision.’ (Twitter, 21 January 2022, link).