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A senior Conservative has said he fears mask-wearing in schools could damage children’s mental health as the Government insisted the extra precaution would help keep pupils learning.
Robert Halfon, chair of the Commons education select committee, said the risks from Covid-19 need to be balanced against the risks to children’s wellbeing.
Speaking to Alastair Stewart on GB News, the Conservative MP said: “There's a lot of research out there from all around the world, from Belgium to Germany, to Canada to the United States. That suggests that masks have a negative impact on children's well being, mental health, learning, and emotional abilities. So I think we need to be very cautious here.”
He made the comments as the Government announced masks will return for secondary school students in England’s classrooms on a temporary basis this term.
Mr Halfon, the MP for Harlow, added: “I have grave grave reservations about making children wearing masks.
“What I don’t understand is why are masks not required for adults in offices, yet we are forcing children to wear them all day in schools?
“I don’t understand the inconsistency about that. Children mustn’t be guinea pigs for Covid policy.”
Taking part in a question and answer session in November, deputy chief medical officer Sir Jonathan spoke about masks in schools, saying: “I can see that they could be quite inhibitory to the natural expressions of learning in children involving speech and facial expression. I think it’s difficult for children in schools with face masks.”
The Government said the reintroduction of masks in secondary classrooms would “maximise the number of children in school” for the “maximum amount of time” in light of the recent surge in the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
It stressed that the recommendation for both schools and colleges would be temporary, remaining in place until January 26, when Plan B regulations are scheduled to expire. At this point it will be reviewed.
It follows a call in December from Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi for ex-teachers to help with Covid-related staff shortages in the new year.
Jo Campion, deputy director of advocacy at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said the return of face masks in secondary classrooms would “fill thousands of deaf students with dread”.
“For more than 35,000 deaf students in England, face masks make lip reading impossible and prevent sign language users from understanding crucial facial expressions,” she said.
The Government is also temporarily recommending that masks are worn in university teaching spaces such as workshops, laboratories, offices, libraries and lecture halls, in addition to corridors and communal areas, from January 4.
But staff would not “ordinarily” be expected to wear a face covering while teaching, according to the guidance.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid has warned that restrictions on freedom “must be an absolute last resort”, but on Saturday NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson said the Government “must be ready to introduce new restrictions at pace if they’re needed”.