NewsEducationZahawi to vet masks in classroom after schools ignore end of rules

Nadhim Zahawi syas local health chiefs must consult himi before enforcing coverings in classrooms

Liam JamesFriday 21 January 2022 00:54Comments Article bookmarked

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

Don't show me this message again✕

National schools masks requirement ended on Thursday

(AFP/Getty)

Schools that want to keep face mask requirements in classrooms after rules were scrapped in England this week will have to be personally approved by the education secretary.

Nadhim Zahawi told regional health chiefs that they would need to consult him on any plans to go against new national guidance that masks are no longer necessary in schools.

Dozens of headteachers around the country have told parents that their schools will continue to ask pupils to wear masks in class and in communal areas despite the national mandate being lifted on Thursday.

Schools North East (SNE), an education network in northeast England, said 80 per cent of schools in the region intended to keep some measures in place, including face masks in classrooms and communal areas.

Chris Zarraga, director of SNE, said: “There are serious concerns for schools, with local pictures often radically different from the national picture.”

Recommended

• Focus on phonics to teach children how to read ‘is uninformed’, study says
• ‘Dangerous’ fogging machines used in care homes and schools to combat Covid
• How schools are banning cars outside to protect children from air pollution

Andy Byers, head of a secondary school in Durham, encouraged his students to keep wearing masks in the coming weeks.

He said: “Case rates in the northeast are still relatively high. We currently have 60+ students and ten staff absent, having tested positive.

“Other local secondary schools are all in a similar position: high levels of absence with some students missing important face-to-face teaching, and a reliance on supply teachers covering lessons.

“For this reason I would like to encourage students to continue wearing face coverings for the next two or three weeks until (hopefully) case numbers fall.”

(function({ document }) { var script = document.createElement('script'); script.defer = 'true'; script.onload = function () { playincVideo && playincVideo('playinc-article-component-10').setup({ customparams: 'article%3D1997635%26gs_channels%3Desi_safe%2Csafe_from_essence_blacklist%2Cshadow9hu7_pos_ttd_uk_blocklist_mar21%2Cgs_education%2Cgs_education_misc%2Csafe_from_emirates_blacklist%2Cshadow9hu7_pos_diageo_nov20%2Cgv_safe_adult%2Cgv_safe_arms%2Cgv_safe_crime%2Cgv_safe_death_injury%2Cgv_safe_download%2Cgv_safe_drugs%2Cgv_safe_hatespeech%2Cgv_safe_military%2Cgv_safe_obscenity%2Cgv_safe_terrorism%2Cgv_safe_tobacco%2Cpos_amazon_carnival_row_04%2Cpos_amex_2020%2Cpos_amex_blocklist_sep21%2Cpos_animal_cruelty%2Cpos_bp%2Cpos_burberry%2Cpos_cartier1_usa%2Cpos_cartier2_usa%2Cpos_cartier3_usa%2Cpos_cartier5_usa%2Cpos_castrol_nov20%2Cpos_covid19_leicester%2Cpos_equinor%2Cpos_facebook%2Cpos_facebook_oct20%2Cpos_facebook_policy_affairs%2Cpos_heinz_blacklist_jul21_01%2Cpos_hoopla_next_mar21%2Cpos_hsbc_oct20%2Cpos_inskin_safe%2Cpos_keyword_blacklist_microsoft%2Cpos_lg_aug20%2Cpos_loopme_negkeywords_2020%2Cpos_lvmh%2Cpos_mfk%2Cpos_microsoft_kwlist_jul21_01%2Cpos_microsoft_kwlist_jul21_02%2Cpos_microsoft_kwlist_jul21_03%2Cpos_microsoft_kwlist_jul21_04%2Cpos_microsoft_kwlist_jul21_05%2Cpos_microsoft_kwlist_jul21_06%2Cpos_microsoft_kwlist_jul21_07%2Cpos_o2_havas_jan21%2Cpos_philip_morris%2Cpos_philip_morris_1%2Cpos_philip_morris_10%2Cpos_philip_morris_11%2Cpos_philip_morris_12%2Cpos_philip_morris_13%2Cpos_philip_morris_14%2Cpos_philip_morris_15%2Cpos_philip_morris_16%2Cpos_philip_morris_17%2Cpos_philip_morris_18%2Cpos_philip_morris_19%2Cpos_philip_morris_2%2Cpos_philip_morris_20%2Cpos_philip_morris_3%2Cpos_philip_morris_4%2Cpos_philip_morris_5%2Cpos_philip_morris_6%2Cpos_philip_morris_7%2Cpos_philip_morris_8%2Cpos_philip_morris_9%2Cpos_sabic%2Cpos_sabic_mobkoi%2Cpos_saudiaramco_nov20%2Cpos_society_lgbt%2Cpos_sukin_jan21%2Cpos_terrorism_blacklist%2Cpos_test%2Cpos_tourismireland%2Cpos_vw_seat_ias_kw_list_jan21%2Cpos_vw_vwcv_man_vwfs_ias_kw_list_jan21%2Csafe_from_facebook_blacklist%2Csafe_from_mobkoi_facebook_keyword%2Cshadow9hu7_pos_tesco_groupm_gps_nov20%2Cshadow9hu7_safe_from_asda%2Cshadow9hu7_pos_t10_tanqueray%2Cshadow9hu7_pos_tanqueray_4000kw%2Cgs_politics%2Cshadow9hu7_pos_loop_me%2Capple_corevalues_negkeywords_2020%2Cshadow9hu7_pos_worldwildlifefund_november20%2Cshadow9hu7_pos_intel_feb21%2Cgt_mixed%2Csafe_aegis%2Cshadow9hu7_safe_from_aegis_blacklist%2Cgs_health_misc%2Cshadow9hu7_pos_cartier4_usa%2Cprogressivemedia%2Cshadow9hu7_pos_audi_oct20%2Cshadow9hu7_pos_vw_audi_ias_kw_list_jan21%2Cshadow9hu7_pos_vw_2020%2Cgs_politics_british%2Cshadow9hu7_pos_vw_porsche_ias_kw_list_jan21%2Cshadow9hu7_pos_vw_skoda_ias_kw_list_jan21%2Cshadow9hu7_pos_collective_december2020%2Cgs_politics_misc%2Cgv_safe%26topictags%3Dschools%2Cnadhim-zahawi%2Cface-masks%2Cs_news%2Cs_education', dunit: '71347885/_main_independent/in_news/in_education/video/article_hub', path: '/news/education/schools-face-masks-nadhim-zahawi-b1997635.html', mediaid: '', title: 'Zahawi%20to%20vet%20masks%20in%20classroom%20after%20schools%20ignore%20end%20of%20rules', text: 'Nadhim%20Zahawi%20syas%20local%20health%20chiefs%20must%20consult%20himi%20before%20enforcing%20coverings%20in%20classrooms%20', tags: 'schools,nadhim-zahawi,face-masks,s_news,s_education', }); }; script.src = 'https://videohub.playinc.uk.com/assets/independent/v5/lib.js'; document.head.appendChild(script); })(window);

Phil Randall, head of a secondary school in Exeter, told parents: “Despite the prime minister’s announcement earlier today regarding wearing of face masks in classrooms I will be requesting that students do wear them in classrooms as well as corridors in line with other local and national schools.”

He said the decision was influenced by a prediction by health authorities that Covid cases would increase in the area over coming weeks.

In a letter to MPs, Mr Zahawi said he would be consulted on any plans from local health chiefs to bring back face coverings in schools in areas with Covid outbreaks.

He said: “I met with directors of public health yesterday and we agreed that in the event of extraordinary outbreaks of Covid in localised areas, they will share their plans with me where they are recommending reintroducing face coverings in tightly-focused geographical zones, so that we can assess evidence and data to ensure any extra measures are proportionate.”

The government's decision on face masks in schools – announced on Wednesday along with an end to plan B restrictions – has been criticised as rash by some in the education field.

Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said that while everyone wanted mask-wearing in schools to end ”when it is safe“, the latest move was ”premature“.

She said: ”The danger is we lift restrictions too quickly before the effects of returning to school are clear.

“This will result in more education disruption which is extremely worrying particularly for pupils taking national exams this year whose education has been so badly disrupted already.”

Recommended

• Schools can expect ‘disruption in coming weeks’ due to Omicron
• MPs back law to guarantee careers advice to pupils from age of 11
• Most parents disagree with second Covid jab for 12 to 15-year-olds, poll finds

Want us to report on an issue that matters to you? Contact us by clicking here

Additional reporting by PA

Register for free to continue reading

Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism

By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists

registerEmailPlease enter a valid emailPlease enter a valid emailPasswordMust be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a numberMust be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a numberMust be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a numberFirst namePlease enter your first nameSpecial characters aren’t allowedPlease enter a name between 1 and 40 charactersLast namePlease enter your last nameSpecial characters aren’t allowedPlease enter a name between 1 and 40 charactersSelect your year of birth2004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989198819871986198519841983198219811980197919781977197619751974197319721971197019691968196719661965196419631962196119601959195819571956195519541953195219511950194919481947194619451944194319421941194019391938193719361935193419331932193119301929192819271926192519241923192219211920191919181917191619151914You must be over 18 years old to registerYou must be over 18 years old to registerYear of birthI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. 
Read our Privacy noticeOpt-out-policyYou can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe.

{{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}

Create my account

By clicking ‘Create my account’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.

RegisterI'll try later

Already have an account? sign in

By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.

More aboutSchoolsNadhim Zahawiface masks Join our new commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments {"currentIndex":0}1/1Zahawi to vet masks in classroom after schools ignore end of rules Zahawi to vet masks in classroom after schools ignore end of rules

National schools masks requirement ended on Thursday

AFP/Getty

✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost popular{{#link}}{{title}}{{/link}}Popular videos{{#link}} {{title}}{{/link}} {{#url}}{{short_headline}}{{/url}}Sponsored Features{{#link}}{{title}}{{/link}}Voucher CodesVery Discount Code20% or more off electricals in the Very saleBooking Com DiscountsSave 15% or more Booking.com discount codes & cashback in JanuaryDebenhams Discount CodeOnly £2 for delivery with this Debenhams discount code Jojo Maman Bebe Discount Code10% Jojo Maman Bebe discount code for sitewide ordersLEGO Discount Code30% off in the sale - LEGO discount