Any attempt to bring back masks in England's schools will be personally looked at by the Education Secretary - even in areas hit by Covid spikes.
In a letter to MPs, Nadhim Zahawi said he has agreed with directors of public health that they will consult him before recommending that pupils are asked again to wear face coverings in the event of "extraordinary outbreaks" of Covid in local areas.
It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday that masks would no longer be mandatory in classrooms from Thursday, while communal areas will follow on January 27.
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The move has proved controversial with education unions, who warned it could be premature and that the situation in schools remains “extremely challenging” with “significant levels” of staff and pupil absence.
The headteacher of a County Durham School appeared on BBC Radio 4 yesterday to criticise the move, and 80 per cent of schools in the North East who took part in a recent survey said they would be keeping some Covid measures in place.
As reported by Wales Online, writing to MPs on Thursday Mr Zahawi said the decision to ask secondary school pupils to wear masks in classrooms in January amid the Omicron wave of coronavirus was not made “lightly”, but it was “worth it to ensure we maximised face-to-face learning”.
Going forward, he said he would be consulted on any plans from local health chiefs to bring back face coverings in schools in areas with Covid outbreaks.
“I also want to be clear that, given my evidence-led approach, I will continue to work collaboratively with the UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) and local directors of public health to ensure the right response to local outbreaks,” he wrote.
“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 Daily Telegraph reported that headteachers are already revolting against the move to scrap masks in classrooms, with more than 100 schools writing to parents to say pupils must continue wearing face coverings in lessons.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint-general secretary of the NEU teaching union, said on Wednesday that while everyone wanted mask-wearing in schools to end “when it is safe”, the latest move was “premature”.
And Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the situation in schools remained “extremely challenging with significant levels of pupil and staff absence because of Covid-19”.
The Daily Telegraph cited Robert Halfon, the Conservative chairman of the Education Select Committee, as saying schools must “get rid of masks once and for all”.
He is reported to have said: “Instead of gold-plating masks, which the scientific advice says are no longer needed, schools should be gold-plating children’s wellbeing and education.”
The news comes as the Government updated its safety guidance on wearing face coverings in universities and colleges, with masks “no longer advised” in lecture halls and classrooms from Thursday.
From January 27, students, staff and visitors will no longer need to wear face coverings in communal areas either, although Government guidance says universities and colleges can use them “voluntarily”.
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