The Tasmanian government’s back-to-school Covid packs have been mocked after primary schoolchildren were sent comically large adult surgical masks.
Parents have been assured smaller sizes will be available at primary schools upon request after many took to social media posting pictures of the over-sized masks covering the entire faces of young children.
“A perfect fit, protects the nose, mouth, eyes and probably the ears too,” one person commented on social media.
“My granddaughter in grade five got adult masks too, and how long are five masks going to last?” another person posted. “It’s a joke really.”
Amy Pennicott tried an adult face mask on her young child and said it was simply unfeasible for her to wear it in or outside the classroom.
“My daughter is 10, 11 in June, and it’s clearly way too big,” she said.
“The adult masks definitely are not alright for children.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Education confirmed one size of surgical masks – the adult size – was included in the student Covid care packs distributed to families ahead of their return to school.
“However, where that size of mask does not fit the student at primary school, there is a supply of smaller masks available at schools to ensure they are accessible for all students who want to wear them given they are not mandatory,” the spokesperson said.
“While mask wearing is not mandatory in primary schools, primary schools across Tasmania have received a supply of more than 600,000 junior surgical masks if a child chooses to wear one and does not have their own.”
Visitors to schools are required to wear face masks at all times but masks are only mandatory indoors for students aged over 12 years.
Shadow education minister, Josh Willie, said the government was “gaslighting” Tasmanian families by suggesting there were thousands of junior surgical masks available while only distributing adult ones.
“It’s like something out of ‘Yes Minister’,” he said. “The idea that they’re the best because they cover the whole face.”
Willie acknowledged face masks were optional for children under 12 in Tasmania but said it remained a “perplexing and terrible look”.
“My son is in the public system, he received an adult mask in his pack and I’ve been contacted by a lot of parents in the same situation,” he said.
“I’ve been informed schools have junior surgical masks that just haven’t been provided.”
A survey conducted by the Australian Education Union (AEU) found of its members, just one in five teachers felt safe to return to school in Tasmania and 20% were satisfied with the Tasmanian government’s Covid plan.
AEU Tasmania president, David Genford, said the state government had failed to address safety measures ahead of schools returning this year.
“The reality is, not enough has been done in our schools to protect students and teachers against the threat of Covid-19,” he said.
“The government has had weeks to improve its Covid Return to School plan, but instead we’ll see students return to classes … with unacceptable, bare-minimum safety measures in place.”
Minister for education, Sarah Courtney, has been overseas on leave. She contracted Covid while in France last week and is expected to return to work from Thursday 10 February.
