Coronavirus: More schools ask pupils to wear face coverings

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For most schools in Scotland the wearing of face coverings is currently voluntary

More schools are advising pupils and staff to wear face coverings to help combat coronavirus.

Grantown Grammar School in Grantown on Spey and Millburn Academy in Inverness have both said masks need to be worn between classes.

Children across Scotland are not currently required to wear masks in either primary or high schools.

But Nicola Sturgeon has said this advice could change for secondary school students in the "near future".

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued fresh guidance saying children over the age of 12 should wear masks and the EIS trade union posted a message on Twitter that it will "will press [the] Scottish Government further on face covering protocols in light of WHO advice".

In a letter to parents, Grantown Grammar School explained the changes are being introduced because "corridors are becoming crowded between lessons and at break and lunchtime, even with the one way system".

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Millburn Academy in Inverness has asked pupils to wear face coverings

Similar concerns about overcrowding as pupils move between lessons sparked the introduction of face coverings at James Gillespie's High School in Edinburgh.

The letter to parents at Millburn Academy in Inverness also asks for face coverings to be worn on school buses.

'Hugely damaging'

Education campaign group Us for Them Scotland, which says it has 9,500 members, claimed any move to make coverings mandatory for children would cause more harm than good.

Organiser Jo Bisset, said: "Everyone appreciates the health and safety of pupils and teachers has to be a priority.

"But forcing children to wear masks when there's little, if any, scientific evidence to support such a move could be hugely damaging.

"It could have an extremely negative impact on pupils with autism, hearing impairments and conditions such as asthma."

The Scottish government has said there is currently no evidence that coronavirus among young people is being transmitted in schools.

A growing number of school pupils have tested positive for Covid-19, but the government believes the infection has been transmitted in other settings, such as house parties or other indoor gatherings.

A Highland Council spokeswoman said: "There is currently no widespread transmission of the virus in Highland.

"However, there may be circumstances in some secondary schools, where physical distancing during movement between classes is more difficult due to the school layout, or there may be medical conditions which are assessed as an increased risk.

"We are currently updating our guidance to head teachers to provide clarity on this matter and we will enable people to wear face coverings where they wish to do so."

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