Face masks: No change to school advice before March

Secondary pupils have been asked to wear face masks in schools since November

Face mask advice in schools is unlikely to change before the end of February, says Mark Drakeford.

The first minister said the position would be kept under review but measures were needed to protect staff and students.

Secondary pupils have been told to wear masks in classrooms and communal areas since the end of November.

The Welsh Conservatives said it was a "hammer blow to parents, teachers and experts".

The First Minister told Wales Online there was "a very strong consensus" in meetings with education unions and local authorities that it was not the right time to ditch requirements on masks.

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"Everybody wants to get back to more normal conditions and everybody recognises that it is uncomfortable for children to be wearing face coverings during the day", said Mr Drakeford.

"But everybody is also very alert to the fact that we have got to protect the health of our staff and our students, and that face coverings makes a contribution to that," he added.

The first minister has said the UK government of "long abandoned any sense of following the science"

Pupils in England have not been required to wear face coverings in classrooms since Thursday, and they will not have to wear them elsewhere in school buildings from January 27, though some schools may decide to keep them.

The Welsh Conservatives' Shadow Minister for Education Laura Anne Jones said expert advice suggested masks made "a minimal difference to stopping the transmission of Covid-19, yet they can have an extremely negative effect on learners and learning in the classroom".

"Learners have already suffered so much educationally throughout this pandemic, it's time to learn to live with Covid and that includes dropping facemasks," Ms Jones said.

'A very small price to pay'

Laura Doel, director of NAHT Cymru, said with high levels of staff absence due to Covid, it was important to be "wary" of lifting mitigation measures too quickly.

Neil Butler from NASUWT Cymru said face coverings were "a very small price to pay" in an ongoing public health emergency, while Eithne Hughes of the Association of School and College Leaders Cymru backed "a more cautious approach".

In a statement, the Welsh government said the Education Minister, Jeremy Miles would be providing an update on measures in schools next week.

"We continue to take a cautious approach in relation to Covid measures in schools, and face coverings are one of a wide range of mitigation measures in place", a spokesperson said.