Covid: Face masks to return to secondary school classrooms in England

Secondary school pupils in England will once again have to wear face masks in the classroom to help reduce the spread of the Omicron variant.

The government said the recommendations will be temporary, and will be reviewed again on 26 January.

The announcement comes ahead of most pupils in the UK returning to school next week after the Christmas break.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said the reintroduction of face masks in secondary school classrooms would "maximise the number of children in school".

He added: "The prime minister and I have been clear that education is our number one priority. These measures will bolster our support to schools as we do everything in our power to minimise disruption."

Headteachers also supported the latest move.

Geoff Barton, the head of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "While there are obvious drawbacks to the use of face coverings in classrooms, it is clear that the Omicron variant poses a very significant additional risk to education with the potential for further widespread disruption of schools.

"It is absolutely essential that everything possible is done to reduce transmission and ensure that children remain in school."

Face masks are already recommended in communal areas in England's schools for pupils in Year 7 and above.

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, face masks are already recommended for pupils in classrooms.

The government also announced that it would be providing 7,000 air cleaning units to schools and colleges to improve ventilation in classrooms, for example when windows cannot be opened.