3. Will the Minister make a statement on the mandatory wearing of face masks for school children? OQ56451

Our operational guidance states that face coverings should be worn by secondary school learners in all parts of the school building if social distancing cannot be maintained, and on dedicated school transport. This is one of a range of measures to keep schools as safe as possible for both staff and learners.  

Thanks, Minister. There's much research that exists on the unhealthiness of prolonged unsupervised mask wearing as there is on the benefit. We need to get all pupils back into the classroom in a positive learning environment. UsforThem Cymru is an example of concerned parents who want clear direction on freedom to choose, because many pupils are being told that the wearing of masks in the classroom over a prolonged period is mandatory, and policing in all senses works best on consensus. There are real physical and mental impairments to mask wearing and the issue of some headteachers mandating the wearing of masks is causing real anxiety, possible future health problems—depending on the mask and what is done with the mask before wearing—and, for many pupils, it is a barrier to learning. So, what I'm looking for here is some kind of responsibility because you omitted to really address the issue of pupils having to wear masks in classrooms over a prolonged period. So, what will you do to support parents, pupils and staff who choose not to wear masks or who want to not wear masks in the classroom over a prolonged period? What are you going to do to support those people?

I'm not aware that we're asking children to wear masks in an unsupervised situation at all. Children are supervised on school transport and when they're in classrooms they are supervised. The advise that we're giving is that when social distancing cannot be maintained, then masks should be worn because that offers a level of protection, as I said, to both staff and learners. There are times when masks are not appropriate, such as at meal times, when outside, when social distancing is possible, when learners are running around, playing active games, and where learners do have indeed a genuine, specific barrier to wearing a mask. What I would say to parents and to pupils is I'm very grateful for their continuing willingness to engage actively with us, as Welsh Government, and with headteachers and recognise the steps that we can all take to minimise disruption to education and to keep them learning. And I'm very grateful for their willingness to continue to do so.

Can I wish you well for the future, Minister? You have survived five years and prospered, I think, despite having to start under the incubus of a commendation from me—there we are, it obviously, didn't affect your authority and performance.

I do have some sympathy with Neil McEvoy's point here, because I think we need a flexible approach in some respects. And I'm particularly concerned bout the need for effective social communication, especially for those pupils who are hard-of-hearing and also those pupils who have a language learning difficulty and therefore need lip-reading as part of their communication method. So, I do hope that the guidance is flexible enough to address these very real issues that do affect a minority of our pupils.

Thank you, David, and thank you for your kind words. Coming from you, who I have appreciated working alongside, as a member of the class of 1999, they are worth that much more.

Can I assure the Member that there is flexibility? Where learners have a specific barrier to wearing a face mask, then that should be recognised by schools. That might be in the case of neurodiverse learners or where learners have a communication difficulty. We have provided advice to schools on the appropriate specification of clear face coverings and where those should be worn, especially if there are children for whom lip-reading is absolutely essential to be able to participate within activities in the classroom. And we have provided advice on specification to schools about how those can be obtained and when they should be used.