‘Children are not under any obligation to wear face masks, the Government said on Wednesday night, telling schools not to send pupils home if they refuse to wear one.   

While masks and regular Covid tests are strongly encouraged, they are not legal requirements and pupils should not be “denied education” as a result of non-compliance, officials said.

Pupils are also being asked to take four lateral flow tests during the first two weeks of school, three of which will take place at school and one at home. After that, they will be asked to take two tests per week at home and report the results to their teachers.

But ministers have said both these measures are voluntary and pupils must not be kicked out of classes if they refuse.

(….) But some parents have reacted angrily to the guidance, saying they will refuse to send their children to school if they are forced to wear masks.

“Face masks are an untested intervention and one that many respected academics and doctors have raised serious concerns about from a psychological point of view but also due to the potential physical harm and the long-term effects of face coverings on brain development and educational attainment.”

 

Ms Kingsley said “hundreds” of parents have contacted UsForThem to say they intend to keep their children at home because of the mask requirement.

Operational guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) says “no pupil should be denied education on the grounds that they are not wearing a face covering”.

DfE guidance says that the lateral flow tests are “voluntary”, adding: “Pupils not undergoing testing should attend school in line with your phased return arrangements. Schools will have discretion on how to test students over that week as they return to the classroom.”‘ Here is the full article.