Covid Scotland: what did Nicola Sturgeon say about face masks in schools - and when will new rule come in?

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that pupils and teachers will no longer be required to wear face coverings in classrooms.

Ms Sturgeon made the announcement in during First Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 10 February while updating MSPs on the current Covid situation in Scotland.

The First Minister had been under pressure from opposition politicians to scrap the rule.

What did Nicola Sturgeon say about face coverings in schools?

The requirement for face coverings to be worn in secondary school classroom will be removed.

Ms Sturgeon said that the move will allow pupils to return to “a more normal experience after many months of sacrifice”, adding it will “reduce barriers to communication in the classroom and reduce any wellbeing impacts which arise from the use of face coverings”.

While face coverings will no longer be required in classrooms, pupils and teachers will still be asked to wear a face mask in communal areas in the school.

When will face masks in classrooms be scrapped?

The First Minister confirmed that the rule will be removed on Monday 28 February.

This is when many pupils will head back into the learning environment after the half-term break.

Further information on the change is due to be issued, however Ms Sturgeon said that she wanted to inform parents and pupils of the change as soon as possible “o give children and young people, their families and school staff certainty about the forthcoming changes before the February break”.

What has been the reaction to the announcement?

Scottish Conservatives have been vocal about their wish for face coverings to be removed in educational settings, and have welcomed the move by Ms Sturgeon.

Party leader Douglas Ross said: “Young people’s education has been unnecessarily disrupted for far too long.”

“Finally, after weeks of refusing to budge, the Government has U-turned. While it is welcome, it has taken much longer than was necessary.”

Ms Sturgeon contested Mr Douglas’ claims that the rule should have been scrapped earlier, saying: “Had we done it before today, we would have been acting against expert and scientific advice – it would have been the wrong thing to do.

“We are doing it now at the right time and in line with advice and I think that marks the responsibility of this Government in contrast with the irresponsibility of the main opposition.”

While Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar welcomed the move, he added that the removal of face masks in classroom settings will “add anxiety for staff and workers in schools as well as for parents”.

Willie Rennie, education spokesperson for Scottish Liberal Democrats, echoed Mr Sarwar’s comments and called for greater ventilation in classrooms.

He said: “The First Minister should announce fresh financial support so that schools can install air filters in every classroom, tackle Covid build-up and make our schools safer for pupils and staff alike.

“This will help not just with Omicron but with future outbreaks and education performance more generally.”

What have teachers said about the announcement?

EIS, Scotland’s largest education union, also spoke out on the decision.

Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the union, said: “The majority of EIS members supported the retention of face coverings until we were through the winter period so we would have preferred the end of March rather than the end of February for this change to happen.

“Having said that, it is important that both pupils and staff have the right to continue to wear face coverings if they wish and, in some cases, where there is a heightened vulnerability in play, face coverings may still be required.”

He added that while cases are dropping, rates still remain relatively high in education settings, with many teachers still backing measures such as proper ventilation and face coverings in communal areas.

How many Covid cases are there in Scotland?

As of Wednesday 10 February, there have been 7,275 new daily cases of Covid-19.

904 people are currently in hospital with the virus, with 19 of those in intensive care.

There have been 24 coronavirus-linked deaths in the past 24 hours.

Around 4,424,596 people have received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, with 4,139,618 having received their second.

3,332,960 people have been given a booster jab.

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