Secondary heads in have been advised by a school leaders’ union to ask pupils and staff to wear masks in corridors and communal spaces.

The news follows a government announcement last night that schools in areas under local lockdown should expect staff and pupils in communal areas to wear masks, while secondary schools elsewhere will have the “discretion” to make masks mandatory in communal areas.

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Now England’s largest heads’ union has accused the government of having “passed the buck” to school leaders over decision making on wearing masks.

In a letter from the NAHT union to members, general secretary Paul Whiteman advised secondary school leaders to ensure pupils and staff wore face coverings in communal areas.

He said: “The NAHT’s advice is that it would be prudent for secondary schools to ask pupils and staff to wear face coverings in corridor and communal spaces unless there is a compelling reason not to.

“Erring on the side of caution would seem a sensible approach to take given the information coming out of the WHO,” he added. The World Health Organisation has said that children over 12 should wear masks.

Mr Whiteman said the NAHT would be seeking answers on the “range of questions this new policy position raises”.

Some headteachers have been critical of the idea of wearing masks within school.

Katharine Birbalsingh, head of Michaela School in north London, said wearing masks would lead to poor behaviour.

Kids will lick and spit in each other’s masks, swap and ping them. Kids will be constantly touching their faces to readjust their masks.

Teachers must realise this! Are we in such denial of typical kid behaviour?

SLTs should create environments where teachers can teach! 3/4

- Katharine Birbalsingh (@Miss_Snuffy) August 26, 2020

And she suggested that pupils wearing masks amounted to “box ticking” unless schools banned pair and group work too.

Will schools ban pair and group work? Will they ensure all children are looking to the front of the class to keep them safe?

Or will they put masks on in corridors and tick a box?

Box ticking in education is rife and destructive.

- Katharine Birbalsingh (@Miss_Snuffy) August 26, 2020