MORE than 100 headteachers have insisted that kids must CONTINUE to wear facemasks – even though the government says they are no longer needed.
Schools across the country have told parents that they will keep the mandatory mask rules despite the Prime Minister’s announcement that the measure will be lifted on Thursday.
Boris Johnson has announced that from Thursday morning face masks will no longer be legally required anywhere in the country – including in schools.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi endorsed his announcement – saying that “all schools” should banish face masks so that children can “enjoy a normal experience” in the classroom.
He even went so far as to warn that the Department for Education (DfE) will contact headteachers who are refusing to drop masks.
It comes as recent polling showed that nearly two-thirds of parents are against the mandatory wearing of face masks in class.
And a string of hugely positive studies show Omicron is milder than other strains in the vaccinated.
However, some schools have ignored the government’s pleas and have implemented their own measures, The Telegraph reports.
One Burnley school, Shuttleworth College, said it would “not be removing any of our measures in school at this time” because of the case rate in the local area.
Meanwhile Newton Abbot College in Devon, Isleworth and Syon School in Middlesex and Bristol Free School all gave the same reason for keeping the face coverings mandatory.
However, many other schools did not explain their reasoning behind continuing the draconian measure.
All Saints’ Catholic Academy in Nottinghamshire said it would “continue with our current procedures” including masks in the classroom “until further notice”.
Uckfield College in East Sussex said they will keep masks as the “last thing students want at the moment is more staff absence”.
Meanwhile The Commonweal School in Swindon told parents to “ensure that your child brings a suitable mask to school each day”.
And St Peter’s Church of England Aided School in Exeter, Devon, told parents that masks must still be worn in lessons because “Covid has not gone away”.
Brits are now allowed to flock back to offices in a major boost to the economy.
People were ordered to return to teleworking on December 8 in a bid to help stop the lightning spread of Omicron.
Brits will no longer have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter large venues like football grounds and nightclubs.
All domestic use of vaccine passports is being dropped from next Thursday morning in a move that will please many Tory MPs.
Boris faced a huge Commons rebellion when the measure was introduced last month and only got it through thanks to Labour.
