It's been reported in the Telegraph and Daily Mail that PHE "did not consider" the negative health impacts of requiring children to wear facemasks in the classroom.
Nick Gibb, Minister for School Standards questioned about this today commented that children 'didn't seem to mind' wearing masks, even though the Government's own survey found that 80% of children are struggling to communicate wearing a mask and more than 50% felt it was affecting their ability to learn.
The government cannot produce any evidence that the benefits of this policy outweigh the potential harms, as the scientific evaluation hasn't been done. Whilst it's possible (but not confirmed) that face coverings in schools will be removed in Step 3 of the government roadmap, this will be at the earliest from 17 May, still 3 weeks away. The government has not confirmed under what criteria this measure will be removed, so still has the ability to push out this date, nor has it ruled out any future reintroduction.
There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that wearing mask for prolonged periods can have a negative impact on physical and mental health, especially in children who are more susceptible to the effects.
This article collates information from 44 experimental studies and 65 publications on the side effects of face masks. A wide variety of statistically significant confirmed side effects and dangers are reported and the article notes “Children are particularly vulnerable and may be more likely to receive additional harm” and “repeated exposure over longer periods is relevant. Long-term disease-relevant consequences of masks are to be expected.”
This study published in Germany where data was collected from a total of 25,930 children wearing a face mask for an average of 270 mins a day found that 68% reported impairments including irritability (60%), headache (53%), difficulty concentrating (50%), less happiness (49%), reluctance to go to school (44%), malaise (42%), impaired learning (38%) and drowsiness or fatigue (37%)
The government guidance for schools impels them to 'ensure face coverings are used where recommended' but makes them responsible for carrying out a risk assessment and consequently a legal case is being brought against a UK school and is in court tomorrow. Most schools will be unaware of this terrible position the Department for Education has put them in.
If you share my concerns, please write to your MP asking them to call for facemasks in the classroom to be removed immediately (no school needs a one week notice for this) and permanently, as we cannot continue with any measure for children in the knowledge that safety has not been evaluated.
You can also write to your school, making them aware of this issue. I have no doubt this policy has been implemented in good faith by schools who have dutifully followed all government guidelines without intending to harm children, but it is nonetheless their responsibility to safeguard the children in their care.