Parent-teacher campaign group slams extension of masks in class

(Press release issued 19 October 2021)

Stand By Me Scotland, the grassroots campaign group of parents and teachers fighting for an end to compulsory face masks in Scotland’s classrooms, has condemned this morning's Scottish Government announcement that all Covid mitigations in schools will remain unchanged - including the requirement for secondary school pupils to wear face masks while seated at their desks.

“We are appalled and disgusted that the Scottish Government has bowed to pressure from the EIS and rowed back on updating its guidance in line with recommendations from experts on its own Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children’s Issues, which met on 5 October.  

“Blatantly pegging the removal of masks to vaccination rates of 12- to 15-year olds, as today’s announcement does, is a monumental shifting of the goalposts and frankly, it’s pure coercion -  a sinister move that paves the way for a ‘no jab, no school’ policy. This is an assault on children’s rights which we’ll fight tooth and nail.”

In her statement, the Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville had said: ‘While I fully understand that this will be disappointing news for some young people and their parents, as has been the situation throughout, the safety of children, young people, and all education staff remains the overriding priority.”

Stand By Me Scotland’s spokesperson points out: 

“What the Education Secretary totally fails to acknowledge is the very real detrimental impact of full-time masks in classrooms. Wearing a mask for up to six hours a day is not just a mere discomfort - it is harmful to teaching and learning, and the health and wellbeing of pupils and staff. If the Scottish Government is so concerned about safety, it needs to start listening to parents and to the many teachers trying to speak up about these harms.”

Stand By Me members in the teaching profession have been anonymously sharing their experiences that reveal the detrimental impacts of masks in secondary classrooms. Read their experiences here. 

“Our teacher members fear for their jobs so can only speak anonymously, but their harrowing stories show, graphically, how full-time mask wearing damages learning and wellbeing. It’s not a small sacrifice but a harmful intervention that fundamentally alters the dynamic in secondary classrooms. This is NOT what we want for Scotland’s children.”

Teachers speak out against masks in classrooms amid guidance delay

(Press release issued 18 October)

Secondary school teachers are adding their voices to those of parents and secondary school leaders in calling for face masks to be dropped from Scotland’s secondary classrooms when schools return. 

This comes as the Scottish Government is yet to publish its revised guidance following the most recent meeting of the Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children’s Issues on 5 October. According to press reports on Monday 11 October, the meeting had recommended that masks while seated in class should be dropped. However, in a subsequent statement on Twitter the EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union, said it would oppose the move at this stage. 

Stand By Me Scotland, the grassroots campaign group of parents and teachers fighting for an end to compulsory face masks in Scotland’s classrooms, said: 

“Enough is enough. The Scottish Government should listen to the experts on its own Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children’s Issues and not buckle under pressure from the EIS, whose insistence on keeping face masks is deeply unjust and unfair to children, and certainly does not represent the views of all secondary teachers working at the coalface." 

School Leaders Scotland had already said they would welcome the removal of masks from classrooms, and that is what our teacher members are telling us too. The EIS is not acting in the interests of children and teachers by opposing the draft guidance.”

A growing body of testimony from teachers gathered by Stand By Me Scotland reveal the detrimental impacts of masks in secondary classrooms - on teaching, learning engagement, health and wellbeing. Though teachers are afraid to speak out for fear of losing their jobs, some are sharing their experiences anonymously. Read about their experiences here. 

Stop shifting the goalposts

(Press release issued 6 October)

We condemn the First Minister’s suggestion during her Covid update of 5 October that restrictions in school - including face masks - may remain in place beyond the October holidays. Once again, the First Minister is kicking the can down the road 

What we are seeing is an insidious mission creep. In early August, before the start of term, the Scottish Government said restrictions in schools will remain in place for up to six weeks. The new Cabinet Secretary for Education, Shirley-Anne Somerville, promised masks in class would be dropped “as soon as possible”

She said: "Of course we would like to take these restrictions off as soon as possible. We think they might be in place for up to six weeks, that's to ensure that all the staff within our schools have the opportunity to be fully doubly vaccinated. But if we can take those restrictions - particularly the face masks - off earlier then of course we would do that."

So at that point the ostensible aim of keeping masks in class was to ensure provide a little leeway for staff to have both doses. Well, that's done now. And 12-15 year olds are now being offered the vaccine too. 

In mid-September, this was extended to the October break, and now we see the suggestion that masks in secondary classrooms may stay beyond that. We eagerly await the outcome of yesterday’s (5 October) meeting of the Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children’s Issues, and hope that common sense and compassion will finally prevail. But we fear it will probably not.

So we'll keep standing by our children and say... Enough is enough. The enforcement of face masks in secondary school classrooms - even when kids are seated - needs to end now, as they did in England in May. Keeping the measure is unjust and harmful to our young people, and completely out of step with the easing of restrictions in wider Scottish society. 

Latest Holyrood protest as political leaders mingle mask-less indoors

Stand By Me Scotland held its fourth protest outside the Scottish Parliament on Saturday 2 October, with its trademark colourful slogan umbrellas brightening up a typically dreich autumnal day. The fourth protest took place on the same day as the Official Opening of the Scottish Parliament.

We were horrified, but not surprised, to see pictures emerge soon after the official reception of MSPs, including the First Minister herself, socialising mask-free, cheek by jowl with other guests indoors. 

This highlighted in stark terms the ridiculous and unfair inconsistencies in the remaining Covid mitigations, with secondary-age children bearing the greatest burden of restrictions  while adults socialise mask-free in nightclubs… and in Parliament! 

Scotland’s political leaders are guilty of breath-taking double standards, enjoying life as normal and claiming to have young people’s best interests at heart, while continuing to insist secondary pupils wear masks for six hours a day. This must stop now.

(Also see press release issued 6 October) 

Image gallery