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.”