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 The EIS is not acting in the interests of children and teachers by opposing the draft guidance.”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.