Coronavirus: Derry principal doubts guidance will address face masks in schools

A Derry school principal has said he does not believe the issue of face masks for pupils will be definitively addressed in soon-to-be-issued Department of Education guidance.

It’s now just eight days until the first pupils return to Lisneal College.

Updated guidance from the department on how pupils will return safely is expected in the coming days.

“There will be no guidance on face masks or face coverings, let’s be honest,” Lisneal headmaster Michael Allen told The Mark Patterson Show on BBC Radio Foyle.

“The politicians cannot agree within their own parties whether it is right or wrong so it is highly unlikely there will be a strategic policy decision that will encourage schools to act one way or another”.

Mr Allen said at his school it is the choice of parents as to whether their children wear a mask.

“If a parent or child thinks that wearing a mask or face covering is the right thing to do, they will not hear any complaints from me,” he said.

Earlier Health Minister Robin Swann said pupils wearing face mask in schools needed to be considered on a case to case basis.

Mr Swann said his executive colleague Education Minister Peter Weir is due to offer further guidance later this week.

But the Health Minister said he agreed with previous guidance on face coverings for older pupils from the chief scientific advisor Prof Ian Young who has said he believed it would be of benefit for older children.

“It needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis. We do see from the Department of Health point of view the benefits of face covering in locations where social distancing cannot be put in place,” he said.

On Monday a school in Belfast announced that it planned to make wearing face coverings mandatory for both pupils and staff.

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