Embargo: 00:01 on Thursday, January 27th 2021
From Thursday January 27th, face masks will no longer be required in communal areas in English secondary schools. This means face masks will not be required anywhere in any school across England, except where there’s a local outbreak.
In response, Mike Hobday, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said:
“Removing face masks from communal areas is a really important step for deaf students across England. After months of struggle, they will now be able to lip read, socialise and laugh along with their friends much more easily.
“This will make education more enjoyable, while for many of them it will also be a welcome boost to their mental health after a difficult time.
“It’s important that lessons are learned from the pandemic because issues like the impact of face masks and a widespread lack of deaf awareness have really come to the fore.
“Going forward, the needs of deaf students must be considered and provided for whenever major decisions are made.”
