Wednesday 1st December. Barnardos children’s charity is concerned about the call for mandatory facemask wearing for children age nine/third class and upwards in schools for a three-month period. While we respect the need for public health measures, we believe that mask wearing in schools will impact on children’s social and emotional development.
Barnardos CEO Suzanne Connolly said: “No child should be excluded from school for not wearing a mask. There has been insufficient preparation time given to parents and teachers to be able to introduce this public health recommendation, and no lead-time for them to prepare children for this big change.
“Covid-19 has had a huge impact on children overall – any further restrictions to children will have a cumulative effect on their education and their childhood. We urge the Government to keep this measure under frequent review in the best interest of children. ”
ENDS
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