Secondary schools and colleges to get funding to give out face masks
Free face coverings will be given to pupils in secondary schools and colleges, due to £2.3m of funding from the Welsh Government.
Current guidance means face coverings are recommended for all members of the public over 11 years in indoor settings where social distancing cannot be maintained, including schools and school transport.
Pupils returned to the classroom last week after schools were forced to close back in March due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Many schools have stripped back classrooms by removing soft furnishings and rearranging desks, and have installed hand sanitising stations around buildings.
The use of face masks is recommended in communal areas of schools where the physical layout means that groups cannot maintain a two-metre social distance.
It also states that face masks are of "little value" in children under the age of 11. The rules have also been relaxed around them needing to social distance.
The £2.3m funding from the government will see £1.8m and £469,000 provided to schools and further education settings respectively.
Education Minister Kirsty Williams said, "It is vital children and young people, parents and the education workforce feel confident that all measures are being taken to protect them as they return to schools and colleges."
But unions have criticised the money saying while the financial support is "welcome", they are calling for more consistency "across the board".
Laura Doel, director of NAHT Cymru, said, "Surely it would make more sense for the government to have made a blanket decision on whether face coverings are needed and supply them? This would see consistency across the board, with everyone being supplied with the same face covering of the same quality, and would be much more cost effective.
"Handing out cash to local authorities will not fix the mixed economy issue, and without knowing which coverings each local authority is buying, it is difficult to say how much money is enough."
A WLGA spokesperson said: “Schools and local authorities have planned extensively over the summer to prepare for the reopening of schools and mitigate the risks of COVID 19 for students, teachers and support staff.
“These plans include test, trace and protect and arrangements to provide cover for staff who need to self-isolate where possible or the arrangement of alternative provision.”