Covid: Nadhim Zahawi admits mandatory masks in classrooms for secondary school students is 'not ideal'

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi outlined the battery of measures for schools in an interview with GB News Eamonn Holmes and Isabel Webster.

Many schools will return this week with extra Covid safety measures in place as the Government has announced all secondaries have been asked to provide an on-site test for students ahead of their return to the classroom.

Nadhim Zahawi told GB News: "I made sure we had enough test kits because we had an alternative route to provide them. You and I would be having a different conversation if they had not."

"We absolutely trust the teachers and the headteachers and the sports staff, they did a brilliant job last year... I am certain they will do a brilliant job with the testing."

The most controversial move for schools is the reintroduction of face coverings in classrooms for students in year 7 and above.

"The guidance we've suggested is that just whilst Omicron is surging, that students in secondary schools wear masks in the classroom" said the Education Secretary.

Nadhim Zahawi admitted "It’s not ideal, I want them to wear it for as short a period as possible."

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi outlined the battery of measures for schools in a Twitter thread on Sunday, saying he wanted to offer “reassurance” before the start of term.

In an open letter, he urged education leaders “to do everything in your power to protect face-to-face learning”, using all of their available teaching and non-teaching staff to cater for students on site.

But he indicated that some remote learning may need to take place.

This comes after data from the festive period is yet to show the extent to which the highly-transmissible Omicron variant will pile pressure on the NHS in the coming weeks.

A further 137,583 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases were recorded in England and Wales as of 9am on Sunday, the Government said.

This was down on the 162,572 cases recorded in England alone on Saturday.