Move comes as school attendance figures show an increase in Covid-related absence among pupils
Unions representing teachers and other school staff are calling on the government to reinstate masks in classrooms in England in response to a growing number of Covid outbreaks, particularly among secondary pupils.
Dozens of secondary schools in areas with high infection rates have already reintroduced mask requirements in the classroom as pupils returned to school after the half-term break this week, amid growing evidence that the Delta variant first identified in India is spreading rapidly in schools.
