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Rules around face masks in secondary schools in England are being extended after the Easter holidays.

The announcement was made by the government minister in charge of education, Gavin Williamson.

He said coverings - which have been required since schools reopened fully last month - would remain as "a precautionary measure" until at least 17 May.

The Department for Education (DfE) said: "This cautious approach will help limit the risk of transmission and enable continued monitoring of the effect of school and college returns."

It's been a big change to get used to because, before it was brought in last month, students only had to wear face masks in communal areas and some children didn't have to wear them at all.

Now, if pupils can't follow social distancing rules in a classroom, they are advised to wear a covering.

The government originally said the rules were a "temporary measure until Easter" but they have been kept under review and now extended.

It still remains that not everyone has to wear a mask. Some pupils are exempt because of health reasons and those doing "exercise or strenuous activity" aren't expected to wear them during lessons like PE.

Primary school pupils don't have to wear face coverings.

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Head teachers have argued that masks can disrupt learning and should not be used any longer than is "absolutely necessary".

Geoff Barton, head of the school leaders' union ASCL, said: "The use of face coverings is clearly not ideal in a classroom setting, as it has the capacity to disrupt education and it is not something we want to see going on any longer than is absolutely necessary."

However, other school leaders have praised the move, saying it's important to stay focused.

Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teachers' union, said: "Relaxing the rules in schools would send a message to pupils and parents that the threat of Covid has passed at a time when extreme caution is still needed."

The Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "Schools and students have done a great job adapting to Covid secure guidance and working hard to make sure it doesn't impact learning.

"We obviously all want to get back to facemask-free classrooms and we will do this in line with the latest scientific data while balancing the interests of students, teachers and the wider community."

The charity, the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS), has raised concerns previously about the impact masks will have on children with hearing loss and their education.

Becky Forrow, from the charity, said: "It's important that everyone can keep safe at school, but we need to remember that bringing face masks into classrooms will have serious consequences for deaf children and young people.

"Almost all of them rely on lip-reading to communicate and face masks are going to make this impossible. It'll be much harder for them to understand their teacher, get involved in classroom discussions or chat to their friends."

The government's guidance says pupils or staff who are speaking to, or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, don't need to wear a face covering.

The rules around schools and masks are different across the UK because each government decides its own coronavirus rules.

The Scottish government says all secondary school pupils should wear face coverings in corridors and communal areas. Senior pupils in the years S4-S6 and their teachers must wear them in class.

All staff in Scottish schools must wear masks where social distancing is not possible.

In Wales, face coverings are recommended in high schools when social distancing is "unlikely to be maintained", including in classrooms.

In Northern Ireland, face coverings must be worn in the corridors of post-primary schools and on public and school transport.

Jo Campion, Deputy Director at the National Deaf Children's Society, said:

"Almost all deaf children rely on lip reading in some way and when their teachers and classmates are wearing face masks, many of them will find it difficult to understand what's being said. This could mean deaf children struggle to keep up in class and become isolated from their friends at break time.

"What's really important is that schools are speaking to deaf pupils and their parents to make sure they can still understand their lessons. This might mean giving them extra time one-on-one, using new technology or introducing clear face masks, where you can see someone's face.

"If one of your friends is struggling, take some extra time to make sure they're feeling included in the conversation, such as by using gestures, repeating yourself or writing things down. If they're finding it hard to keep up in class, get them to tell an adult they trust so they don't have to battle on alone."