THE government's decision to make wearing masks mandatory for secondary school pupils in classrooms across England received a mixed response from Adver readers.

The government said the move will “maximise the number of children in school” for the “maximum amount of time” in light of the surge in the Omicron strain of the virus.

It stressed that the recommendation for both schools and colleges will be temporary, remaining in place until January 26, when Plan B regulations are scheduled to expire. At this point, it will be reviewed.

An additional 7,000 air cleaning units will be provided to schools, colleges and early years settings to improve ventilation in teaching spaces.

Here's what you thought about the extra safety precaution:

Liz Bain: "I'm guessing it's to hopefully keep the teachers safe as well as the children so they don't have to shut the classes and start home-schooling again."

Sharon Mason: "Why do children have to wear masks all day in school, but you don’t if you work in an office? Doesn’t make sense."

Lauren Curtis: "Nope, I don’t think they should, my son's school does regular testing and year group bubbles."

Amy Nice: "No masks in a nightclub yet children in educational settings have to? Prioritising at its finest."

Wayne Pryor: "Sounds too dangerous to send the kids back, home education could be the way forward."

Vicki Lee: "Ridiculous If you ask me. My daughter won’t be wearing one, it’s that simple."

Patrick Connolly: "That's a very selfish attitude, what sort of example is that to be setting your children?

"Teachers have a hard enough job without having to deal with people ignoring the rules.

"Rules are rules so, agree with them or not, it's all our responsibility to make sure they are followed.

"And it's no real hardship, you forget you have the mask on after a few minutes."

Adam Poole: "Given that wearing facemasks significantly reduces onward transmission of the virus, why is it ridiculous [to ask children to wear them in classrooms]?

"What about teachers and their families? Haven't they got a right to have their health and lives protected? And indeed other children and their families?

"This will help to keep teachers and their families safe and indeed children and their families.

"But the reality is this is just another part of the muddled, confusing and inconsistent approach to the pandemic by an incompetent government that is driven by ideology rather than science - people are dying needlessly as a result

"There is plenty of scientific evidence that wearing masks reduces onward transmission of Covid. Wearing masks saves lives, simple as that."

Julianne Williams: "If it was all down to personal choice, we would still live with the mumps, ,measles, rubella, and would still have smallpox polio the list goes on!"

Jenn Wolfie: "While I agree with this decision - why are places such as nightclubs exempted?"

Nita Tait: "Not good if they wear glasses, because the glasses get steamed up."

Stacey Wilson-Sly: "Not if they wear them properly. I have to wear a mask at work all day every day and wear glasses too,"

Clhareesi Elisabeth Willis: "I wear one from 8am till 6pm im in retail. Doctors and nurses wear them even longer. I can still breathe oxygen."

Andrea See: "All people should wear masks if they can when they are in crowded spaces. The government should fund improvements to - or installation of - mechanical ventilation in buildings because simply opening a window doesn't cut it.

"A government is meant to look after its citizens."

Simon Higgs: "Well I wear one in a hospital all day, you kinda get used to it after a while."

Shelley Illing: "I’ve had to wear one every day for the last 18months when I’m at work along with a lot of other health care workers, it won’t do them any harm."

Jane Simpkins: "Pupils in Scotland have been wearing them since 2020."