TEACHING unions have questioned whether the government was following scientific advice or just “prioritising political expediency”  after ministers U-turned on advice for face masks in schools.

Updated guidance from the Department for Education issued on Tuesday night said that in areas of England under local lockdown, face coverings should be worn in corridors and communal areas of secondary schools.

While the government was still not recommending that face coverings were necessary in all schools, headteachers were also given discretion over whether pupils should wear face masks in areas that aren’t under lockdown.