Independent school principals call for mask rethink amid epidemic of declining mental health among kids

Principals are calling for a rethink of mask rules, amid an ‘epidemic’ of declining mental health among students, after more than two years of the pandemic.

Mask requirements are adding to an epidemic of deteriorating mental health among children, some principals say, calling for a review of the requirement for students to wear them.

Independent schools also want the green light to make their own decisions on whether or not students and teachers are required to wear masks.

Westminster School principal Simon Shepherd said the state was focused on addressing the Covid-19 pandemic and “forgetting about the epidemic” – the virus’s impact on wellbeing.

Masks were contributing to mental health problems, Mr Shepherd said, impeding children’s ability to interact and making it harder for teachers to pick up how well they understood concepts.

“We have kids allowed to play sport without a mask on, they do PE (physical education) without a mask on, and then we think as they go into a classroom they’re going to catch Covid from each other,” he said. “There’s a great deal of fear around Covid and we’re being crippled by that and the people who are suffering are our kids.

Mr Shepherd said non-government schools were forced into the vexed issue of handling teachers’ vaccine rules once the government’s mandate lifted – and they should similiarly be given the choice to determine their own mask requirements.

“The mental health issue will linger on, and they’re being neglected, probably because they can’t vote.”

On Tuesday the state government decided masks would be required for students in years 7-12 and their teachers for the first four weeks of term 2. At Sacred Heart College, principal Steve Byrne said many students and teachers had already had Covid-19 and could not be reinfected for 12 weeks. “Why are they wearing masks?” he said.

Immanuel College principal Kevin Richardson. Picture: Supplied

Removing masks would benefit students’ wellbeing, Mr Byrne said, as it would allow them to see each other’s smiles and more easily pick up when mates needed support.

He said the college’s counsellors had “never been busier” and there had been “exponential growth” during Covid in mental health problems – in particular, anxiety disorders.

“The sheer joy of when they leave the building and peel off their masks is something to behold,” Mr Byrne said.

Immanuel College principal Kevin Richardson said he would welcome schools being offered more choice over mask use.

“Kids have had to wear them (masks) for longer and in more restrictive environments than most adults,” he said.

“We’d like to have more choice but we’ll continue to follow the directions of SA Health – they’ve got us this far,” he said.

Education Minister Blair Boyer said keeping mask requirements for four weeks would allow time for school survey work, ahead of improvements to ventilation, and for new school vaccination hubs to get up and running.

“We don’t want to have this situation where we’re sending classes and schools back to remote learning,” he said.