"TEACHERS are not medical experts," says a headteachers' union as the decision on face coverings has been left to schools.

In new advice published today, the Welsh Government said the use of masks is recommended for people aged 11 and over indoors where social distancing cannot be maintained.

This would include inside schools and on school transport.

But the government is not making the use of face coverings mandatory, instead it has tasks schools to make "risk assessments" of their buildings to decide for themselves.

Laura Doel, NAHT Cymru Director, said: “It is unacceptable that school leaders are expected to shoulder the responsibility of deciding if face coverings are required in schools. Head teachers are not medical experts and the Welsh Government should not put them in this position.

“Everyone wants to see pupils back in class, with their teachers and their classmates. School leaders and their teams have worked hard over the summer playing their part to get schools ready for the start of the Autumn term.

“We need the Welsh Government to demonstrate they are in control of this situation. There needs to be absolute clarity about who is required to wear face coverings and when they need to be worn, this should include clear information in regards to pupils, teachers and parents.

“If the government leaves this decision-making to individual schools or local authorities, we will once again see a mixed economy across Wales, with different schools having different measures in place which will be unsettling and potentially unsafe for pupils, parents and staff alike. This will portray a message of confusion, not confidence in returning to school.

“If face coverings become mandatory in certain schools, then they will have to purchase many thousands of masks. This will undoubtedly come at an additional and unforeseen cost and may result in shortages as demand increases. The government needs to guarantee that enough masks will be available to schools and that the costs of getting hold of them are met in full or run the very real risk that schools will not reopen next week.”

Before the publication of the new advice, First Minister Mark Drakeford said there was “potential” for the use of masks to be introduced in school buildings where pupils cannot safely walk around its premises and in areas where there are local spikes.

Speaking at Wednesday’s Welsh Parliament plenary, Mr Drakeford said: “There is a potential part to be played by face coverings in secondary schools in a local context were numbers rise above a certain threshold, where particular buildings don’t allow the safe circulation of young people around the school.

“It is for a local determination in that set of particular circumstances, that those closest to them are best equipped to assess against guidance that we will provide to them.”

Today's announcement comes just six days before schools in Wales are due to reopen on September 1.

This is what Health Minister Vaughan Gething and Education Minister Kirsty Williams said about the latest advice published today.