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For most schools in Scotland the wearing of face coverings is currently voluntary
The use of face coverings in corridors and communal areas of secondary schools is set to be introduced in Scotland.
The government is in the “final stages” of consultations with teachers and councils about having pupils wear face coverings while moving between classes.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was acting in response to new guidance from the World Health Organisation.
However, there are not currently any plans to have pupils wear masks while in the classroom.
The use of face coverings in schools is currently voluntary, although some schools have started advising staff and pupils to wear them to help combat Covid-19.
Young people returned to Scotland’s schools earlier in August with no requirements for physical distancing between younger pupils, and no rules around face coverings.
However, over the weekend the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued fresh guidance saying children over the age of 12 should wear masks.
At her daily coronavirus briefing, Ms Sturgeon said Education Secretary John Swinney was “in the final stage of consulting teachers and local authorities for the use of face coverings in secondary schools when moving around corridors and communal areas”.
She said there was more mixing between different groups of children in these areas, and that there was less scope for effective ventilation.
Pupils are also thought to be more likely to raise their voices in crowded areas, increasing the risk of aerosol transmission of the virus.
Ms Sturgeon said the government’s scientific advisers were also considering whether face coverings should be made mandatory on school transport.
However, she said they were “not currently consulting on any proposal” to have pupils wear masks in class, saying: “There is greater scope for physical distancing in classrooms and [face coverings] are more likely to interfere with teaching and learning.”
She added: “The best way to ensure schools can stay open safely is for all of us to play our part in keeping transmission rates in the community as low as possible.”