Face masks are already mandatory for the majority of pupils in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has said schools must remain open, but restrictions should be followed to buy the Government more time to decide its next steps.
Mr Zahawi told ITV: “[To] keep schools open, do all the things necessary, like face masks in communal areas to protect the education in the classroom.
“Face masks are not a panacea. These are all interventions that just help you slow the virus from accelerating too quickly.
“Just to give the scientists a bit more time, a bit more headroom to actually decide what do we need to do next.”
