More than 40% of parents believe that wearing masks in schools was harmful to the social, emotional, and mental well-being of their children, according to a new poll.
The survey, conducted by Harvard and Politico, found that 41% of parents of school-aged children believed wearing a mask at school had harmed their child’s educational experience.
Forty-six percent of parents were particularly concerned that school masking had harmed their child’s social skills and education, and 39% believed it had harmed their child’s mental health.
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The poll of 478 parents was conducted from March 1-7, as numerous states and districts began dropping school mask mandates following new guidance on masking by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Parents from school districts where mask mandates were still in place at the time of the survey were more likely to believe that wearing a mask had no effect on the well-being of their child. Meanwhile, 48% of parents from districts that had removed mask mandates were more likely to believe masking had been harmful.
The poll also found that 63% of Republican parents and 45% of independents believed that masking had harmed their child, while 58% of Democrats believed it had no impact.
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A slight 51% majority of all parents believed masking students was necessary to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, compared to 47% who did not.
