A plurality of Americans agree that parents should decide whether children wear masks in school, a survey from The Economist/YouGov released this week found.
The survey examined the continued controversy over who should determine whether children wear masks in schools.
“Who should have the most authority over whether K-12 students are required to wear masks?” the survey asked.
It found a plurality, 42 percent, pointing to parents, followed by 22 percent who said school administrators and 14 percent who remain unsure.
Just 13 percent believe the government should have that authority, followed by seven percent who believe teachers should.
Democrats are split when it comes to who should possess that authority, as 31 percent say school administrators, 21 percent say parents, and 20 percent say the government. A majority of Republicans, 65 percent, however, believe the decision should be left up to parents, and a plurality of independents, 45 percent, agree with that position.
The survey was taken February 26 – March 1 among 1,500 U.S. adults and comes as blue-state leaders suddenly have what Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) described as an “epiphany,” lifting mask mandates across their states, including for school children.
“The science didn’t change. The medical science didn’t change. The political science changed,” he said during a press conference last month.
“They feel the heat. They know that voters have been tired of perpetual lockdown policies. They know that they have basically offered no offramp and they know that they’re fixing to be whooped at the polls, so that’s causing the epiphany,” DeSantis stressed:
The medical science on forced masking children didn’t change — the political science did. In Florida, we never imposed state mask mandates, and we liberated children and parents from the local authorities that did. We hope every jurisdiction will follow suit. pic.twitter.com/Dz4SgObVJx
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 8, 2022
The Florida governor came under fire from pro-mandate leftists on Wednesday after briefly speaking to the individuals standing behind him prior to a press conference at the University of South Florida, encouraging them to remove their masks and to stop participating in “COVID theater.”
“You do not have to wear those masks. I mean, please, take them off,” he said. “Honestly, it’s not doing anything and we’ve gotta stop with this COVID theater. So if you want to wear it, fine, but this is ridiculous.”
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