Forcing children, particularly primary school children, to wear masks for hours on end in schools is abuse. Their emotional and educational well being is being immeasurably damaged. Not to mention the impact on learning from teachers being masked. The vulnerable are vaccinated. We need to learn to live with Covid and get some sense of normality back into our children's lives and let them BREATHE! South Africa is one of the few countries around the world which has mandated the use of masks for children so young in the first place. The policy was flawed from the outset and should never have been imposed. The UK is dropping its mask mandate for all school children. South Africa needs to follow suit. Our scientists proved themselves world-leading in identifying Omicron and determining its mild nature. Our politicians and ministers need to show similar leadership in dropping masks starting urgently with children.