Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has said he wants to "ditch masks in class" by the end of January when Plan B measures are reviewed.
The top Tory said the advice to wear face coverings in secondary schools was necessary during the "bumpiest of the next few weeks with Omicron" but he hoped to rip up the rules as soon as possible.
It comes as Boris Johnson confirmed to MPs that Covid Plan B measures would remain in place for another three weeks in England, which include face masks in indoor settings and advice to work from home.
The Prime Minister has resisted imposing further restrictions despite record case numbers, rising hospital admissions and intense pressure on the NHS.
Schools are braced for rising infection rates and staff shortages as pupils begin returning to the classroom after the Christmas holidays.
The Education Secretary tightened the rules ahead of the start of term, including masks in class and regular tests for secondary schools.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Zahawi said face masks were the price worth paying to keep children in the classroom, adding: "For the shortest possible time - and not a day more - that is what we will recommend.
"It is the sensible thing, the pragmatic thing and a proportionate thing to do. I will be reviewing this on January 26 when I hope that data will allow us to ditch masks in class."
He said the Government would do "everything in our power to keep all education and childcare settings open and teaching in-person".
But Mr Zahawi admitted that schools were likely to face increased pressures on staffing as Covid infections soar.
"Schools will be suffering some degree of staff absences," he told MPs.
"At the end of last year the figure was about 8% of staff off, and that is probably likely to rise with increasing cases in school and of course young people as we return to school."
He vowed to reveal later this week how many retired teachers had answered the Government's call to return to class to bolster the workforce.
Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said that for the Government "children are never a priority" as she criticised the slow rollout of ventilation devices.
Labour said the promised 7,000 air purifiers won’t start arriving in schools and colleges until next week - 620 days after SAGE first warned about the importance of ventilation for getting children back into school in May 2020.
Ms Phillipson said: "Children are having to be wrapped up in their coats to learn. It is incompetent, complacent and inadequate. Our children deserve better."
