Former Education Secretary, Sir Gavin Williamson, has raised concerns about Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision-making process during his testimony at the Covid-19 Inquiry. Sir Gavin highlighted delays in preparing schools for remote learning and criticized the last-minute decisions made by Johnson. He expressed regret over various mistakes, such as the failure to anticipate school closures and implement remote learning based on emerging scientific evidence.
There is growing evidence indicating that the prolonged disruption to children’s education due to the pandemic has had lasting effects on their development.
Sir Gavin admitted to errors made both before and during the pandemic and acknowledged the government’s lack of emphasis on scientific evidence. He took responsibility for the shortcomings in his department’s response to the crisis.
The UK government announced school closures in March 2020, affecting all but children of essential workers and vulnerable students. The sudden shift to remote learning posed challenges for families with key workers or poor internet access.
In testimony, Sir Gavin criticized Boris Johnson for creating false hopes with announcements like the phased reopening of schools in May 2020. He emphasized the impracticality of fully reopening schools under existing social distancing rules.
The phased reopening of schools in England commenced on June 1, while Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland followed with later dates. Subsequently, a third lockdown in England was announced by Johnson in January 2021, leading to another period of remote learning.
Sir Jon Coles, a former DfE schools director, criticized the Department for Education’s failure to plan for school closures earlier in 2020. Despite his involvement in Johnson’s leadership campaign, Sir Gavin faced criticism over the handling of the 2020 school exam grading controversy.
A Government spokesperson acknowledged the need to learn from the pandemic and emphasized the importance of the Covid Inquiry’s findings in shaping future planning and preparation.