The Covid-19 Inquiry heard from Boris Johnson’s former Health Secretary, who said the decision to reopen schools too soon in 2020 was ‘damaging for children and parents’
Sir Gavin Williamson has criticised Boris Johnson during evidence before the Covid-19 Inquiry.
The former Education Secretary suggested the Government was late to prepare schools for remote learning and last-minute decisions were often made by the then-Prime Minister. He told the inquiry Johnson’s decision in May 2020 to announce a phased return was “damaging” to schools, children and families as it could not be done safely. Sir Gavin also apologised for “many mistakes” such as not preparing for school closures and remote learning as the “emerging scientific evidence” showed it would be necessary.
There is mounting evidence that children’s isolation and missed learning during the pandemic has had a lasting impact on their development.
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Sir Gavin said: “I readily accept that there were many mistakes that were made, both pre-pandemic and in those early stages of the pandemic. The weight wasn’t put on to that emerging scientific evidence that did clearly prove to be right.
“And the whole focus and emphasis of the Government wasn’t probably sharp enough in terms of dealing with that, and that was the case in my department, which I’m sorry for, because I readily accept that I was secretary of state and it was my responsibility.”
The UK announced school closures to all but children of essential workers and those deemed most vulnerable in March 2020. Families were asked to carry out remote learning but families with key workers out of the home or poor internet connectivity were unable to keep up.
Over the last two weeks, the inquiry has heard from headteachers who said they started making their own plans in February and March 2020 in case schools closed – weeks before any announcement. One leader talked about driving to a service station on the M4 with two of his staff to meet someone who would show him how to use Google Classroom.
Sir Gavin suggested Mr Johnson’s reluctance to close schools during the first Covid wave meant his department could not “go out and start consulting with lots of people as to what school closures will look like”.
In written evidence to the inquiry Sir Gavin said he was informed on May 9 2020 that Mr Johnson was planning to announce a phased reopening of schools the next day, adding: “The prime minister understood that I didn’t agree with his announcement because it was destined to fail.”
Speaking at the inquiry, Sir Gavin said that under the social distancing rules in force at the time, classes could only have a maximum of 15 people in them. Schools didn’t have double the amount of classrooms or teachers to do this, when classes had previously had 30 people in them.
Sir Gavin said it was “absolutely clear” the government wasn’t going to relax these rules so “there was no physical way we could do it [reopen schools completely] without asking every school to basically break the law”.
Sir Gavin accused Boris Johnson of “giving people a false sense of hope” with the announcement, adding that he “would sometimes veer between different positions”. He said: “I think it was damaging for schools, and I think it was damaging for children and parents, because actually what parents heard was the prime minister saying all your kids are going to be able to go back to primary school before summer.”
A phased reopening of schools in England began June 1 involving early years pupils, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. This did not happen in Wales until June 29 and in Scotland and Northern Ireland until August.
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This was followed by a third lockdown in England announced by Boris Johnson from January 4 2021. All schools closed to most pupils from January 5 with remote learning until February half term.
Last week, academy trust leader and former DfE schools director general Sir Jon Coles told the inquiry it was an “extraordinary dereliction of duty” for the DfE not to plan for school closures earlier in March 2020.
After supporting Boris Johnson’s campaign to succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader, Williamson returned to the cabinet as Secretary of State for Education in July 2019. He was criticised for the 2020 school exam grading controversy. He was subsequently nominated by Boris Johnson for a knighthood which he obtained in March 2022.
A Government spokesperson said: “We know there will be lessons to be learnt from the pandemic and we are committed to learning from the Covid Inquiry’s findings which will play a key role in informing the Government’s planning and preparations for the future.”