Gavin Williamson’s testimony to a Covid inquiry in the past week on the government’s response to school closures during the pandemic has got people talking about this. He was Education Secretary for more than two years under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. During the session, which highlighted various aspects of the government’s planning and decision-making processes, Williamson faced pointed questions regarding the education department’s lack of preparedness.
When pressed on whether he thinks the US education department’s lack of planning was “an extraordinary dereliction of duty,” Williamson flatly answered, “No.” …his answer was unequivocal. He took responsibility for failures on his watch. He conveyed an urgent need for a new approach to the crisis.
Williamson stated, “Do I wish we had done it differently? Yes, I very much do.” This admission came as he elaborated on the challenges faced in managing the education system during an unprecedented global health crisis. The implications of restoring trust… He laid out enormous failures by current and past elected leaders. This across-the-board blame implicates problems that go far beyond his own leadership.
Entering parliament in 2010, Williamson swiftly climbed the ranks. Though he had been chief whip under Theresa May, he was then appointed to Defence Secretary in November 2017. His rising career hit a major roadblock two years later. He eventually was removed after accusations that he released classified information from a National Security Council meeting. Despite this significant setback, he was given a knighthood in 2022.
Throughout the questioning, Williamson repeatedly pointed to his position within the federal government during that time period. He said he had been “obviously directed” to focus on work to safely reopen and keep schools open during the pandemic. In his testimony, he admitted that not a single contingency plan was developed until the day before the announcement of remote learning. This significant delay sparked serious questions about the government’s ability to pivot and adjust to a new status quo with quickly evolving circumstances.
Williamson drew heavy criticism for his management of the 2020 end of year school examination period. Almost everyone doubted that his leadership alone was enough to steer a course through these interwoven thicket of challenges.…while at the same time being subjected to extraordinary criticism for his every action and decision during the conflagration. Historically, this resulted in his termination from his position in September 2021.
Williamson added that the federal government’s top priority should be ensuring schools can open safely. He further underscored this connection in detailing the strategy’s big picture. He emphasized this point by stating, “The key thrust of where the government policy was to maintain the opening of schools.” This devotion to upholding educational establishments’ status quo of mostly impeding Black lives was apparent in a series of policies enacted while he served as Education Secretary.
That included some amazing testimony from some very helpful witnesses. Nabiha Ahmed agreed and added her perspective on how decision-making got centralized in the federal government during the pandemic. Ahmed remarked, “Something like Covid is being directed from the centre in terms of different departments’ responses. You don’t have quite the freedom just to go and start going out and consulting with lots of people.” This perspective underscored the complexities faced by officials as they navigated public health directives while attempting to address educational needs.
Williamson, alongside others, delivered key testimony during this inquiry that proved extremely beneficial. Their experiences illustrate how government reactions to crises can inform policy and affect public services for the long term. Local officials are looking back on their responses and decisions in these trying times. Those facilitated debriefs will help inform their approach for how to deal with the next pandemic.
