Gavin Williamson, the former Secretary of State for Education, testifying yesterday at the ongoing Covid inquiry. He surmised they were lucky at how they were guided by their decisions during the early days of the pandemic. Serving in this role from 2020 to 2021, Williamson revealed significant disagreements with then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson regarding school closures and the handling of educational policies amidst the crisis.
During his evidence, Williamson emphasized that the government should have “bitten the bullet” and implemented a comprehensive plan for school closures sooner. Unfortunately, it took a pandemic in March 2020 for him to admit he was wrong for pushing to reopen schools. He conceded he made a mistake by “staying the course,” even as fear of the virus was rising.
On February 11, 2020, Williamson sent Johnson a series of frustrated texts. He raised the alarm on social media as the federal government moved to close schools. He explained, frankly, how shocked he was. He admitted to having “fallen off his chair” when he found out that his written evidence to the inquiry had been misconstrued. Further, he accepted blame for not having paid more attention to existing scientific evidence that was already out there.
“I readily accept I am secretary of state and it was my responsibility,” – Gavin Williamson
Williamson noted that the primary effect of school closures may have been to push off or lessen the peak of the pandemic. He lambasted the government’s handling of it for failing to put children at its heart. He attacked Johnson for potentially giving parents “a false sense of hope.” This shift in policy came just weeks after Johnson had introduced a phased return to schools during May 2020.
He recalled thinking he had “won the argument” on bringing students back to classrooms in January 2021. This belief in turn drove the urgency that pervaded even the most private conversations at the highest levels of government. Williamson pointed out that arguments for closing schools were often framed as drastic measures, likening it to “smashing a Ming vase on the floor to get people’s attention.”
“The depth of the challenge we were facing hadn’t been properly grasped,” – Gavin Williamson
Williamson acknowledged that a lot of missteps were taken by all sides during this heady and divisive time. He realized that some students were not being awarded grades that reflected their actual level of mastery. The crazy exam processes truly hamstrung them. He stated, “there were some students who wouldn’t get the grades they would deserve,” indicating a recognition of systemic flaws in the assessment methods employed during the pandemic.
He noted that Ofqual was deeply responsible for the exams fiasco of August 2020. This breakdown led to anger and frustration for students and parents alike. Williamson’s testimony showed a candidly self-reflective assessment of how he bears responsibility for the choices that led us to this crisis.
“But we were at the time acting in what we believed was the best interest and under the best guidance,” – Gavin Williamson
Against this backdrop of admissions, Williamson still stood firm on the point that the response to Covid was very much centralized and coordinated from top leadership. He remarked on the limitations faced by individual departments in reaching out and consulting broadly with various stakeholders during such an unprecedented health crisis.
“Something like Covid is being directed from the centre, in terms of different departments’ responses,” – Gavin Williamson
