Sir Gavin Williamson admits ‘many mistakes’ with Covid school closures
UK Covid-19 Inquiry told of ‘many mistakes’
- Former education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson admitted to "many mistakes" in the Department for Education's (DfE) planning for Covid school closures during his testimony at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
- Sir Gavin expressed regret that the DfE was not "sharp enough" in its response and failed to adequately consider emerging scientific evidence regarding the pandemic's impact on schools.
- He criticised the then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision in May 2020 to announce a phased return, calling it "damaging" for schools, children, and families by creating a "false sense of hope".
- Sir Gavin stated that a clear plan with various scenarios for school closures should have been in place before 2020, acknowledging that the government should have understood the pandemic's significance "much better".
- He explained that the DfE was instructed to keep schools open and that key pandemic decisions were centralised in Number 10, limiting departments' ability to consult on closure plans.