Shutting schools to most pupils in January 2021 was a “panic decision, made without having children’s interests front and centre”, Gavin Williamson has told the Covid inquiry.
The former education secretary also said in his witness statement that he “did very briefly consider whether I should resign” over the closures, but feared it would “distract attention away from the key policy issues”.
Williamson, who served in the role between July 2019 and September 2021, has faced widespread criticism for his handling of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on schools.
He presided over the 2020 exam grading crisis, repeated U-turns over masks in schools and free school meals vouchers and the last-minute move to partially close schools again in January 2021.
