The government’s decision to close schools in January 2021 amid the Covid-19 pandemic was “a panic decision”, Gavin Williamson, who was Education Secretary at the time, has said.
In his evidence to the Covid inquiry he claims he had considered resigning over the decision but instead adhered to collective ministerial responsibility and publicly supported school closures at the time.
When the health crisis began impacting the UK in early 2020 schools closed for the first time in March and started reopening from June that year.
But a decision was made in January 2021 to close schools again as part of a second lockdown amid further waves of Covid infection.
