Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has rejected claims that his government failed to prepare for school closures at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Appearing before the Covid inquiry, Johnson challenged testimony from former Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, who said there was no suggestion the Department for Education (DfE) should prepare a plan for mass closures. Johnson argued that DfE memos from mid-March indicated work was underway, stating, “It’d be amazing if it wasn’t.”
Johnson also disputed statements from Jonathan Slater, the DfE’s permanent secretary, that the department’s first detailed closure request came only on 17 March, the day before the official announcement. “I just think that it was obvious that there had to be consideration of closing schools,” Johnson said, adding that he assumed work was being done from February onwards.
Addressing the impact on young people, Johnson said he initially believed closures would be necessary only at the pandemic’s peak, until scientific advice changed. “It felt to me as though children, who are not vulnerable to Covid, were paying a huge, huge price to protect the rest of society,” he told the inquiry. He described the situation as “an awful thing” and expressed regret that no alternative was found.
The inquiry also heard that then-Home Secretary Priti Patel raised concerns about the DfE’s lack of focus on vulnerable children. Home Office officials noted Patel felt Williamson “didn’t really seem to take on board” the risks of increased domestic abuse and child sexual exploitation during school closures. Senior civil servant Matthew Rycroft confirmed the Home Office had repeatedly flagged these dangers.
When asked about Williamson’s performance, Johnson defended him, saying the department under his leadership did “a pretty heroic job” given the difficulties. Johnson attributed the chaotic algorithm for GCSE and A-level results in 2020 to the challenges of improvisation in “exceptionally difficult circumstances.”
