The COVID-19 pandemic forced children to bear a devastating burden to protect others, and now, years later, we're still grappling with the consequences. Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently acknowledged this harsh reality during an inquiry examining the pandemic's impact on young people. But here's where it gets controversial: while Johnson apologized for government missteps, he also defended the decision to keep schools open, calling closures a 'nightmare idea' and a 'personal horror.'
This stance contrasts sharply with former Education Secretary Gavin Williamson's testimony, who admitted the government erred in 'sticking to the plan' of keeping schools open in March 2020. And this is the part most people miss: the inquiry revealed that a formal plan for school closures was only finalized on March 17th, 2020, just a day before the announcement. Johnson conceded to criticism about the lack of preparation but argued that effective planning required a deeper understanding of COVID-19's trajectory, which was rapidly evolving at the time. He emphasized the primary goal was preventing a catastrophic public health crisis.
The inquiry also unearthed past tensions between Johnson and Williamson, including disagreements over school closures in 2021. Williamson faced scrutiny for a profanity-laced message he sent to Johnson in February 2021, expressing frustration over the backlash from closing schools shortly after reopening. Johnson, meanwhile, advocated for mass testing in schools as an alternative to closures, but this idea was quickly shelved due to the emergence of the highly contagious Alpha variant.
One of the most contentious episodes of the pandemic for both leaders was the 2020 exam results debacle. The Department for Education's (DfE) algorithm, intended to prevent grade inflation, backfired spectacularly, downgrading 40% of predicted results. Public outrage forced a U-turn, with students ultimately receiving teacher-predicted grades after exams were canceled. Leaked messages revealed Johnson's frustration at the time, suggesting the DfE needed 'better ministers.'
When confronted with the exams fiasco, Johnson conceded it was a 'disaster' but argued it must be viewed within the context of a much larger crisis. He commended the DfE for its 'heroic efforts' in managing the pandemic. Reflecting on lockdown measures, Johnson admitted they 'probably went too far' and suggested children could have been exempted. He stressed that in any future pandemic, school closures should be an absolute last resort.
As this phase of the COVID inquiry concludes, it leaves us with a critical question: Did the measures taken to protect the vulnerable during the pandemic unfairly sacrifice the well-being and education of an entire generation? Share your thoughts in the comments below. For deeper insights, listen to the latest episode of the Covid Inquiry Podcast on BBC Sounds (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0g0q1f6).
