Schools return is 'key to recovery' - Education Secretary

The Education Secretary said the safe return of pupils to classrooms proved it was time to move beyond the virus.

In a direct appeal to Shropshire Star readers he called on people to get back to work to help boost the economy and help “bring the energy back” to struggling town and city centres.

Mr Williamson returned to the Commons last week after a turbulent Summer which saw a major backlash over how A-level exams were graded.

Speaking to the Shropshire Star, he said: “Seeing schools opening their gates and welcoming children back over the past week has been absolutely fantastic.

“The children are delighted to be back, and this is a crucial moment – not only for them but for their families as well. We have all had the challenges of supporting children at home and many families have had to juggle this with home working.

“Having children back in the classroom should serve as the spark to get people back into the office. We’ve all seen our town centres in Shropshire being quieter. It is vital that we all do our bit to help bring the energy back.

“Everyone appreciates that health is the key element here, and that’s why the right safety measures have been put in place for people to be able to return to work and return to the shops. It is vital for the sake of our economy that we get back to work. By returning to some form of normality we can help our high streets to thrive.”

A recent YouGov survey revealed growing confidence over safety in schools, although many parents remain concerned about rising numbers of local outbreaks.

Mr Williamson said he was now focused “on the year ahead”, and in making sure new Year 11 and Year 13 are able to “catch up on their studies and are prepared for next year’s exams”.

Minister looking to the future

It has been a summer to forget for Gavin Williamson.

The Education Secretary was forced to perform a hasty U-turn following an almighty backlash over how A-level results were graded.

It led to an apology on his return to the Commons last week, while exams regulator Ofqual has continually sought to lay the blame for the meltdown firmly at Mr Williamson’s door.

In the eyes of many pundits he is operating on borrowed time, with his harshest critics insisting he is clinging on to his position only by virtue of being a ready-made scapegoat in case this month’s return to school goes wrong.

It remains to be seen whether or not he has weathered the storm, but there are no signs that Boris Johnson is losing faith in the South Staffordshire MP – and up to now the reopening of schools could not have gone more smoothly.

Unsurprisingly, South Staffordshire MP Mr Williamson is keen to focus on the year ahead rather than the ongoing blame game with exams regulator Ofqual.

But he baulks at claims from the body’s chair Roger Taylor that he was responsible for the chaos in the days after A-level results were published.

Mr Williamson told the Shropshire Star: “As the exam regulator, they are actually the ones who make the decision on awarding grades and on the algorithms that are used.”

He also hit back at Mr Taylor’s insistence that exams could have taken place safely this summer had they not been cancelled by the DfE.

“We have to be realistic about where we were in a global pandemic,” said Mr Williamson. “We would love to have seen all children sit their exams, but we weren’t in a position to be able to guarantee that this could be done safely.

“Countries that tried to do that, such as the Republic of Ireland, had to abandon it because they realised it wasn’t going to be viable. Exams are the best form of assessment, but in a global pandemic other options were needed.

“It would also have been unfair on pupils who would have been taking exams on a full curriculum without having been able to complete their studies, so there were concerns relating to health and fairness.”

Mr Williamson said he was now focused on the current school year and making sure new Year 11 and Year 13 are able to “catch up on their studies and are prepared for next year’s exams”.

He refused to rule out next year’s exams starting later than usual, but said students would be given ample time to catch up on missed studies.

“We want to make sure this generation has the best opportunities to achieve and that they are fully prepared for the future,” he said.

“We’re doing so much to make sure our children don’t miss out, while at the same time not losing focus on the need to drive up standards in education.

“Those pupils who have missed out on the joy of attending school during the pandemic must not end up being disadvantaged because of that.”

He added: “We had to make some unprecedented decisions because of the pandemic, but everything has been aimed at doing the right thing for our children.”