Overview
- Boris Johnson told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry he believed the Department for Education had prepared for potential closures, citing a DfE note dated March 15, 2020 outlining steps on safeguarding, exams and teacher training.
- He rejected claims of a planning failure, countering testimony from Gavin Williamson and senior officials who described a rapid U-turn and limited preparation before the March 18 closure announcement.
- Johnson acknowledged government was slow to grasp the “full horror” of Covid’s effects on children and said lockdown rules for young people likely went too far, suggesting children might have been exempted.
- He said the 2020 alternative exam-grading approach “plainly let down a lot of kids,” accepted regret over the system, and the inquiry was shown messages indicating he considered sacking the education secretary at the time.
- Campaign groups renewed calls for accountability over long-term impacts on children, pointing to data on Long Covid prevalence and highlighting educational loss, safeguarding risks and social isolation.