Gavin Williamson: 'In my heart I knew it was right to close schools over coronavirus'
Gavin Williamson has revealed that his decision to shut down the country's schools was the toughest of his political career.
The Education Secretary closed all schools in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19, a move he said became "urgent and necessary" as the health crisis escalated dramatically from the start of the week.
He told the Star: "In my heart I know that it was the right thing to do."
The South Staffordshire MP has today paid tribute to school staff who are working through the crisis, as he admitted there was "no ideal solution" when it came to allocating grades for cancelled exams.
He said he had to re-think his initial desire to keep schools open for as long as possible after emergency meetings with the Government's scientific and medical advisors.
His decision was also influenced by conversations with headteachers and other school leaders, who told him of the challenges they were facing due to staff and pupils having to stay away after showing coronavirus symptoms.
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"I had the latest assessment and it was very clear, with the key message being that while schools are still a safe place to be, by closing them it would have an impact in terms of reducing the spread of coronavirus," Mr Williamson said. "Having spoken to headteachers I could see with all that was going on, it wasn't going to be feasible for schools to function in the usual way.
"It would become unreasonable for us to expect teachers to carry the burden.
"Since the start of this crisis, right across South Staffordshire, the Black Country and Shropshire, we have seen headteachers, teaching assistants and support staff doing an amazing job in trying to keep things as normal as possible in terms of giving our children an amazing education.
"But so much was unfolding all around them and I knew they were under increasing pressure.
"It all happened very quickly, and I realised that was the point where an urgent and necessary decision had to be made over closing the schools."
Mr Williamson said the final decision was made in a meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, where the date of the closure was agreed.
"We were fully aware that this wasn't just an everyday decision, it was something that the country hasn't really seen before," he said.
"It is certainly something that when I was appointed to this job, I would never have thought I would have to do.
"It was the most difficult decision because you realise how many lives it impacts. Being a dad myself I know how heartbreaking this has been for students who have been putting in so much work.
"But in my heart I know that it was the right thing to do and it was in the best interests of doing all we can in this war against this virus.
"It's a national effort, from people in education, to health workers, to the people who are making sure our shelves are stacked and deliveries are made.
"We haven't seen anything like this since the Second World War, and we are having to face this together."
Mr Williamson admitted there was "no ideal solution" when it came to the issue of exams, which have been cancelled this year, initially leaving GCSE and A-level pupils in limbo over how they would be allocated grades.
He said after discussions with senior teachers he decided that basing results on predicted grades was the fairest method available.
He has also put plans in place for students who are unhappy with their results to take a shortened version of each exam instead when schools return.
"Clearly the best way of doing it is for a proper, full exam system, but that has been taken off the table so we have had to come up with a new plan," he said.
"I couldn't leave children in the dark over whether they were going to have an exam or not. We had to give them certainty."
Mr Williamson also paid tribute to school staff who are working through the crisis, many of whom are tasked with supporting vulnerable youngsters and the children of key workers, and who are likely be working through Easter and for the duration of the crisis.
"All I can say to them is 'thank you'. Thank you for your commitment, your dedication, and for rising to the challenge of the enormous task that is ahead of us.
"The whole country appreciates what they are doing.
"It's going to be an incredibly challenging period, and while we are already seeing an incredible, inspiring effort from people across the region, we must not underestimate how much more needs to be done.
"Things are very dark at the moment, but the spirit and determination of people in our schools is shining through."
