Sir Gavin’s knighthood is an insult to children
Why is the ‘worst education secretary ever’ being rewarded for failure?
What is Gavin Williamson’s secret? The twice-sacked former government minister has yet again confirmed his remarkable knack for failing upwards. To the dismay of parents and teachers everywhere, it was announced this week that Williamson will be knighted.
Sir Gavin (for this is how he will soon have to be addressed) was widely believed to be the ‘worst education secretary ever’, and it is not hard to see why. During the pandemic, children were kept out of classrooms for almost half of the two years Williamson was in charge of schools in England. This was a longer period of closure than anywhere else in Europe, save Italy. All children suffered from such lengthy periods of forced isolation, but those from poorer families suffered most of all. It became immediately clear that home schooling was a very different prospect for children with ample access to technology, books, a quiet space to study and a willing parent on hand compared to children with none of these advantages. Yet school closures continued – and the academic attainment gap grew – backed by both teaching unions and the Labour Party.