Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged today that the UK’s lockdown rules went “too far” for young people and “let down a lot of kids,” during his testimony at the Covid Inquiry, reports BritPanorama.
Johnson admitted that he should have sought ways to protect children from stringent social distancing measures imposed during the pandemic. He expressed regret about the impact of school closures, which he described as a “nightmare idea” he wished to avoid.
Despite his reservations, Johnson implemented school closures based on scientific advice suggesting that such measures would mitigate the spread of Covid-19. “I think we probably did go too far and it was far too elaborate,” he stated. “Children who are not particularly vulnerable to Covid were paying a huge, huge price to protect the rest of society,” he lamented.
Approximately 22 weeks of in-person learning were lost by most students during the two significant national lockdowns, with some regions facing even longer interruptions. Johnson acknowledged that he was in a “thoroughly homicidal mood” when confronting the chaos over exam results stemming from the closures.
Throughout the inquiry, Johnson faced inquiries regarding the lack of preparation for the abrupt school shutdowns and the inadequacies of the temporary exam system which resulted in widespread dissatisfaction over grading. He expressed frustration in WhatsApp messages to his then-chief adviser Dominic Cummings, mentioning thoughts of going to Number Ten to “fire people.”
Johnson’s texts reflected a deep frustration: “Back in Chequers and in a thoroughly homicidal mood. We can’t go on like this.” The exam results were particularly contentious, with A-level grades awarded by Ofqual, the exams regulator, often differing significantly from predicted results provided by teachers, with some marks cut by as much as 40 percent.
