Gavin Williamson was on holiday in lead-up to A-level results chaos
Under fire education secretary Gavin Williamson cancelled a key meeting and went on holiday to the seaside a week before the A-level results fiasco, it has been revealed.
The Sunday Times reports that Williamson went away to Scarborough, Yorkshire, on the week starting 3 August, just over a week before England’s A-level results came out.
The education secretary’s trip coincided with Scotland’s A-level results release turning into chaos as its algorithm downgraded many students from disadvantaged areas.
He had also received warnings about similar problems with the English algorithm.
A Whitehall source told The Times it was “surprising” that Williamson was “missing in action”, after Ofqual had already warned him about potential flaws in the emergency grading system.
A-level results came out on 13 August, with many students from poorer areas downgraded by Ofqual’s algorithm.
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It sparked fury from many parents, students and teachers who said the system had been unfair.
Williamson U-turned a week later and said all students would receive the higher of the algorithm grade and their predicted grade as assessed by teachers.
Williamson took to Twitter today to defend himself against the charge that he was on holiday in the lead-up to the fiasco.
“I cancelled our family holiday abroad this year to focus on the challenges COVID-19 created for the education sector,” he said.
“Over the summer, I went to see family in Scarborough for the first time since lockdown, and while there I was in constant communication with the [Education] Department.”
Shadow education secretary Kate Green said Williamson had “has failed hundreds of thousands of families across the country”.
“Despite receiving warnings weeks ago about problems in the grading system, Gavin Williamson took time off for his holidays only days before results were due, rather than being at his desk doing all he could to support young people,” she said.