Covid inquiry: Boris Johnson was absent manager in pandemic, Mark Drakeford says

HomeUK Politics

Covid inquiry: Boris Johnson was absent manager in pandemic, Mark Drakeford says

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty ImagesWales’ education minister during the pandemic offered to resign over her handling of cancelled exams in 2020.In wri

Copyright: Getty Images

Wales’ education minister during the pandemic offered to resign over her handling of cancelled exams in 2020.

In written evidence to the Covid-19 inquiry, Kirsty Williams says she drafted a letter offering her resignation days after “unfair” A-level results were published.

The results had been decided by applying an algorithm to grades given to students by teachers.

Williams says the first minister and others convinced her to carry on.

The results on 13 August 2020 caused an outcry and unmoderated teachers’ grades were eventually awarded.

Williams, who was the only Liberal Democrat minister in the Welsh cabinet, says it was the only time she considered resigning throughout the pandemic and she drafted a letter on 17 August.

She was the education minister until May 2021 when she left the Senedd.

She has submitted written evidence to the inquiry but has not appeared in person.

In the statement, the former minister says she “agonised” over whether the decision to close schools in March 2020 should have been made earlier.

She says she also asked herself whether they should have done more to keep schools open for longer.

“I do not see what else we could have done,” was her answer to both questions.



www.bbc.co.uk

COMMENTS

WORDPRESS: 0
DISQUS: