The education secretary has opened up about his “emotional” response to the strength shown by school leaders during the Covid crisis.
Gavin Williamson also disclosed that education policy crops up in his “pillow talk” at home, as his wife - a teaching assistant - will point out where the Department for Education “hasn’t always got it perfect”.
The education secretary was speaking at the opening of the Association of School and College Leaders’ (ASCL) annual conference this morning.
Asked what the past year has shown him about the “strengths and weaknesses of our education system”, Mr Williamson said he had found the resilience of headteachers during the Covid crisis “truly inspirational”.
Gavin Williamson: School leaders ‘have gone above and beyond’
“The greatest strength is the people,” he said.
“I have just seen it time and again and you feel quite emotional about it sometimes, to see how people have just gone above and beyond...and I think it’s been probably one of the hardest times for leaders in education, because headteachers have had worries and they’ve had concerns, but all the time they’ve had to stand strong and they’ve had to stand tall, and reassure not just parents and children but also staff members as well.
“We’ve asked so much of them, but at every stage they’ve always been there doing what’s required and that’s been truly inspirational for me.”
Mr Williamson praised the “resourcefulness and adaptability” demonstrated by school leaders over the past 12 months, adding: “I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done”.
“It is thanks to you that we’re able to plan for the future with confidence,” he said.
“It is thanks to you that all our children and young people are now back where they need to be, learning face-to-face with their teachers again, ready to start reclaiming their education, but also the childhood that has been put on hold.
“You have been such an essential part in helping children during this time. I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done. I know it’s been one of the most challenging years any of us could have expected to see. But at every single stage you’ve stepped up and done so much, always focusing on the child and always knowing that it is their interests that we are all here to serve. Thank you for that.”
Mr Williamson went on to say that his “pillow talk” at home may be a “little bit different”, as he discusses DfE policy with his wife, who is on the “front line”.
“My wife’s a teaching assistant and it’s always interesting because I obviously get quite a bit of lobbying,” he said.
“You know, our pillow talk is maybe a little bit different. She is always highlighting various issues where maybe the Department for Education hasn’t always got it perfect all the time, and it’s always good to hear it from the front line.
“But at every stage, I hear it from my wife, who is a teaching assistant, my brother who is a teacher, about actually how schools have been so incredibly adaptable as well.”
He added: “I think if we’d been talking about this at the last conference, none of us could have imagined the different turns that this whole pandemic would have taken. But at every stage schools have just shown that adaptability.
“I suppose what we do need to also think about is how can we take some of the lessons out of this as well, because obviously really tough, difficult stuff has happened. But actually, we’ve learned a lot about how we can support children remotely more, and how we can use that maybe more effectively.”
The education secretary also spoke candidly of the personal hurdles he had faced during the crisis.
“Not every day has been brilliant,” he admitted.
He added that his family - like many others - had welcomed a new puppy to their home during the pandemic.
“The one thing about pets is that they always seem to be pleased to see you, especially dogs,” he said.
“So I think that sort of combination of family and dogs are probably the things that keep you sane.”
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