02 March 2023 , 01:20
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Bungling ex-Education Secretary Sir Gavin Williamson accused teachers' unions of looking for an “excuse” not to work during the coronavirus pandemic.
In leaked WhatsApp messages with former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, Sir Gavin criticised the education unions ahead of the re-opening of classes in May 2020.
He said unions “really do just hate work” following what, at that stage, had been a two-month school closure for all except vulnerable children and those whose parents were key workers.
Mr Hancock also referred to unions as a "bunch of absolute arses" in exchange, published by the Telegraph.
The comments sparked fury from union leaders, with ASCL boss Geoff Barton blasting the "appalling lack of respect for teachers" shown in the "sneering" exchange.
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NAHT leader Paul Whiteman said he was "beyond words" and accused the Government of "chaos and duplicity".
The leak coincides with the third day of strike action by the National Education Union (NEU), with tensions running high between unions and the Government.
The comments were made during a conversation with then Health Secretary Matt Hancock (Getty Images)The leaked messages came during talks between ministers and unions, with the aim of pupils returning in June 2020.
Sir Gavin asked Mr Hancock to help overturn a Department of Health block on schools receiving PPE, which at the time was in short supply, with the Health Secretary agreeing given schools would only require “a tiny amount”.
Teachers and ministers had been in disagreement for months over the safety of schools reopening, with unions and teachers wanting to avoid putting staff and vulnerable children at risk.
Ultimately, exams in summer 2020 were cancelled before Sir Gavin was forced into an embarrassing U-turn over a controversial algorithm to calculate grades.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, accused Sir Gavin of “ignorance and inaction” as the relationship with the Department of Education became strained.
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In October it was reported that Sir Gavin was planning to delay A-level exams. The Telegraph reports that Hancock contacted his colleague, writing: “Cracking announcement today. What a bunch of absolute arses the teaching unions are.”
Sir Gavin responded: “I know they really really do just hate work,” which Mr Hancock responded to with laughing emojis.
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The private conversation paints a very different picture to the public statements that came from Downing Street at the time.
Williamson later publicly thanked teachers for their work during the pandemic (Getty Images)Boris Johnson said in June 2020 that teachers had “responded to the unprecedented challenged of coronavirus” and would be getting a pay rise to “recognise their efforts on the front line”.
Sir Gavin said in a September 2021 letter to teachers that he wanted to thank them for their “outstanding work” and “incredible efforts throughout the pandemic to provide the very best face-to-face and remote education for children”.
Last night, Sir Gavin said: "Further to reports in the Telegraph and other outlets, I wish to clarify that these messages were about some unions and not teachers.
"As demonstrated in the exchange, I was responding regarding Unions. I have the utmost respect for teachers who work tirelessly to support students.
"During the pandemic, teachers went above and beyond during very challenging times and very much continue to do so."
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "This sneering exchange between two Cabinet ministers at a time of the greatest national emergency since the second world war shows an appalling lack of respect for teachers.
"Education unions, including our union, worked incredibly hard to engage constructively with the government throughout the pandemic.
"We constantly had to sense-check and disentangle the reams of confused guidance they issued, and were often wrong-footed by bizarre policy decisions which were then followed by an inevitable U-turn.
"It was an absolute shambles and the two individuals involved in these snide insults were at the heart of that shambles.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “This ugly exchange demonstrates the chaos and duplicity at the heart of government.
"How can any trust develop when the secret contempt for teachers and the teaching profession is laid bare like this.
"We must not forget Covid was rampant in schools and the whole school community was managing life threatening risk in the most difficult of circumstances.”