Johnson Quizzed on School Closures, Impact | JQJO

Papers in hand, Boris Johnson arrived before dawn at the Covid Inquiry to answer questions on pandemic decisions that directly affected children. Evidence focused on school closures and their lasting effects—spiking demand for speech and language support, stubbornly high absenteeism, and record suspensions. Johnson called shutting schools a “personal horror” but said it seemed the only option, pushing back against claims of an “extraordinary dereliction of duty” over the lack of planning before 18 March 2020. Testimony from Gavin Williamson and others depicted chaotic decision-making and frayed relations, while Johnson’s praise of a “heroic” DfE drew Liberal Democrat criticism.