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The education secretary accused schools of cutting lunch breaks and sending children home early as he came under sustained fire from opposition MPs angry at the stimulus package. disappointing government education.
In a delicate hour-long defense of the additional $ 1.4 billion catch-up funding offer, which sparked an uproar when it was announced last week, Williamson tried to appease his critics by promising that more was to come, including a review of the length of the school day. maximize catch-up.
But in an attempt to deflect criticism, he told MPs in a statement in the House of Commons that schools already have the power to set their schedules, and questioned whether it was justifiable for some children to be sent home. at 2:45 p.m. while others stay in class much longer. .
He also accused some schools of restricting what children can do during their lunch breaks and told MPs: As we move forward in the next few months, there are significant challenges when we talk about the school day.
We have seen too many schools move down the path of actually restricting what children have the benefit of doing. A school canteen has become more and more restricted and is more and more half an hour of school canteen compared to an hour.
So what we wanted to do is make sure that while we are doing this review we are looking at all the options, so the kids can’t just do better in school with extra support in English. and math, but also enrichment in other activities that they can benefit from being in school.
Education resumption commissioner Sir Kevan Collins, appointed by the government to oversee education catching up in England, resigned last week in protest against the offer, which was well short of the 15 billion he had requested, which included plans for an extended day school.
In response to Williamson’s statement, Shadow Education Secretary Kate Green told the Commons the government has let children and youth down.
They were promised their education was Prime Ministers’ number one priority, but they were betrayed by a Secretary of State who once again let them down, and by a Prime Minister who will not lift a finger for them. when it comes to an argument with the chancellor to prioritize the investments necessary for their future.
Liberal Democrat MP Daisy Cooper, meanwhile, asked Williamson: Does the Secretary of State think the right person has resigned?
Former labor minister Angela Eagle said if she marked the duties of education secretaries she would give it an F for fail.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Principals, added: Today’s statement confirms the disappointing scope and scale of the government’s ambition for children and youth.
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