COVID-19 UK Political Analysis by Tim Hames – 28th August 2020

After months on end during which the Department for Health and Social Care had been at the centre of the coronavirus storm, ministers and officials there have had a period of relative relief of late from the intense spotlight. Their place in the public domain has now been taken by those responsible for education at a UK-level and in the devolved nations.

This started with the Scottish Government suffering severe adverse comment as to how it had handled the examinations undertaken this year north of the border. This would be repeated in England as well as a rogue algorithm was blamed for a number of unfair and illogical A-level results being issued that were retracted within days in favour of the ones that were exclusively the consequence of teacher assessments. At warp speed, the GCSE outcomes were also revised in the same direction (leading to a sharp increase in the pass rate). This storm would lead to the Chief Executive of Ofqual walking the proverbial plank with the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education to follow. While the dust was still settling, an argument resumed as to whether or not it was wise to attempt to reopen all schools across the UK and, if that was to be the stance, whether face masks within those buildings should be compulsory. In all this, ministers looked all at sea.

This has served as an unfortunate distraction for what have been some fundamental (and overwhelmingly positive) developments in terms of lifting the lockdown in the UK and navigating the challenge that resumed large-scale international travel would pose. It is this progress (if sustained) that will truly count as August makes way for September.