Former education tsar slams ‘feeble’ government catch-up money and calls for ‘massive national effort’ to recover

Boris Johnson’s former education tzar has criticised the government’s catch-up plans as “feeble” as he called for a “massive national effort” to recover lost learning.

Sir Kevan Collins, who resigned earlier this month in a major blow to the prime minister, warned that growing educational inequality could become the “legacy of Covid”, with disadvantaged children affected most.

He also described his decision to quit the role of education commissioner as “very, very difficult”, but reiterated his concerns that the amount of money the government was prepared to commit fell far short.

Giving evidence to the Commons Education Committee, Sir Kevan was withering in his assessment of the current proposals, telling MPs: “Our country has responded in a way which, compared to some others, is frankly a bit feeble.

“The amount of money we’re responding with at the moment – these are significant sums – but this scale of shock, losing on average 115 days of face-to-face learning, requires a massive national effort to recover,” he added.

“And I worry that it’s not a bit of tutoring in the corner, it’s actually a fundamental approach the school needs to take.

“That is why I was keen to see a whole school effort, around time, around teaching, around tutoring, and not a narrow kind of auxiliary attention to one particular activity that can get put to a teaching assistant.”

His remarks came after the government unveiled a £1.4bn funding package aimed at alleviating the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on children’s learning – prompting a backlash from unions and opposition parties.

Sir Kevan confirmed to MPs that there were larger spending proposals in the recommendations he put forward to the government, including chancellor Rishi Sunak, but that these were ultimately rejected.

Quizzed on whether he had asked ministers for a £15bn recovery package, Sir Kevan told MPs on Tuesday: “There were proposals which got to £15bn, yes.”

He added: “I was very disappointed I had to resign. The proposal that came forward … just wasn’t enough to deliver the kind of recovery we need. I was given a very ambitious, but very exciting exam question by the prime minister, which was to recover every child in this parliament.”

Explaining the repercussions of the disruption to learning caused by the pandemic, Sir Kevan also made it clear that the “biggest impact” of the crisis “will definitely be on our most disadvantaged children”.

“The growing education inequality could be the legacy of Covid if we’re not very careful,” he said. “We have to intentionally and directly intervene, support the children with the greatest need.

“[It is] every child we have obligations to after Covid, and that’s why I think the longer time would have supported every child, particularly with the non-academic outcomes, with the wellbeing and social stuff.

“But when it comes to the academic loss, I think it’s clear that we’re going to see greater loss for our children who have greatest need.”

At the time of Sir Kevan’s resignation, the prime minister said there would be “more coming through” to support children in England. No 10 said: “The government will continue to focus on education recovery and making sure no child is left behind with their learning, with over £3bn committed for catch-up so far.”