The Department for Education had no plan for dealing with a pandemic and failed to set standards for remote learning during lockdown, leading to ‘unequal experiences’ for many children, according to a critical report by MPs.
Parliament’s public accounts committee also said there was evidence that the government’s £1.7bn catch-up programme – designed to restore the learning lost during school closures – may not be connecting with many of the most disadvantaged children. The committee’s report describes the DfE as having ‘worthy aspirations but little specific detail’.