On October 21, 2025, the halls of the UK COVID-19 Inquiry reverberated with the echoes of regret, apology, and hard questions as Boris Johnson, former prime minister, took the stand for what would be a marathon session focused on the pandemic’s toll on children and young people. Johnson’s testimony marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing national reckoning over the decisions made during one of the most turbulent chapters in recent British history.
“Children paid a huge price to protect the rest of society,” Johnson told the inquiry, as reported by Sky News, his voice tinged with the weight of hindsight. The former leader, who helmed the UK’s response as COVID-19 swept the globe, admitted that the closure of schools—a move he described as both a “nightmare idea” and a “personal horror”—should only ever be considered a last resort in future pandemics.
Schools across the UK first closed their doors on March 23, 2020, save for the children of essential workers and the most vulnerable. They reopened in phases over the summer, only to shut again in January 2021 as the virus surged anew. Johnson recalled the dire predictions at the time, saying, “The advice I was getting was absolutely not, you have got to do it, and that’s how it seemed to me then.” But with the benefit of hindsight, he wondered aloud whether a different path could have been taken. “Given the huge damage the closures have done, given the loss of life chances they have caused, you have got to ask yourself now whether we could have found other ways in reducing the budget of risk from COVID.”
As the session unfolded, the inquiry probed not just the decision to shutter schools, but also the government’s broader approach to children’s welfare during the pandemic. According to BBC News, Johnson conceded that planning for the “nightmare idea” of school closures should have started sooner, though he insisted that “work had been going on” behind the scenes. Yet, evidence presented to the inquiry revealed significant gaps in the government’s preparation, a point not lost on the packed public gallery and the former students who watched closely from the front row.
One particularly raw moment came as Johnson addressed the 2020 exam results fiasco—a debacle that saw an algorithm downgrade 40% of predicted results after traditional exams were canceled. The resulting public outcry forced a government U-turn, and the episode left Johnson, by his own admission, in a “homicidal mood.” He told the inquiry, “All I would say is—you try coming up with a system to give a fair exam result for people when they can’t sit exams. It’s not easy. OK?” The former prime minister acknowledged that the algorithm was “a disaster,” but maintained that devising a substitute system under such circumstances was “plainly not easy.”
Johnson’s testimony was not without moments of pride. He praised teachers and schools for coping with what he called “unbelievably difficult” circumstances, stating, “On the whole, the Department for Education did a pretty heroic job of trying to cope with the pandemic.” But he also did not shy away from admitting government failures. As reported by ITV News, he acknowledged that “the system had failed” and that the government “got the wrong initial model” on education during the crisis.
The inquiry also delved into the contentious issue of social distancing and lockdown rules, particularly their impact on children. Johnson admitted, “The rules on social distancing probably did go too far in terms of their impact on children and we could have found a way of exempting them.” He went on to stress, “Hopefully this thing never happens again, but if we have to do anything like this again, I think we’re really going to have to consider the whole NPI (non-pharmaceutical intervention) system, lockdowns, whether we want to go down that route at all, particularly whether we want to close schools. Because it really should be a measure of last resort.”
Outside the inquiry’s venue, emotions ran high. Protesters from the charity Long Covid Kids gathered at Dorland House, chanting “shame on you” as Johnson left the building. Dan Paskins, executive director of UK Impact at Save the Children UK, did not mince words: “The actions of those in power during the pandemic damaged a generation of children, and no amount of regret will undo the harm that has been done.”
The testimony reignited public debate over the long-term consequences of the pandemic on children’s mental health, education, and social connection—a conversation that author Sophia Montagna believes is long overdue. In her book 2020: The Year That Changed the World, Montagna chronicled the confusion, fear, and resilience of families as lockdown reshaped daily life. She told Biggleswade Today, “The inquiry is confirming what many of us already knew in our hearts.” For Montagna, the true legacy of 2020 lies in the stories behind the statistics: “Children missing school, parents juggling survival, communities learning how to care for each other through screens.”
Johnson’s appearance also brought to light the internal government debates and disagreements that characterized the early pandemic response. Former education secretary Gavin Williamson, who gave his own evidence last week, accused Johnson of “choosing the NHS over children” and lamented that “many mistakes were made.” The inquiry revealed that a plan to close schools was only drawn up on March 17, 2020—just a day before the closure announcement—fueling criticism about the government’s lack of foresight and coordination.
Despite the criticisms and the palpable sense of regret, Johnson insisted that the government’s priority at the time was to avert an “appalling public health crisis.” He cited the rapid progression of the disease and the lack of knowledge about COVID-19 as key factors that made planning difficult. “The speed at which the disease was progressing made it harder to plan around,” he said, emphasizing that decisions were made in the context of trying to avoid a much greater disaster.
Looking ahead, Johnson was unequivocal about the lessons learned. “If we have to do anything like this again, school closures should really be a measure of last resort,” he said, echoing the sentiments of parents, educators, and experts across the country. The UK COVID-19 Inquiry’s focus on children and young people is set to continue through the week, promising further revelations—and, perhaps, more soul-searching—about the choices made during those fateful months.
As the inquiry’s hearings continue, the nation is left to grapple with the uncomfortable truths laid bare: the enormous sacrifices made by its youngest citizens, the missteps and miscalculations of those in power, and the urgent need to ensure that, should another pandemic strike, the lessons of 2020 are not forgotten.
