Senior Tory brands government handling of schools ‘shambles’ as minister confirms cancellation of GCSEs and A-levels

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The government’s handling of schools has been denounced as a “huge shambles” by a senior Tory MP. The Association of Colleges told ministers the exams, involving around 135,000 students this month, were “simply untenable”, while a parliamentary petition calling for their replacement with teacher-assessed grades gathered more than 125,000 signatures. This has got to stop, the government has got to offer a consistent policy that doesn't change every couple of days, let alone weeks.” He added: “Parents, teachers, support staff and children have been marched up to the top of the hill, only to be marched down again and enormous pressure has been put on them. “What I want now to happen is for the government to use this time to roll out a vaccine programme for teachers and support staff, get the testing regime working, set out an educational route map out of coronavirus and a long-term plan for education and skills.” Asked to guarantee that all pupils will be back in classrooms before the summer holidays, Mr Johnson told the No 10 press conference: “We think that with the vaccination programme we can do a huge amount to take out of the path of the virus those who are most vulnerable.