‘Generation betrayed by adults!’ Mike Parry rages as Covid ‘scarred’ pupils face poor GCSE results

Mike Parry has fumed over the “damaging” legacy from school closures during the pandemic.

It means poorer GCSE results for pupils in England is to be expected well into the 2030s, according to researchers.

Speaking on GB News, the broadcaster said the learning loss suffered by pupils is a case of a generation being “betrayed by adults”.

“It’s not just the teaching, it’s the interactivity”, he said.

“Even walking to school or going on their bike or meeting their mates or after school activities have all been rubbed away.

“They’ve had a very difficult start in life and they now have to adjust to some human skills that you take for granted. It’s serious.”

GB News presenter Andrew Pierce commented that the “months of education” lost over the course of the pandemic will “never be got back”.

“That’s right”, Parry commented. “If a child sadly has a long term illness, they never catch up.

“This now stretches to millions of children who are in that position, they will never get it back.

“They are the generation who have been betrayed by adults, in my view.”

The report – from academics at the universities of Exeter, Strathclyde and the London School of Economics – delves into how school closures during the Covid pandemic hindered children’s skills at age five, 11 and 14.

Fewer than two in five pupils are expected to achieve a grade 5 or above in English and mathematics GCSEs in 2030 – which is roughly equivalent to a high grade C or low grade B.

Trade unionist Andy McDonald countered Parry’s argument, suggesting the decisions were taken with the best of intentions.

“They thought their personal safety was at risk”, he said.

“In most cases, they still had educational provisions in place for those students.

“You can’t go after some teacher who is on 25 grand a year, it’s not their responsibility.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We have made almost £5 billion available since 2020 for education recovery initiatives, which have supported millions of pupils in need of extra support.

“We are also supporting disadvantaged pupils through the pupil premium, which is rising to almost £2.9 billion in 2024-25, the highest in cash terms since this funding began.

“This is on top of our ongoing £10 million Behaviour Hubs programme and £9.5 million for up to 7,800 schools and colleges to train a senior mental health lead.”