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Education Secretary Refuses to Rule Out Future Lockdown School Closures

by Will Jones
2 October 2023 7:00 PM

The Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, has said she cannot rule out Covid-style school closures in the future as you “would have to deal with what you were dealing with”. The Telegraph has the story.

Gillian Keegan refused to take class lockdowns off the table after Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, said that they were “the worst thing that could possibly have happened” for children during the pandemic.

He said: “I hope we never, ever again repeat this terrible, terrible experiment.”

Responding during a Conservative Party Conference fringe event in Manchester, Mrs Keegan said: “Iain says we hope we would never do a lockdown again, and I agree with that. I often get asked that question.

“But of course you don’t know the circumstances. If you were in a completely different set of circumstances where it was awful for children and of course you have to consider teachers as well, you know you do have to look at the circumstances.”

Asked by the Telegraph whether schools should be classified as critical infrastructure so there is more parliamentary scrutiny ahead of any future closures, she said: “I think there’s been a lot of lessons that have been learned about what we would do in a pandemic and what we would not do in a pandemic.

“The one thing I think is really important though is to know what it is you’re dealing with. So I was asked this, would you say you would never close schools again? And obviously mostly you would say yes, of course you wouldn’t.

“However, you would have to deal with what you were dealing with.”

The Education Secretary was speaking at an event hosted by the Centre for Social Justice think tank, which has warned that a rise in pupils missing lessons post-lockdown risks a “tidal wave of youth crime”.

Overall school absence is up by more than 50% since 2019 and persistent truancy, where pupils miss at least 10% of lessons, has more than doubled.

Worth reading in full.

The implication that they wouldn’t close schools again for another Covid-like disease is welcome, and shows the success of the sceptical movement in shifting acceptable opinion back to a more evidence-based position, where Government ministers feel obliged to distance themselves from the lockdown disaster.

However, leaving school closures open as a possibility for other diseases is worrying, simply because it is almost impossible to think of a disease outbreak in the modern world that could possibly warrant closing the nation’s schools.

The mention of considering “teachers as well” is also ominous as it was largely pressure from hysterical teaching unions that led to the long closures of 2020 and 2021.

Key lessons have still not been learned.

Tags: COVID-19EducationLockdownLockdown harmsSchoolSchool ClosuresSchoolchildren

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25 Comments
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Mogwai
Mogwai
1 year ago

What would these ”completely different set of circumstances” look like then? Do give us a clue, lady. This BS is so blatantly a strategy to mess with the minds of the British public and keep them waiting and wondering as we head into the winter months. Has ‘flu season’ been reinstated btw? Or has it been redefined as ‘Covid season’ for now and ever more? Because how many people have a box of flu tests at home or carried out as protocol if you go into hospital? It’ll be Covid World once more, you watch. So what this woman is alluding to I have no idea, but what I’m wondering is if she’d even pass the litmus test that any sane person should pass with flying colours, and tell us what a woman is.

96
0
Marcus Aurelius knew
Marcus Aurelius knew
1 year ago
Reply to  Mogwai

Hosepipe ban, anyone?

33
0
Mogwai
Mogwai
1 year ago
Reply to  Marcus Aurelius knew

Perhaps this is what she’s hinting at. Same old same old BBC bilge, which allows for the reintroduction of flu as a perceived ‘threat’, because we know they’ve got many flu jabs they need to use up and earn money on. But if that’s the case ( ‘case’ being the operative word here ) then do we now have LFT/PCR tests which supposedly detect flu? Or are they basically just banking on ”scaring the pants off” enough people to get them queuing up for their Jonestown jabs? Yeah, keep sucking up your daily dose of Kool-Aid and pledging your allegiance to the Covidian cult!

”Covid will “continue to surprise us”, England’s deputy chief medical officer has warned ahead of another tricky winter for the NHS.
Dr Thomas Waite says the disease does not yet behave in a seasonal way, making it less predictable than other winter illnesses.
He encourages anyone eligible for the free flu and/or Covid vaccine to get the jabs and protect their health.
Last year the flu vaccine stopped 25,000 people from being hospitalised.
But scientists estimate that last winter in England, flu still caused more than 14 thousand excess deaths and Covid caused more than ten thousand.”

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-66963982

32
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
1 year ago
Reply to  Mogwai

What this disingenuous POS is saying is that she has been tipped the wink that another “pandemic” is on the way. She also knows that one of the most successful ways of disrupting society is to close schools. However, she has to present ‘reasonableness’ so states that closing schools is only an option.

The teaching unions now know that more than a couple of sniffles per class would provide hefty ammunition for an out brothers out.

Looks like everything is in place for the Davos Deviants.

84
-3
sskinner
sskinner
1 year ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

Back in March 2020 there was an interview with a Korean COVID-19 expert and as well as the assertions that China controlled this well with strong restrictions, there was this answer about education.
Stephen Park (Interviewer): “In Korea the start of the school is being postponed, people are practicing social distancing, and the government even sends regular updates via texts. How well do you think this is all being handled?” 
Professor Kim Woo-joo “On March 20th, a couple days ago, the prime minister made a special announcement that he strongly recommends social distancing. So religious facilities, places people hang out, like bars, and indoor gyms… From march 20 for 2 weeks, these 3 types of places were strongly recommended to shut down. But this is not mandatory. People who are over 50 or 60 are following these protocols well. But teens and those in their 20s are not, because for teens in Korea, their education is very important. Even if they are sick and have a fever, they have to go to school and academy. The school year was postponed for elementary, middle, and high school because of COVID-19, but in the evening kids go to academies. So even if the government pushed back school, kids will still go to academy to study at night. Since I checked last weekend 90% of academies are open. In Asia, the college you go to determines your future.”

So not only did the kids continue their education, even when infected, but they were taught, presumably by someone much older!!!

Evidence is at 25:11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAk7aX5hksU&t=1808s
You Need To Listen To This Leading COVID-19 Expert From South Korea | STAY CURIOUS #15

Also, notice that this Professor is a Covid expert and in the same month that the pandemic was declared. That’s pretty good going as I thought becoming an expert in something can take years, if not decades.

Last edited 1 year ago by sskinner
24
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Ron Smith
Ron Smith
1 year ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

This Disease X keeps coming up, like we’re being primed for the WHO/IHR tyranny.

22
-1
stewart
stewart
1 year ago

In a different time, before the covid terror, that would have sounded like a sensible statement that one never knows what one may encounter in the future. It would have sounded like a very innocuous hypothetical statement.

But, after the covid terror, anything other than a rejection of lockdowns sounds downright menacing, because now we know the establishment is capable of terrible things we never imagined them capable of.

101
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
1 year ago

“Key lessons have still not been learned.”

There was NO pandemic.

96
-1
Mogwai
Mogwai
1 year ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

Yes, hux, but you’re forgetting one minor but integral detail for successfully existing in Clown World; facts don’t matter. haha..

https://twitter.com/CartlandDavid/status/1708916535916388753/photo/1

36
0
Baldrick
Baldrick
1 year ago

What she means is that if the WHO warns us of a possible threat, then we must close down again. Oh, hang on, the WHO ammendamant comes into enforce on 1st December- the one where they can take away you ‘rights’.

58
0
Mogwai
Mogwai
1 year ago
Reply to  Baldrick

I pity the fool.

https://twitter.com/MrT/status/1707487247119835456

11
-1
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
1 year ago
Reply to  Mogwai

What a stupid man.

3
0
DHJ
DHJ
1 year ago

If the adults don’t tolerate a lockdown then the children won’t have to.

54
0
Mogwai
Mogwai
1 year ago

Seriously though, did this happen today? Is it open season for just taking the Mick and rubbing the jab injured and bereaved people’s noses in it? Another AZ stooge has been knighted.

https://twitter.com/CartlandDavid/status/1708917693498147263

28
0
johnboy12
johnboy12
1 year ago

Bearing in mind they knew coronie was 99% survivable in 2020, one has to wonder if they have any limits on what they will do given whichever circumstances they choose to manipulate?

https://www.kusi.com/carlsbad-school-district-parents-hold-parking-lot-protest-in-support-of-reopening-schools/

Lets not forget that excess deaths are currently significantly above normal and not a peep from MSM or Govt…

Stange innit?

41
0
Mogwai
Mogwai
1 year ago
Reply to  johnboy12

You only need watch the first 1 or 2 mins of this clip about the increase in cardiac arrests in Victoria, Australia, which unfortunately includes an 8yr old girl ( who thankfully survived ) but no acknowledgement of the elephant in the room of course.

https://twitter.com/7NewsMelbourne/status/1708713774130311283

28
0
Hughie
Hughie
1 year ago

I know there are plenty more intelligent things to say, but for the love of God I wish these bloody people would stop peppering everything they say “y’know…” all the bloody time. I know they’re cretins beyond redemption but for God’s sake just STOP IT!! What do they think they sound like? I would do anything to hear intelligent, well read, articulate people in public office. (The Moggmeister blew it for other reasons).

17
0
Lockdown Sceptic
Lockdown Sceptic
1 year ago

When all else fails Covid returns

10b When all else fails covid returns copy.jpg
21
0
disgruntled246
disgruntled246
1 year ago
Reply to  Lockdown Sceptic

I’m seeing a huge increase in people posting on social media that they have covid. Like it’s a badge of honour. There’s even one in a group I’m in who took three days of tests before she got the positive she clearly desperately wanted. I can’t bring myself to send get well wishes.

4
0
A. Contrarian
A. Contrarian
1 year ago
Reply to  disgruntled246

It absolutely is a badge of honour. My (fully jabbed, whether that’s 3 or 4 I have no idea) SIL has recently posted a photo of herself on FB, just finishing a half marathon. Absolutely amazing she could complete such a thing, she says, given she had “Covid – The Sequel” JUST THREE WEEKS AGO! What a terrible deadly disease, that you can run 13 miles shortly afterwards looking perfectly healthy. Cue the usual replies – you poor thing, aren’t you brave, isn’t covid terrible etc etc. How many times will they have to “have” it before it stops being newsworthy I wonder? It will be around forever IMO, so there are going to be a lot of “sequels” to boast about.

Last edited 1 year ago by A. Contrarian
6
0
Ron Smith
Ron Smith
1 year ago

In other News at the Tory conference, BBC Evan Davis interviewed a Tory over 15 minute cities saying they’re just about everything in one place and everything else is a conspiracy theory. It was around 17:30 today Radio 4. The Tory guy said how residents are concerned about their freedom of movement etc while not mentioning Agenda 2030 where all the information is.

18
0
thebookishtoad
thebookishtoad
1 year ago

Keegan is dreadful, shouldn’t be in charge of any portfolio and certainly not children or health.

19
0
Pilla
Pilla
1 year ago

‘Asked by the Telegraph whether schools should be classified as critical infrastructure so there is more parliamentary scrutiny ahead of any future closures’, please notice that she doesn’t answer that question. More parliamentary scrutiny would obviously be a good idea (if you still believed in the parliamentary process at all).

12
0
Epi
Epi
1 year ago

These people are not fit for purpose.

12
0
RTSC
RTSC
1 year ago

They obviously think that trashing the education, mental health and therefore life chances of an entire generation of school-children wasn’t comprehensive enough.

So they need the wriggle room to double-down.

EVIL BASTARDS.

10
0

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