02 March 2023 , 18:30
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Reading the leaked texts between Matt Hancock and Gavin Williamson was a shock.
Not just because of the contempt they openly display towards teachers and the teaching profession, but because it brought back all the memories of that time of the pandemic and how incredibly hard it really was for everyone in schools.
Far from looking for ways to work less, teachers, school leaders and every member of school staff were putting in incredible hours and effort to keep things going and to do their bit.
In my 30-year teaching career I have never seen staff work so hard as they did then.
It was not just hard work, it was incredibly stressful and emotionally draining – as that time was for everyone.
Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade
The pandemic was a totally unknown quantity and people were scared. We had no idea how it would change things and how long it would last.
Dr Paul Gosling, NAHT President and head teacher of Exeter Road Community Primary School in Exmouth, Devon