I think the government and many teachers have forgotten what education is for.
Being less than amazingly bright I would suggest the following. Firstly the socialisation of children into society; Secondly the development of skills necessary for the success of that society. And maybe thirdly the development of ideas that enhance that society.
At no time does education need to be about measuring the efficiency of the teachers in imparting past knowledge. With at least 20% of the jobs year 9 students will do not having been invented yet it would seem imperative that education is used to enhance society rather than reinforce nationalism and dogma.
So during the lockdown students may well have fallen behind (although some may have blossomed with access to the internet and home learning). But I am also sure that children will back at normal levels of maturation by the summer.
Williamson is prattling on about longer teaching hours and shorter terms and holidays. Well the shorter terms might work? Basically they are dictated by exam timetables so no real problem. It could even result in a longer holiday period for hospitality firms across the UK if staggered properly (yes parents with kids/jobs in different authorities will have problems – so be it). Longer teaching hours is a recipe for disaster. Moving from a 50 minute lesson 4-2, to a 60 minute 5-1 set up was an amazing difference. Unfortunately the Minister for Education is a complete bozo so we can expect all sorts of nonsense over the next couple of months.