'Obviously she wouldn't punch anyone': Gillian Keegan defended after Ofsted comment backlash
The Conservative minister has been accused of making comments in "poor taste" after she joked that she would have "punched" inspectors who were rude about a "fantastic" school.
Friday 8 March 2024 19:38, UK
Gillian Keegan "obviously wouldn't punch anyone", a source close to the education secretary has said, after she faced a backlash for comments made about an Ofsted inspection.
The cabinet minister told an audience of educational leaders in Liverpool that she was "shocked" by how the watchdog treated a "fantastic" school she recently visited.
She said: "They told me how their Ofsted experience had gone and I was shocked. I was actually shocked.
"I thought: 'God if I had met these people, I would have probably punched them'. They were really rude."
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The comments have been criticised by union leaders and opposition MPs.
Mike Short, head of education at Unison, said: "Clearly there's much that can and should be improved in the way Ofsted inspections are carried out.
"But to suggest punching people is an appropriate reaction is not becoming of a government minister.
"Making light of violence in schools when staff are increasingly likely to face assaults while doing their job is in very poor taste.
"Ofsted inspectors are already dealing with a great deal of hostility while they work. So much for showing respect."
Dave Penman, of the FDA union representing managers and professionals in the public sector, said: "Can you imagine the outcry if a civil servant had said they wanted to punch a disrespectful minister (of which there's been more than a few of late)? The prime minister talks about lowering the temperature in politics, whilst ministers riff about punching civil servants."
'Just another shocking day at the microphone'
This is not the first time Ms Keegan has come under fire for her choice of language.
Last year she was forced to apologise after she was caught complaining about not being thanked for doing a "f* good job" over the unsafe concrete crisis in schools.
She faced further criticism for saying school chiefs who had not responded to a survey about unsafe buildings should "get off their backsides".
Liberal Democrat education spokesperson, Munira Wilson, said Ms Keegan's "shocking" comments are "just another day at the microphone".
"Gillian Keegan has form and this is the latest gaffe from a minister who has a potty mouth, an obviously quick temper and still thinks she is doing an (insert expletive) good job. Hardly the qualities we should be instilling in our children."
Labour's shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "I can't believe I have to say this, but the education secretary should focus on reforming Ofsted, not on punching working people.
"An extraordinary comment from a secretary of state painfully out of her depth."
'Light-hearted remark'
A source close to Ms Keegan said it was a "light-hearted remark in her home city, made in the context of expressing support for teachers and headteachers and the amazing work they do".
They added: "Obviously she wouldn't punch anyone, it was a turn of phrase."
Ms Keegan was speaking during a Q&A at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) annual conference in Liverpool.
She went on to say that while you "expect people to be rude to you when you're a politician... when you are trying to run a school and educate children and change lives, you don't expect somebody to come in and not be respectful".
She added that the culture of inspection was the "biggest thing" that needed to change.
What next for Ofsted?
Ofsted has come under greater scrutiny in the past year after headteacher Ruth Perry took her own life.
The mother-of-two's death followed a report by the watchdog which downgraded her Caversham Primary School in Reading from its highest rating to its lowest over safeguarding concerns.
In December, a coroner concluded the inspection, in November 2022, "likely contributed" to her death.
As a result of her death, Ofsted launched a "Big Listen" public consultation into its future direction on Friday.
Mrs Perry's sister, Professor Julia Waters, said Ofsted needed to make a "big change" or its consultation would be a "big waste of time".
Sir Martyn Oliver, the new chief inspector of Ofsted, said "nothing is off the table" and he is "determined to do everything that I can to prevent such tragedies happening in the future".
Responding to Ms Keegan's remarks about punching staff, he told the media: "I think people should act with professionalism, courtesy, empathy and respect on both sides."
He said he believed the incident Ms Keegan was referring to likely took place under a "previous period".
"I'm much more interested in a fresh start and calming down tensions. That's in far better interests for the children and the professionals in the country going forward," he added.
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A report released in January by the Education Select Committee called on the Department for Education (DfE) and Ofsted "to develop an alternative" to the single-word judgments used to rate schools.