The government continues to “pledge significant packages of investment” to help pupils catch up on education missed due to the pandemic, Gavin Williamson has claimed.

The education secretary’s comments come after the prime minister’s catch-up tsar Sir Kevan Collins last week quit his post and issued a stinging condemnation of the government’s recovery fund for youngsters who have been affected by disruption during the COVID crisis.

Sky News understands the proposal put to the Treasury to help schools recover from lost learning was worth around £15bn, with 100 extra hours of teaching per pupil.

A £1.4bn package was unveiled by the government last Wednesday, with the plans denounced as a “damp squib” by unions.

Mr Williamson said on Monday that the total recovery package is now worth more than £3bn, including an extra £1bn that will be spent on tutoring courses for pupils such as those from a disadvantaged background.

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