Parental backlash over COVID-19 school closures, mask mandates and curricula laced with critical race theory and LGBTQ issues has kept education at the forefront in the 2022 midterm election, even though it doesn't always land at the top of the polls.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi (pictured) saying he will personally vet any plans to bring back masks in classrooms is an example of Whitehall seeking to micromanage schools, teachers said.