The Daily Star splashed a picture of Gavin Williamson in a dunce hat alongside ‘Boris the clown’ on its front page this morning.
It comes as the government faces mounting pressure over its handling of the exam crisis, with pupils complaining they have been let down.
A-level results day descended in chaos yesterday as 39.1 per cent of teachers’ estimates for pupils in England were adjusted down by one grade or more.
The downgrades – amounting to some 280,000 entries – were enacted as the nation’s education officials grappled with the vexing issue of how to determine results in a year in which exams were cancelled due to coronavirus.
Dunce hat
Education Secretary Williamson has faced heavy criticism following a frenzied results day.
He is pictured in a dunce hat on the Daily Star’s front page, which was once used to discipline pupils for mischievous misdemeanours.
Tomorrow's front page: A grade clowns https://t.co/QDkfLOIlhT #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/spHymlClWH
— Daily Star (@dailystar) August 13, 2020
Ridicule
It’s not the first time the Daily Star has led with ridicule on its front pages.
Last month it mocked Boris Johnson’s decision to nominate Jo Johnson for a peerage with ‘honour for every brother’ front page.
Said it before, say it again. The @dailystar is the only paper that matters any more. pic.twitter.com/BnTdCDsorX
— Dominic Utton (@DomUtton) August 3, 2020
In May it provided a free “Do whatever the hell you want” mask in the paper, bearing Dominic Cummings’ face which can be used to get out of most sticky situations.
Wednesday’s Daily Star: Cops: Don’t drive if you’re blind #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/xm9ZNk0DW2
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) May 26, 2020
And following the local lockdown in Leicester the paper provided a similar cut out for people wanting to escape the city.
Wednesday’s Daily STAR: “Bog Roll Bandits Are Back” #BBCPapers #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/jSDEtAtbBA
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) June 30, 2020
Related: New powers to tackle coronavirus mask refusers to come in
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