Campus will open for students: –

– They have had a great load of performance over time, and we are concerned about the consequences. We therefore recommend easing restrictions on physical presence in colleges and universities soon, Department Head Line Vold at FHI said at Wednesday’s press conference.

To Dagbladet he explains:

– Students have had a heavy load of initiative for a long time and NIPH’s assessment today, with a period of declining infection rates, is that it will be provided to allow for a somewhat more physical presence on campus.

At the national level

Violence hopes that relief can be implemented soon.

– Because we are still in the middle of a pandemic, our advice will be a careful and gradual opening, but thus open for some presence from the next evaluation hour.

On Wednesday, the current advice and measures were extended for two weeks, following a recommendation from health authorities. The next evaluation date, which mentions Violence, will probably be during this period.

– Now students must take priority.

– We will advise opening at the national level for a somewhat more physical presence in universities and colleges, but the details of this we must return to. Most importantly, there will be some measure relief for young people who have had a heavy measure load for a long time, says Vold.

– Lonely and tough

Violence’s concerns about the consequences of the measures are not unfounded, take a look at the NOKUT student survey released Thursday morning. Here, half of the respondents responded that they had felt more alone after the infection measures.

Health Espen Deputy Director Rostrup Nakstad believes the results are very worrying.

– We have been well aware that students may have had the loneliest and toughest in this pandemic.

– We are very concerned that it has been a lonely life for the students. Not least for those who move to a new city and are left alone in a bedroom.

When asked if the Norwegian Health Directorate will support FHI’s desire for relief, Nakstad responds:

– We register the advice to the Ministry of Health and Care Services that we receive from many different actors. There is agreement that we need to act for another two weeks, in many of the places where there is a mutated virus outbreak. But that does not mean that you cannot work within the space of opportunity that you have, also for students. And then the question is how we can adapt this in the best possible way in two weeks.

Gradually

If infection rates remain low, Nakstad hopes it will be possible to reopen for more teaching.

– There is a difference naked digital teaching and naked auditorium teaching. There are things in between and stages in between, where it may be possible to do this in an infection-safe way. So that’s our overall goal, that as much as possible it works as normally as possible.

– Young people are very, very bored.

– If the trend continues with a decrease in infection rates, we will have a very good starting point also for the presence of students eventually. We hope so, but as I said, it is the contagion situation and adaptation to what will make it possible in the individual case.

– I can’t give a date

The Minister for Research and Higher Education, Henrik Asheim, also cannot make any promises about when the handover will take place.

– I can’t give any date or time. The government continually conducts evaluations based on advice from both the National Institute of Public Health and the Norwegian Health Directorate, he tells Dagbladet.

He also points out that what is relevant depends on the infection pressure both at the local and national levels.

– But I agree with FHI that the burden of action over time for students, among others, has been high. Therefore, I hope that the infection situation will allow us to relax some of the stricter measures in the not too distant future.

Cancel written exams

Not surprised

– Were the results of the NOKUT survey worse than expected?

– I had prepared for the results to be quite disappointing, but they are not worse than I expected given the year we have left.

– Several students have said that they feel forgotten and that they have fallen between two chairs when it comes to plans for help and compensation. Do you understand that students feel unfairly treated and overlooked?

– Unfortunately, the pandemic has affected all groups in society and I understand very well that it has also been difficult for students. We have been working since March 12 to open little by little and make it easier for students to have academic and social offers despite the fact that there is a lot of digital education. Now there are exceptions in areas with mutated viruses, but in parts of the country it’s a bit more open, says Asheim, adding that the government recently introduced a separate package of measures for students as well.

– I also hope, like all students, that soon we can gradually resume life on campus.