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Students in some corridors at Manchester Metropolitan University are locked in corridors
The government should promise university students that they will be allowed to return home at Christmas, the Labor Party has said.
Shadow education secretary Kate Green said it was “unthinkable” that students could still be locked in hallways and unable to see their families.
Thousands of students are currently locked up in universities across the UK after the coronavirus outbreaks.
The Department of Education said it was working closely with universities.
Earlier this week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock declined to rule out a ban on students coming home for Christmas, but added, “I don’t want to have a situation like that and I hope we can avoid it.”
He was responding to a question about concerns of students spreading Covid-19, following local outbreaks on campuses.
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About 3,000 students are currently locked up in universities from Dundee to Exeter, said Conservative Commons Education Select Committee Chairman Robert Halfon.
They include up to 1,700 students from Manchester Metropolitan University, where students say security guards and police prevent them from leaving.
Many students have expressed concern and confusion over the situation, with one of them saying that “they had been left completely in the dark.”
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In a letter to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, Ms. Green accused the government of failing to prepare for the likelihood of the virus spreading among students.
“It is deeply distressing that so many are now not getting the college experience they deserve and facing the dire prospect of being locked in their rooms with no possibility of making new friends,” he said.
“Universities have done their best to prepare for the safe return of students to campus, but the government has not played its role.
“He disappointed the youngsters with the exam fiasco over the summer, and now many of those same students are being let down again. These young people deserve better than their incompetence.”
She asked:
- Sufficient testing capacity in universities
- All students will have the option to study remotely.
- The government will consider delaying the start of the period for universities that have not yet returned
And regarding Christmas, he added that the government must “work with universities to ensure that all students have access to tests to allow a safe journey home.”
Earlier this week, the government’s science advisor Sir Mark Walport warned that students at virus hotspots could be forced to stay on campus over Christmas.
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‘We had no warning’
Manchester Met said it had introduced a 14-day period of self-isolation at its accommodation at Birley and Cambridge Halls after 127 students tested positive for the virus.
Joe Byrne, a freshman there, said: “We have not received any warnings, support or advice from the university on how we get food, etc., and instead we have been left completely in the dark and practically locked up against our will. “.
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Hundreds of students are also isolating themselves at the University of Glasgow
University campuses have implemented social distancing measures
Another student, Megan Tingey, said the university did not contact her about the closure before police showed up in front of her accommodation.
“It was pretty scary and confusing,” he said. “No one has really told us much and then the police show up safely outside.”
Thousands more students in England are showing up for the new college term this weekend, but the big question is whether they should go the other way and study from home.
Is it prudent or fair for universities to bring students back if they are at increased risk of a Covid outbreak and having to isolate themselves?
The accommodation blocks, with shared facilities and full of young people eager to socialize, have already seen a wave of outbreaks. So should the brakes be applied to prevent this pattern from repeating itself?
But after recruiting a record number of students and promising them a combination of online and face-to-face teaching, it will be a very uncomfortable U-turn for universities to return to the academic equivalent of working from home.
And would that mean refunds for accommodation and tuition fees?
There are likely to be some chaotic days ahead, and some big decisions must be made about whether to reduce the numbers on campus. And students must wonder how they’ve gone from being locked up at home all summer to now locked up in college.
In a statement, Manchester Met said it had contacted students “as soon as we could, but it was not possible to give significant advance notice due to the requirement to implement isolation almost immediately.”
“The communications we sent included details on how to access food and other provisions and we have been working with other partners, including local supermarkets, throughout the day to provide additional support,” the statement read.
“Our security teams will increase patrols to support the lockdown and we will take disciplinary action against any student found to have violated the requirements.”
Hundreds of students are also isolating themselves at the University of Glasgow due to two groups of coronaviruses.
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The university said it would offer a four-week rent refund to all students in college residences in recognition of the “difficult circumstances” in which they were living.
He said those students would also be given £ 50 each to spend on food and would invite mobile food outlets to residences.
Across Scotland, students have been told not to go to pubs, parties or restaurants on the weekend. Universities Scotland has said that students who socialize with someone outside of their home run the risk of losing their place at the university.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said: “The government is working closely with universities to ensure they are well prepared for the return of students, and we have published a guide to help them keep students and staff as safe. possible”.
“Students need to follow the latest health advice, just like the general public, which means they need to stay in college in case they have symptoms, have to isolate themselves, additional restrictions are imposed locally, or there is an outbreak. on campus or at your accommodation.
“We will continue to monitor the situation very closely and follow the advice of Public Health England, adapting policies to best support students and providers.”
