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Ministers want to shut down universities in England for two weeks before Christmas, with the order that students stay on campus and all teaching take place online, The Guardian has learned.
Under the government’s plan, which is in its early stages, universities would be blocked from December 8 to December 22, when all students could return to their home cities.
The move is designed to fulfill Boris Johnson’s promise to “bring students home safe at Christmas,” but prevent the spread of the virus by limiting mixing between the student body and the larger community in the weeks before the more than a million students travel home.
Infection rates in some college towns are significantly higher among students than the general population. Under the plan, students suffering from Covid-19 or its symptoms, and those who had been in contact with them, would have to stay in their accommodation for as long as their quarantine period required.
Michelle Donelan, England’s minister for universities, will hold talks with representatives from Universities UK and other higher education leaders on Thursday in a bid to persuade them to back the plan.
Many university leaders are unhappy with the effect the government’s move would have on their own teaching schedules and arrangements, and question the wisdom of putting so many students on the nation’s transportation network to travel across the country on the same day.
Vice Chancellors who spoke to The Guardian said they did not have the power to confine students and feared that the two-week period would lead to a spike in Covid-19 cases if students had little to do other than socialize.
So far, five universities have each reported more than 1,000 confirmed Covid-19 infections, including the universities of Nottingham, Manchester, Northumbria, Sheffield and Newcastle. Others report a rapid increase in cases, with more than 600 cases among students and staff at the University of Birmingham in the past two weeks.
The government’s plan appears not to take into account different term end dates for some universities. Oxford and Cambridge terms end before December 8, which means they would have to keep students in place for two more weeks or Oxbridge students would be exempt from the requirement.
The dates are the first details of the government’s promised plan to ensure that students can return to their families without bringing the coronavirus back to their communities, as warned by government scientific advisers.
Level one – medium
Stores, schools and universities remain open in all categories.
At level one, in addition to national regulations and restrictions, for example on the use of face masks in retail settings and on public transportation, residents are expected to:
- follow the rule of six if you meet indoors or outdoors
- pubs and restaurants close at 10 pm
Level two – high
In level two areas:
- no domestic mixing indoors
- the rule of six applies outdoors
- pubs and restaurants close at 10 pm
Level three: very high
- no domestic mixing at all, whether indoors, outdoors or in hospitality venues
- The rule of six applies in public outdoor spaces like parks.
- pubs and bars that do not serve food to be closed
- guidance not to travel in and out of the area
Last month, the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) told ministers: ‘A critical risk is a large number of infected students spreading outbreaks across the UK, influencing national transmission … The maximum health impacts of these new infections and the outbreaks they cause would coincide with the Christmas and New Year period, posing a significant risk to both extended families and local communities. “
When asked by the BBC if students would have to stay on campus over Christmas, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said last month that he had “learned not to rule things out.” But after a protest, Johnson and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson were quick to reassure the students and their families.
Johnson said at a press conference two weeks ago: “I can assure everyone at the university that there are plans to get students home safely over Christmas,” while Williamson said the Department of Education will issue guidance. ” so that all students can spend Christmas with their family ”.
Williamson told parliament that, in some circumstances, “it may be necessary for some students to self-isolate at the end of the term, and we will work with the industry to ensure this is possible, including early completion of in-person learning if that is done. considers necessary ”.
The government’s demand for teaching to go online in December comes after it emerged on Monday that Sage recommended that “college and university teaching be online unless face-to-face teaching is absolutely essential” until the virus clears. .
Sage also considered the “closure of higher education” to be one of the most effective means of stopping transmission. “Pre-closure mitigations should include a strong push toward e-learning for all less essential hands-on activities,” he advised.
At least one university in England is exploring the possibility of allowing students to stay home in January and for online-only teaching to continue while infection rates remain high.
The Northern Ireland executive has announced that universities should “offer distance education to the greatest extent possible” during their four-week shutdown starting Friday.
Meanwhile, the universities’ watchdog is drawing up plans to deal with massive complaints from disgruntled students about online teaching and further disruptions.
The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), which reviews student complaints about higher education providers in England and Wales, generally handles individual cases but is preparing to deal with group action and expects to publish plans next month. .
A spokesperson for the OIA said: “We are looking to develop a personalized approach to handling complaints from large groups of students. The approach would involve considering large group complaints collectively rather than focusing on individual issues, in order to be able to handle them quickly while maintaining fairness. “
DfE has been contacted for comment.
