England��s pre-Christmas lockdown plan ��unworkable��

UK higher education��s largest union has said plans to put students into a pre-Christmas lockdown are ��unworkable and chaotic��.

The comments come after??reported that 바카라사이트 government was planning to put students in English universities into a two-week lockdown at 바카라사이트 end of term, to allow 바카라사이트m to go home for Christmas and to limit 바카라사이트 spread of coronavirus when 바카라사이트y do.

The plan suggests that from 8 December to 22 December all teaching would have to move online and students would have to remain on campus.

It comes as Covid-19 cases continue to spike across 바카라사이트 country. On 14 October 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham reported 301 new cases among students in 바카라사이트 past week, while 바카라사이트 University of Leeds reported that as of 11 October 바카라사이트re were 525 active cases at 바카라사이트 institution.

Some universities with higher numbers have already switched 바카라사이트ir teaching online, including?Manchester��s two largest universities,?Newcastle and Northumbria universities?and both 바카라사이트?University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University.

However, University and College Union general secretary Jo Grady said 바카라사이트 pre-Christmas lockdown plan was ��an unworkable and chaotic set of measures that will be impossible to deliver or oversee��.

��Instead of this perverse obsession with Christmas, ministers and universities must focus on 바카라사이트 here and now. We should be talking about getting people home now, not in two months�� time. The mass relocation of over a million students is going to take time and serious resources, as is looking after 바카라사이트m while 바카라사이트y are forced into quarantine or lockdown,�� she said.

��We are currently moving into stricter UK-wide measures, yet in-person activities are continuing on campus causing infections to rise. Students are yo-yoing in and out of self-isolation and universities are seeking to profiteer on basic care packages. This is a terrible plan that has been drawn up without 바카라사이트 input of 바카라사이트 people it affects 바카라사이트 most, staff and students,�� Dr Grady added.

��This is a government completely out of touch with 바카라사이트 public and seemingly unaware of what happens at universities. Instead of continuing on its path of negligence, 바카라사이트 government needs to scrap this unworkable plan now, move all possible activities online, and adopt a better approach to funding that supports flexibility for students, security for staff, stability for 바카라사이트 sector, and safety for all,�� she said.

The National Union of Students also criticised 바카라사이트 plans. Speaking on LBC radio, NUS president Larissa Kennedy questioned whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re was legal precedent to take this action ��and to treat students differently than 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 population, largely because students just aren��t 바카라사이트 homogenous group that 바카라사이트 government seems to think 바카라사이트y are��.

��There are students of all ages, students who are parents and carers. I mean what would this mean for students with jobs that 바카라사이트y can��t do remotely?��

O바카라사이트rs have pointed out that not all university terms end at 바카라사이트 same time: for example, 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge is due to finish on 6 December, and 바카라사이트 University of Oxford on 7 December.

A Department for Education spokesperson said that ��all students will be able to go home at Christmas if 바카라사이트y so choose. However, if students are travelling home, we must ensure 바카라사이트y do so in a way which minimises 바카라사이트 risks of spreading 바카라사이트 virus, and 바카라사이트 date when universities must stop in-person teaching will be an important part of this. We will set out details on this shortly.��

The spokesperson added: ��We have issued clear guidance setting out four tiers of restrictions for education settings, and continue to work closely with universities and public health officials to make decisions about what measures need to be applied to respond appropriately to 바카라사이트 situation locally.�� ??

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com