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27-09-2020, 01:03 PM
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Coronavirus: Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden defends students' university return

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54315585

Oliver Dowden told the Andrew Marr show it was important students did not "give up a year of their life" by not going. Mr Dowden said: "Young people have paid a huge price during this crisis and I think it is only fair to try and get them back - we have got clear guidelines for them to follow." Mr Dowden said the experience was "not as it would be" due to the crisis but that students should still pay tuition fees as they were receiving it.

A scientist who advises the government said the situation was "inevitable". Prof Mark Woolhouse, who sits on the government's pandemic modelling group SPI-M, said the situation was "entirely predictable" and had been modelled. He said with students converging from around the country it was "inevitable there would be some spread". Modelling showed the risk areas were first year halls of residence and face-to-face teaching, he said.

Labour shadow education secretary Kate Green told BBC Breakfast the government should consider pausing the start of term while an "effective, efficient testing system" was put in place, with students given a choice of learning from home if they felt safer there.
Yet another contradiction in explanations …..

Dido the "Incompetent" alleges that she hadn't seen an Autumn "surge" coming yet here we have a "Prof" saying that his government group had modelled the situation and predicted "some spread" …..

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-new...halls-22744758

Students have told of meals pushed under doors, being told to do their laundry in the bath, and solitary isolation in their dorm and flat bedrooms.

And they've been warned they may face a lonely Christmas on campuses in a bid to stop the outbreaks spreading to elderly relatives.

On Friday night, Manchester Metropolitan University became the latest to be plunged into lockdowns, following an outbreak of at least 127 coronavirus cases.
There must be tens of thousands of parents now desperately worried about their children banged up in halls of residence with, apparently, no planning for their incarceration, which, seemingly could last until the New Year …..

Let's hope that there are no deaths included in the "Prof"'s model …..
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28-09-2020, 12:30 AM
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Re: Coronavirus: Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden defends students' university return

What gets me is that secondary school students (11-18 year olds) are allocated circa £4-4.5k for their "education". This pays for ALL resources, notably the most expensive of all - staff!! Running costs of buildings etc pale into insignificance in relation to this.

It beggars belief that Uni's charge £10k for "tuition fees" when, in fact, they singularly fail to provide value for money.

It also beggars belief that the vast majority of students are provided additional "grants" which singularly fail to actually cover the cost of renting accommodation. Buying books, paying for food and covering the shortfall in rent etc is left to parents to cover.

One would naturally assume that the purpose of attaining Higher Education qualifications is that higher salaries will ensue coupled with a lifelong higher tax being repaid into the public coffers

The current view and usage of students is a fooking disgrace.
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28-09-2020, 09:26 AM
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Re: Coronavirus: Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden defends students' university return

Originally Posted by Dextrous63 ->
What gets me is that secondary school students (11-18 year olds) are allocated circa £4-4.5k for their "education". This pays for ALL resources, notably the most expensive of all - staff!! Running costs of buildings etc pale into insignificance in relation to this.

It beggars belief that Uni's charge £10k for "tuition fees" when, in fact, they singularly fail to provide value for money.

It also beggars belief that the vast majority of students are provided additional "grants" which singularly fail to actually cover the cost of renting accommodation. Buying books, paying for food and covering the shortfall in rent etc is left to parents to cover.

One would naturally assume that the purpose of attaining Higher Education qualifications is that higher salaries will ensue coupled with a lifelong higher tax being repaid into the public coffers

The current view and usage of students is a fooking disgrace.
Education is now an industry, especially at Uni level, where the attaining of a degree is much less of a triumph than it once was.

Some of the Courses, eg "Media Studies", are simply there as a quick money making opportunity (in my opinion).and appear not to be all that relevant to those hiring new employees.
Unis must look at where the jobs will be, in the future, and what skills there will need to be.

Do they do that now?

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28-09-2020, 10:36 AM
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Re: Coronavirus: Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden defends students' university return

Covid in Scotland: 'Struggling' students told they can return home

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotla...itics-54318149

Education Minister Richard Lochhead said he does not expect a "mass exodus" after updated guidance was published by the Scottish government.

The guidance also says students can visit parents if there is a "reasonable excuse" such as a family emergency.

But short stays without one are still deemed an "offence".

The guidelines were issued after a flood of complaints from students who felt they were trapped in university or college accommodation.

Students who decide to permanently return to another home have been asked to follow self-isolating rules and not use public transport.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said the picture was still one of "confusion" and criticised the fact the guidance was published so late on Sunday.

He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland: "On one hand students are being told they can go home, then they are being told they can go home if there are certain circumstances and I think there are still questions over what those circumstances are."
Universities in England, Wales, Northern Ireland ..... will they follow suit or go their own way .....
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28-09-2020, 02:55 PM
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Re: Coronavirus: Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden defends students' university return

Covid: About 40 universities report coronavirus cases

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54322935

The University of Aberystwyth is the latest to suspend face-to-face teaching to reduce the spread of Covid-19. Some students have questioned why they were told to leave home and pay for accommodation when most teaching is being done remotely.

On whether students in England should receive a fees refund, for example if all their teaching teaching is online, the prime minister's spokesman said universities were autonomous and would make their own decisions about fees.

There are no official figures from the government, regulator or Universities UK - but a tracking of local reports suggests about 40 universities have had Covid cases so far - out of about 130 universities in total.

Many universities had promised students a mix of in-person and online teaching, raising questions about whether they should get a refund if teaching is only online or if they should be paying for university accommodation if all their lessons are delivered remotely.
It's now likely that ALL universities will have COVID-19 cases - what a shambles .....
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28-09-2020, 04:45 PM
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Re: Coronavirus: Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden defends students' university return

Originally Posted by Omah ->
Covid: About 40 universities report coronavirus cases

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54322935



It's now likely that ALL universities will have COVID-19 cases - what a shambles .....
I suspect that as the students have barely returned to the uni's
Omah, they actually took the virus with them unknowingly??
Surelyl they should have been tested BEFORE leaving home or at
least before gaining entry to the uni ??
As the uni's apparently requested the students to return to the
institutions, doesnt that put the onus onto the administration to
advise the students to get tested before arranging to return??
BTW, Imo the students are making a mountain out of a molehill
Over this as it only involves them being locked down for two weeks
If they are all kept together to ensure even exposure to the virus!!
Then they can carry on as normal as they will have had the infection
or proved they have immunity?
Christmas should-nt be a problem as by then everybody should have
had the virus and be back to normal ??

Donkeyman! 👍😁👍
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28-09-2020, 05:13 PM
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Re: Coronavirus: Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden defends students' university return

Originally Posted by Donkeyman ->
I suspect that as the students have barely returned to the uni's
Omah, they actually took the virus with them unknowingly??
Surelyl they should have been tested BEFORE leaving home or at
least before gaining entry to the uni ??
As the uni's apparently requested the students to return to the
institutions, doesnt that put the onus onto the administration to
advise the students to get tested before arranging to return??
BTW, Imo the students are making a mountain out of a molehill
Over this as it only involves them being locked down for two weeks
If they are all kept together to ensure even exposure to the virus!!
Then they can carry on as normal as they will have had the infection
or proved they have immunity?
Christmas should-nt be a problem as by then everybody should have
had the virus and be back to normal ??

Donkeyman! 👍😁👍
AFAIK, there are some 2,500,000 students studying at UK higher education institutions - there's no way that Dido Harding's shambolic testing system could have dealt with that number of tests - it's strugglng to deal with 250,000 a day now .....

Given that educational institutions have, AFAIK, a "duty of care" then I think permitting deliberate infection of their young charges with a possibly lethal virus would be to invite criminal proceedings .....

How isolation works for groups I have no idea but testing would have to be maintained, since 80% of those infected will show no symptoms and, again, the "Incompetent" Harding's system would not be able to cope .....

Then, of course, there are schools that require attention*:

The DfE’s figures revealed that 4% of state schools were classed as “not fully open” last week because of Covid-19, compared with 1% of schools seven days before, including cases where entire year groups had been sent home. Around 20 schools were closed outright for Covid-related reasons.

900 schools were affected, in a week during which many headteachers and parents complained they were unable to access coronavirus tests, forcing those showing symptoms to be kept away from the classroom and self-isolate. Including independent schools at a similar rate would bring the figure for England close to 1,000 schools.
* There are some 12,000,000 children in state schools .....

Shambolic .....
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29-09-2020, 06:53 PM
8

Re: Coronavirus: Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden defends students' university return

Students home for Christmas with end of term online

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-54340184

Universities in England could finish face-to-face teaching early this term so any students having to self-isolate could return home for Christmas, says the education secretary. But Gavin Williamson rejected calls to switch all teaching to online.

The latest estimate suggests 52 UK universities have had Covid cases so far this term - up by 12 since Monday.

The National Union of Students said it was "unacceptable" that some students had found themselves facing "private security guards with dogs" at their locked-down accommodation.

Shadow Education Secretary, Kate Green said the situation with students returning to university and ending up in self-isolation was "desperately worrying", as well as "predictable and predicted". Ms Green said the government had failed "to get testing fit-for-purpose" and if Mr Williamson's department "didn't get a grip, the situation could repeat itself across the country".

"We cannot forget that at the heart of this crisis are thousands of young people, many way from home for the first time, many now isolating with a group of people who are practically strangers - we can only imagine how hard it is for them," she told MPs.
Well said, Kate .....
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02-10-2020, 05:07 PM
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Re: Coronavirus: Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden defends students' university return

More than 750 students test positive in Newcastle Northumbria University

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-54382914

A spokesperson for the university said 78 of the affected students were showing symptoms.

"These students are all now self-isolating. Their flatmates and any close contacts are also self-isolating for 14 days in line with government guidance and have been advised to book a test as soon as possible should symptoms appear," the university said.
More than 50 universities in the UK have confirmed cases of coronavirus with nearly 1,800 Covid-19 cases identified among students and staff.
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08-10-2020, 06:26 PM
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Re: Coronavirus: Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden defends students' university return

Another 1,600 Newcastle students test positive

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-54468127

A further 1,600 students have tested positive for coronavirus at Newcastle's two universities.

Newcastle University said 1,003 students and 12 members of staff were confirmed to have Covid-19 in the past week, compared with 94 last Friday.

There were also 619 new cases at Northumbria University, which last week said 770 people had contracted the illness since mid-September.

There were about 100 cases at Durham and 102 among Sunderland students.

Newcastle and Northumbria universities have moved the majority of teaching online.
90 Universities have reported coronavirus cases:

  • 70 in England.
  • 1 in Northern Ireland.
  • 13 in Scotland.
  • 6 in Wales.



Details here:

https://unicovid.uk/

Tracking Covid-19 at U.K. Universities
 
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