“Exhausted, “drained” and “regularly ignored” – common sentiments shared across students nationwide. Despite how much attention COVID-19 gets on the news, University students practically never get a mention.
Across the country, students have taken to social media and various news outlets to express their frustration with the government. The main criticism being their inability to even acknowledge the difficulties universities face in the U.K’s third national lockdown.
Upon announcing the closure of schools on the 4th January 2021, PM Boris Johnson said: “I completely understand the inconvenience and distress this late change will cause millions of parents and pupils up and down the country.” Following this, the education secretary Gavin Williamson will “work together with Ofqual to put in place alternative arrangements.” Yet, amidst this talk of alternate opportunities and provisions for GCSE and A-Level pupils, there wasn’t any mention of universities.
“59% of those in halls said that they felt lonely.”
Since the start of the pandemic, media representation for University students has been massively degrading. All the headlines of wild student parties, vilifying young people as “selfish” virus spreaders, only fuels this gaslighting further. As a result, university students have felt neglected and slandered.
The government’s lack of support has only heightened a lot of anxieties and struggles students face. Lockdown in halls, particularly for freshers has only exacerbated feelings of seclusion and despondency. A recent survey by Young Minds revealed that 59% of those in halls said that they felt lonely. 58% stated that their mental health is worse due to coronavirus.
Second-year psychology student Kiera Murrell brought the emotional impacts of being a student during this time to the forefront, sharing her experience accompanied by a heart-wrenching teary photo. “I have spent my afternoon crying…I have received not a single bit of support since university moved online in March, just like everybody else on my course.” She went on to state how wellbeing centres for universities “need to be doing more to check on students and make sure students know what support is out there.” When you hear the distressing experience of a student, completely disillusioned with university life, it is shocking that media coverage for university students continues to be so defamatory. Instead of continuing this pejorative narrative surrounding student life, why isn’t there more attention on how much they are suffering?
In comparison to A-level and GCSE students, where grades were determined by mock exams and in-class assessments, there hasn’t been any help for university students.
As a result, the National Unions of Students (NUS) has called for urgent support. Their aims are to implement a nationwide no-detriment policy alongside the opportunity for students to leave their tenancies early.
Mental health concerns come entwined with a myriad of financial concerns; the most prominent of them being paying for accommodation which they can’t use. As of yet, the government has played no role in instigating this change – or rather refuses to. Despite the petition getting over 15,000 signatures, the government merely responded with this statement: “Government plays no direct role in the provision of student residential accommodation, whether it is managed by universities or private companies. Rent refunds are a matter for the higher education providers and private companies that students contract with for their accommodation.” From a PM who claimed to “understand the inconvenience and distress” caused to students, this statement denotes a complete lack of empathy. Not only that but there is a clear lack of willingness or initiative to request that higher education providers and private companies organise rent refunds.
“they might as well have said ‘it’s just not our problem’.”
Such an uncooperative approach continues even during the third lockdown. Many undergraduates still need to pay up to £9,250 in annual fees despite not setting foot on campus once. Frequent comparisons have been made to the Open University which has a £6,250 annual fee for a completely online experience. Thus, as students aren’t receiving the full university experience, what justifies universities charging this additional £3,000? Surely if both courses are now virtual, the fees should be the same? As a result of this injustice, there has also been a petition circulating in favour of universities partially refunding tuition fees. However, shirking responsibility seems to come naturally to our ministers as their response was “higher education providers must deliver high-quality courses. If students are unhappy, they should first complain to their provider or the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education”.
Given their response, they might as well have said ‘it’s just not our problem’. Additionally, that doesn’t solve the underlying problem. Students shouldn’t even feel the need to complain about their course.
At the very least, Universities should clarify exactly what £9,000 goes towards. But why aren’t the government making sure universities are still delivering high-quality courses? Students are suffering up and down the globe because of the government’s ignorance and blasé attitude towards their grievances. Students need support and attention now more than ever.
Katie Heyes
Featured image courtesy of Hatice EROL from Pixabay. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.