University students feel bullied, tricked and imprisoned. They're right to protest Owen Jones
almost 5 years in The guardian
The government and cash-hungry institutions have created a public health disaster and mental health crisis rolled into one
The government’s catastrophic handling of the pandemic is so comprehensive, so multi-faceted, that devoting sufficient attention to each scandal can be a challenge. Consider this one. Back in late August, when the daily average of coronavirus deaths was 10 – it is now more than 400 – the University and College Union (UCU) released a statement entitled “Universities must not become the care homes of a Covid second wave”.
“The union fears that the migration of over a million student risks doing untold damage to people’s health, and exacerbating the worst health crisis of our lifetimes,” it warned. This was ignored. When, three weeks later, the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) recommended a shift to online learning “unless face-to-face teaching is absolutely essential”, it was ignored, too. The result? The mass internal migration of young people to and from every corner of Britain, which helped fuel a second wave, and their near imprisonment in overcrowded accommodation. Continue reading...
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