According to NUS estimates, about 20 per cent of students have been unable to access any of their learning during the Covid-19 lockdown, and 33 per cent do not believe that their education in the period has been “high quality”. This includes 21 per cent of disabled students who have not been able to receive reasonable adjustments remotely, the union said. The UK government should “offer affected students debt relief, financial compensation, or the ability to redo a proportion of their studies at no additional cost”, the NUS said.
NUS vice-president (higher education), said “the scale of the disruption has been so vast that we need a national sector-wide response from government for this, including funding from Westminster. Even if students complain to their individual institutions, how will universities afford it when the UK government hasn’t announced a single penny of additional funding to support them?”.
A Department for Education spokesman said that “universities are autonomous, and there is an established process in place for students with concerns about their education. Students should first raise their concerns with their provider, and any unresolved complaints at providers in England and Wales should go to the Office for the Independent Adjudicator, which has published guidance on this issue”.
Noticia en Times Higher Education
