Emily Thornberry Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury
Thank you for contacting me about the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on students.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have received many emails from university and drama school students in my constituency who are angry and in distress because you feel as though the Department for Education has ignored you during this third national lockdown. I share your concerns.
I am aware that many students are campaigning for a reduction to their tuition fees to reflect the disruption that has been caused to their learning. Students understand that it is not safe for in-person teaching to be offered at this time and that most university lecturers are doing commendable work to facilitate remote learning, but the problem that many of you are facing is that your university is being treated like a private business.
Under the Tories, universities have been left at the mercy of market forces, forcing students to pay more for less. This has been the case for many years, but the impact of the pandemic has made it clear for all to see. Tuition fees should be a thing of the past and that is why the Labour Party committed to abolishing them in our 2019 manifesto.
Understandably, students are currently facing a mental health crisis. Like the rest of society, you are stuck in a lockdown, isolated from each other, isolated from many of your loved ones, and prevented from doing most of the usual activities that help keep your minds healthy. I understand that many students do not currently feel supported by their educational institutions, and that they would like the expectations of their universities and drama schools to reflect their current circumstances.
It is appalling that the Secretary of State for Education failed to mention university exams when he announced that this year’s GCSE and A Level students are to face alternative assessments; assessments that will not be too dissimilar to the coursework and AS Levels his government previously scrapped.
While the government was quite happy to scapegoat students last year, blaming them for spreading the virus when they were told to return to university campuses, they have offered very few words this lockdown to the students who were promised in-person teaching this academic year and thus entered into accommodation contracts for houses, flats and halls of residence they are now unable to access.
My understanding is that some universities are offering rent reductions to students who reside in their halls of residence. I would encourage you to reach out to your university if you haven’t already and ask them what support can be made available to you.
You can find attached to this email a letter to Gavin Williamson that I have sent on your behalf. In my letter, I raise the concerns that students have raised with me on the issues of fees, financial assistance and academic assessments. I will be back in touch with you once I have received a response.
Thank you again for contacting me about this important issue. If you have any further points you would like to raise with me on this topic, or indeed any other, please do not hesitate to get back in touch.
Best wishes,
The Rt. Hon Emily Thornberry MP
Islington South and Finsbury
Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade
Dear Gavin,
RE: The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on students
I am writing to you today because I have been contacted by a number of university and drama school students in my constituency who are angry and in distress. These students feel as though they have been ignored by the Department for Education during this third national lockdown and I share their concerns, particularly on the issues of fees, financial assistance and academic assessments.
You may be aware that many students are currently campaigning for a reduction in their tuition fees for this academic year to reflect the disruption that has been caused to their learning. Many students signed up to their courses because they were told that they would be taught in person, but we both know that it is very unlikely that in-person teaching is going to be possible at all this academic term.
Because students were told that they would experience in-person teaching, many entered into accommodation contracts for houses, flats and halls of residence that they are now unable to access. My understanding is that some universities are offering rent reductions to students who reside in their halls of residence, but considerations such as these are by no means uniform, and they do not extend to students who have taken out housing contracts with private landlords.
In addition to this, I have been told by many students in my constituency that they do not currently feel supported by their educational institution. Students are desperate for the expectations of their universities and drama schools to reflect their current circumstances. Like the rest of us, students are stuck in a lockdown and their mental health is in crisis.
I think that it is particularly important that students who are due to graduate this academic year are assessed fairly. After all, they have been unable to access many of the resources they have paid good money for.
I know that you have announced that this year’s GCSE and A Level students will face alternative assessments due to the disruption caused by the pandemic, but it is very disappointing that your exam strategy for this third national lockdown has failed to take into consideration university and drama school students; a vitally important group of learners who are paying so much for so little.
I would therefore be grateful if you could provide me with answers to the following three questions:
- Will the Department for Education review what students have been charged in tuition fees this academic year in view of the disruption to their courses they have experienced?
- Will the Department for Education assess what financial assistance can be made available to students who have been misled into entering contracts for accommodation they cannot use?
- Will the Department for Education put in place a nationwide strategy to ensure that students who are due to graduate this academic year will be assessed fairly, no matter which university they attend?
In the future, I hope that you will consider the impact the pandemic is having on students. I look forward to receiving your response.
Best wishes,
Emily
The Rt Hon. Emily Thornberry MP
Islington South and Finsbury
Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade