Students seek assurance that they will not be subjected to draconian lockdown measures

Students are urgently seeking assurances from their universities that they will not be subjected to draconian lockdown measures when they arrive on campus.

It comes amid mounting concern that vice-Chancellors in England will follow the lead of their Scottish counterparts and order students to stay away from pubs, bars and restaurants.

In Scotland, more than 1,000 have been ordered to self-isolate in their student accommodation in Glasgow and Dundee, following a series of coronavirus outbreaks.

On Friday evening, 1,700 students at Manchester Metropolitan University were told to self-isolate as public health officials attempted to contain an outbreak after over 100 students tested positive. It is by far the largest university shutdown so far, with all foundation and first year students to be taught online until further notice.

Meanwhile, all 250,000 students in the country have been told to stay away from pubs, cafes or restaurants this weekend in what has been described as an “astounding” restriction of their liberty.

Prof George Holmes, the vice-Chancellor of Bolton University, said he had been contacted by anxious students who wanted reassurance that they would not become prisoners in their halls.

He accused ministers of “scaremongering” by suggesting that students may be forced to remain on campus over Christmas.

“We have had students contacting us saying if we have to stay at Christmas, we don’t want to come,” he told The Telegraph.

“I have written to all new enrolling students to say the best thing you can do is to go to university since you can’t travel, you can’t get a job.”

Prof Holmes said that students should not be subjected to additional controls that go above and beyond the rest of the population.

“Students are citizens of this country and can behave in the way that anyone else can,” he said. “They should be treated in exactly the way as any other citizen.”

Earlier this week, the Health Secretary said if the coronavirus situation does not improve, he could not rule out university students being banned from returning home over the Christmas break. Some universities have already started planning for such an eventuality.

Oxford University is already drawing up plans for students to stay over Christmas in case the Government guidance changes, The Daily Telegraph understands.

“We are obviously aware that it might happen,” a senior Oxford don said. “The Conference of Colleges has discussed it, as have domestic bursars and estate bursars.

“How do we feed them? Our staff are all on holiday, would we pay them all double time to come in? Legally, what would we do if parents come to collect their precious little one?”

This week saw a coronavirus outbreak at Glasgow University, where at least 172 students have tested positive for Covid-19 and more than 600 are self-isolating.

Meanwhile in Dundee, 500 Abertay University students have been asked to self-isolate in student accommodation blocks in which three people have tested positive.

In a bid to contain the spread of the virus, Scottish vice-Chancellors told all students to stay in their accommodation halls of residence this weekend and refrain from going to pubs, bars and restaurants.

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said that Scottish universities tend to begin their terms earlier than those in England, meaning that the pattern of outbreaks they have seen could be replicated in the rest of the country in a fortnight or so.

“I hope that English universities will learn from the worst examples of Scotland,” he said. “I fervently hope we won’t see a complete repeat of what is happening in Scotland. But it is not looking good.”

Multiple universities are grappling with outbreaks on campus following parties and social gatherings during freshers' week.

Dozens of students at St Andrews, Oxford Brookes, Liverpool and Manchester Metropolitan universities are self-isolating following clusters of positive cases.

A spokesman for Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, said universities would continue to follow official guidance.

“The health and wellbeing of students, staff and local communities remains the first priority for universities,” they said.

“Universities are also working very closely in partnership with their local authorities, public health bodies and others to ensure that effective and rapid outbreak response plans are in place and clearly understood.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The Government is working closely with universities to ensure they are well prepared for the return of students, and we have published guidance to help them keep students and staff as safe as possible.

“Students should follow the latest health advice, just like the wider public, which means they should stay at university in the event that they have symptoms, have to isolate, there are additional restrictions imposed locally, or there is an outbreak on campus or in their accommodation.”