Nadhim Zahawi says there are ‘no excuses’ for on-line studying at universities

Schooling Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has stated that there are “no excuses” for universities to not ship face-to-face studying regardless of a surge in Covid infections and employees absences.

Mr Zahawi stated his expectation of universities “is that they ship face-to-face training… They should ship it” and that college students who “really feel they don’t seem to be getting worth for cash” ought to make complaints “to the Workplace for College students”.

Chatting with the Sunday Instances Mr Zahawi’s feedback come as numerous universities have supplied on-line or “blended” studying this time period and colleges have bit hit by employees shortages.

The paper reported Durham College would train all courses on-line within the first week of time period, Queen’s College Belfast will maintain most courses on-line this month and King’s Faculty London has additionally moved some courses to distant studying.

Based on the paper, greater than 100 establishments, together with 23 of the highest 24 within the Russell Group plan to supply a mixture of on-line and face-to-face educating this time period.

Mr Zahawi pointed to major and secondary colleges as examples to comply with.

“They’re doing it in major and secondary colleges and in schools. I anticipate universities to do the identical factor, in any other case clarify why not. There aren’t any excuses, we’re all on this collectively,” he stated.

However he additionally advised the paper employees absenteeism was working at about 8.5%.

Former lecturers have been requested to assist with the return to lecture rooms final week to fill absences and not less than 500 of them have finished so, the Stratford-on-Avon MP stated.

Mr Zahawi introduced final week face coverings could be required in lecture rooms till not less than January 26 in response to the surge of infections within the present Omicron wave.