Students are being asked to pay back tuition fees, while university lecturers strike for ten days

  • Tomorrow will see a ten-day strike by university lecturers
  • Two years of disruption will affect more than 1 million students 
  • Office for Students regulator and MPs have backed demands for tuition fee rebates if the walk outs go ahead
  • Conservative MP Robert Halfon said they should get a ‘money back guarantee’










While lecturers set for strike tomorrow, MPs and the university regulator have supported student demands to get tuition fee reductions.

Up to 10 days of walkouts will affect more than 1,000,000 students. This follows two years of disruption during the pandemic.

Robert Halfon (chair of the Commons Education Select Committee) demanded a “money back guarantee” for anyone whose learning has been damaged by walkouts.

He told The Mail that students are being ignored in all of this.

The university regulator and MPs have backed student demands for tuition fee rebates as lecturers prepare to go on strike tomorrow. Pictured: A strike at Goldsmiths university in December last year

While lecturers set themselves for strike tomorrow, both the university regulator and MPs supported student demands for tuition fees rebates. Pictured: A strike at Goldsmiths university in December last year

They aren’t getting face-to-face instruction at universities and lecturers have gone on strike.

“The government must make it clear to students that they can get the teaching they need, regardless of their reason.

Chief Executive of the Office for Students Regulator, Nicola Dandridge stated that students should either make up for interruptions or ‘consider offering partial fees refunds.

For three days, 44 employees at 44 institutions are going to go on strike over their pensions.

Robert Halfon, who chairs the Commons education select committee, demanded a 'money back guarantee' for those whose learning is wrecked by walkouts

Robert Halfon is the chairman of the Commons education select panel and demanded that there be a money back guarantee for people whose learning was damaged by walkouts

Vice-chancellors state that they are going to try and minimize disruption by providing cover for striking employees, extending deadlines, moving classes, and offering online resources to catch up.

However, students who have been through two years worth of turmoil due to pandemics fear virtual learning will replace in-person classes.

King’s College London’s undergraduates refused to support the University and College Union’s action and wanted their university use the docked salaries of strikers to establish a fund for students.

Students at London School of Economics (LSE), despite having voted to support the strike, are lobbying for fee reductions.

Universities paid out almost £3 million in compensation to at least 18,500 student following strikes in 2018 and 2019.

Recent strikes concern proposed changes to Universities Superannuation Scheme. According to UCU, this will result in a cut of 35% in guaranteed retirement income for members.

The union is also protesting about a below-inflation pay rise of 1.5 per cent and demanding a £2,500 pay increase for all staff, as well as action to tackle workloads, pay inequality and the use of insecure contracts. The National Union of Students supports the protest.

Michelle Donelan from the Ministry for Higher and Further Education said that it was deeply irresponsible of unions to start calling for strikes after students had already been missing so much face-to–face education at their universities.

“Students deserve quality and face-to-face education. It is something they expect and need. Staff should think twice about charging students for this.

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