to think students are being treated worse than prisoners?

[RopeGoat]

So, many students are currently being locked down.

1. They're paying up to £10,000 for their accommodation. A 8x12ft room that they aren't permitted to leave.
2. Their key cards have been blocked so they're physically held against their will despite having no symptoms and no actual contact with anyone who has tested positive.
3. They're only in the accommodation because universities insisted classes would be face-to-face and that they must move to campuses. Only to told days after arriving that it's all online.
4. Some universities are providing food but it's unhealthy, out of date and massively overpriced. University of York charging £10 for a sandwich, packet of crisps and a chocolate bar.
5. No access to tests because all the tests available to them are drive-through. The vast majority of students don't have cars and they can't carpool or get a taxi for a Covid test. Universities are actively refusing them tests to reduce the numbers so they look better.
6. Charged £30 for a load of laundry - which is more necessary than normal in order to try and reduce the spread of Covid.

I could give many more examples. Surely this is unacceptable treatment of any group in our society? I'd be outraged if prisoners were being treated like this (so would many others) so why are so many (not all) people not standing up for students here? What can we do to help?

YANBU - it's scandalous how these young people are being treated, especially given how much it's costing them

I’m personally disgusted too. For these students it’s a huge change to leave their parents homes to their first time independent living yet they’re stuck inside like they’ve got the plague. It’s terrible and something needs to be done. The same with the care homes.

It’s shocking. I don’t really watch the news lately so I’m not across the details. Is any student body seeking legal advice?

Nobody is being physically locked in their halls. It's just not happening. Students are being asked to follow guidance to isolate, but are not being physically prevebted from leaving.

You're not unreasonable to be angry about how students are being treated, but are massively unreasonable to suggest its worse than being in prison. It isn't by a long stretch. You clearly have no idea what life in prison is like at the moment but I don't see you being 'outraged'.

This isn’t the case everywhere. I live in a
Studenty area with 2 big universities and I can see students out and about in groups all day long.

Also. Universities don't refuse tests. Tests come from the health service, not the uni. The public health bodies provide testing services, it's them that need to facilitate more walk in testing options.

If you'd ever stepped foot inside a state owned prison, you'd know you were being utterly ridiculous, some prisons have been on 23 your lock down for years now because of staff shortages, read any HNIPrisons inspectorate report and tell me behind kept in halls is worse.

23 hour

Is this really true though? As it seems your post is exaggerated OP snd it doesn't reflect what Im told by other friend parents of students jn lockdown areas or self isolating nor our experience. My son is one of the uni students self isolating, he's being well fed, isn't charged £30 for laundry loads and are allowed out at set times during day to exercise away from other uninfected students - which is what we'd expect.

In his a lockdown area (North) before his Accomodation unit mates became ill and tested positive he was going to COVID safe gym, to lectures, some online, some in person, able to meet up with up to 6 people social distanced outside following same rules as rest of country/ counties in regional lockdown areas. It's 14 days self isolation and same as we would experience if we caught COVID.

It's not all (or any??) universities.
I'm a mature student and my uni has it's own testing programme that doesn't impact on nhs testing capabilities and while the majority of classes and labs are remote, there are still some face to face sessions.

My uni also has a fair few students isolating which is thanks to its testing of asymptomatic students.

Hyperbole doesn't help your position OP. It's two weeks. Get a grip.

Yes I think it's shocking too. I'd have been and collected my dc days or weeks ago if it was me, fines or no fines, officious security or not.

Isolation is compulsory but punishable by a fine. You cannot, by law, lock someone up in this country, and you can also choose to isolate somewhere else.

It's 14 days self isolation and same as we would experience if we caught COVID Yes but if I had to self-isolate I would have my house, family company, decent food and would be allowed to order food from supermarkets and takeaways. All this is denied the students.

I can’t really get worked up about prisons. They are the worst people society has, does anyone care about a rapist quality of life? But yes those poor prisoners. So not sure why previous posters are all won’t someone think of the prisoners. Tip for Life is don’t do bad shit and you won’t end up in one, they are kind of meant to be a punishment.

OP I have just read the bbc article about the food being supplied to the students and yes it is poor, for the money they are Paying you do expect so much better. YANBU to worry about how students are being treated

You cannot, by law, lock someone up in this country like in Italy, where people are being locked up in hotels with armed guards outside

Hyperbole doesn't help your position OP. It's two weeks. Get a grip

It isn't, it could go on much longer than that. If someone gets it, they all have to isolate. You'll get out of one set of 14 days and have to isolate again.

Take it you’ve never stepped foot inside a prison, and likely don’t know anyone who has?

This certainly isn’t the case at my local university. They have cases so many students are isolating, but they’re also giving out self test kits to all staff and students who want them (collection point on campus) funded by the university.

You obviously don't know very much about how prisoners are treated.

@CakeGirl2020 more women in the UK after imprisoned for non payment of TV licence than any other offence. Yes really the worst of society who deserve everything they get. What an ill educated comment.

@puffinkoala

Hyperbole doesn't help your position OP. It's two weeks. Get a grip

It isn't, it could go on much longer than that. If someone gets it, they all have to isolate. You'll get out of one set of 14 days and have to isolate again.

Yes. As will school children, office workers, and anyone else routinely coming into contact with other people. Doing these things is a risk right now. Some students are having a pretty miserable time right now and I'm so grateful that my 18 year old has deferred his uni entry until 2021. The universities should have been more transparent and encouraged first years to save their money and stay home in the first semester if they wanted to.

They are still not being treated like prisoners though. We need to have some perspective still.

DS2 has been in quarentine with his bubble of flatmates (halls of residence) for two days while they wait for test results from one lass who is ill. Prior to that he had lectures, pubs and was generally living the life. I've just been chatting to him and he sounds very chipper and quite unphased by the whole thing, which is pretty good going considering he left home for the first time less than a month ago. So, no - not like being in prison much at all, really.

I agree with pp, the hyperbole isn't helpful. I'm sure that there are cases where universities have got stuff wrong, but I don't believe that the picture is generally as bad as the one you're painting.

.I agree that students are being dreadfully treated. Betrayed really by the universities false promises a nd a government determined to be seen as doing something whilst actually doing nothing.

're prisons- I care about prisoners. They are people. They deserve a quality of life, even if they have comited crimes. They aren't all rapists. Some will be there for not paying their tv license. Criminals are generally so because of circumstance, poverty, and a whole host of societal factors. I'm shocked that in this day and age anyone would think that the best approach to crime is to lock people up and punish them with inhumane conditions. and to think they are the worst society has is l laughable. We can be in no doubt anymore after years of exposure and many different shocking no events (me too, Prince andrew, saville, etc) that rapists peodophiles and murderers all occupy the upper echelons of society and never see the inside of a cell.

cake many people in prison are on remade awaiting trial - when they will be found not guilty.