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 Some universities are providing food but it's unhealthy, out of date and massively overpriced.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?

@CarrotVan

I have 5 nieces and nephews at various universities all over the country. I work at one, as does a sister and another niece. This is not the experience of all students or even many students.

The MMU (not Manchester University) story was blown out of all proportion. Students were able to get food deliveries with priority slots from Asda and were also able to get takeaways. Security staff advised people not to leave but couldn't stop them. The delays in testing were due to national delays.

Most universities are providing food parcels, room service for catered halls, have negotiated priority food deliveries, are still delivering post, have organised laundry services and are putting additional support services in. Staff volunteers are delivering food parcels and doing phone checks on students regularly to ensure they have what they need

Several universities have their own testing services, others have negotiated mobile, walk in centres in their main student areas on a temporary or permanent basis

Some students have been rather naive, some have got caught up in the media buzz and others have vast senses of entitlement. Just like any other large group of people suddenly in the spotlight

This is our experience too. For all my friends snd I with our sons snd daughters at uni including at Manchester, all been required to self isolate for 14 days due to Covid outbreaks they've been exposed to

But why let the truth get in the way of a great story?

If there was genuine false imprisonment and starving of students, it should and would be reported to police, safeguarding and unis as huge complaints. We haven't seen any prosecutions going on so I suspect it was never quite how presented