Is there any thought yet as to how students are going to get home for Christmas?

[TawnyPippit]

I haven’t seen anything, but I’m assuming some thought must be being given to this, whether by the universities or the govt?. DS is in catered accommodation and I can’t believe that that that would keep on going all over the Christmas period. I’m not a Christmas obsessive - DS is just coming to the end of his first lockdown period, and also can’t come home for reading week as originally planned as we are Tier 2. But I have told him (rashly?) that it will all be ok for Christmas.

I guess the way it would currently work would be to do another period of isolation - which hopefully will be just 7 days by then - and then come and re-join our household. He is in Tier 1, so coming home is not a problem for him, its us that cannot mix households ATM.

I suspect its all too far away to strategise about at the moment as we will likely have several different iterations of lockdown restrictions before then, just idle musings.

It doesn't matter that people are saying students should bear the hit. The reality is as they cannot afford it many will take the options that cost them least so if the state wants to prevent that they will either need police on most trains or to pay the cost or accept plenty will come home at different times. If plenty come home at different times that means less infection anyway so the fact the state's plan is not followed will be saving lives in fact.

Ds2 has now booked his ticket home for the 9th. He said it is the day after his last face to face and the day before two online lectures. So that is settled, he is happy to come back then.

I apologise JamDougnut, I was being rude, I do see that the tickets later on are expensive, and you are right to think it will put a lot of those who have already made plans, off, having a test.

He said it is the day after his last face to face and the day before two online lectures.

If the face-to-face goes ahead. We have been told to switch the last week's teaching to wholly online.

@Nettleskeins

Poor train companies, they have taken such a hit in pandemic anyway, surely this is a minor gripe, if we want them to keep running services. If you think of all the other ways students spend money in last two weeks of term that they will presumably save on...nights out etc now cancelled

Not "poor train companies" at all. The govt have suspended the franchise system and are bankrolling the railway companies. Train companies are now being paid by the govt to provide the timetabled services.

And Who pays the govt? Services in a market economy will follow the service-user and their willingness to pay X y z.
Eventually.
Or it is taxes that subsidise.

My dd has to get home from England to Northern Ireland.

If we don’t get a date soon and get flights booked I’m going to struggle. I’m a single parent with other kids.

And if we book the flight and she gets a positive test and we have to rebook we will be screwed.

@Nettleskeins

And Who pays the govt? Services in a market economy will follow the service-user and their willingness to pay X y z. Eventually. Or it is taxes that subsidise.

I was replying to the comment that train companies have already taken a hit. They've not. They're being paid by the Govt, which will be added to the multi billion pound covid bill.

We seem to have discovered the magic money tree and happy to spend tax payers' money via quantitative easing like water. I doubt it will go on students' rail fares although I suppose in a sense tax payers already fund those as most students in England do not pay back their student loans so the loans are a gift from tax payers to students.

We haven't seen any of our 3 since they left in Sept.
It's starting to get to me a bit now. Am proud of how they are coping, as they are normally party animals and their social lives are non existent now.
The thought of being together at Christmas is what is keeping me going right now.
They are low risk for the virus ( 2 have had it mildly), the one who hasn't is a second year nurse who has been on placement on a medical ward. We wonder whether he has possibly had it but been asymptomatic as all his colleagues have had it.
DH and I have already recovered from it.
I can't see that we would in any way be being reckless to have them home.

First of many hopefully. Manchester University have agreed to release students from their accommodation contracts if they vacate and giving a two week refund of accommodation costs.

www.manchester.ac.uk/coronavirus/accommodation-pledge/

When other Universities follow suit, I think a lot of students will be vacating and returning home permanently for the current academic year.

Just a great shame that so many universities lied to persuade students to move to campus in September when they knew that there'd be next to no face to face teaching.

After all the Manchester University foul ups recently, it does seem that they're getting ahead of the game at least and that will force other Unis to follow suit.

There's guidance online about this (last updated 13 November): www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reopening-buildings-and-campuses/student-movement-and-plans-for-the-end-of-autumn-2020-term

My DD has been told all lesson will be online from beginning of December so students will be tested and if negative advised to travel home. Problem she has is she has a part time job which she relies on financially so cannot afford to come home that early

mumto2teenagers - in the ideal world they'd like everyone tested, but there as she has a genuine reason and commitment to stay, I don't think it'd be an issue. Only thing I would say is that if she comes home close to Xmas and you're thinking of have an elderly/vulnerable person that might need to be considered.

DD is already home for personal reasons, but she'd planned to travel late November as she has work lined up (aiming to isolate first). Maybe, I'm trying to twist it, but everyone is allowed to travel for work where it can't be done from home.

Not all accommodation providers are owned by the university and I am pretty sure that my DS won't get a refund. Everything is already online at his uni, but at least he has a group of mates with whom he can socialise indoors. That won't be the case if he comes home and at least one of his flatmates will have to stay over Christmas, so there is no real incentive for him to return.

Amazing offer by Manchester.. I think my daughter would opt to move into private accommodation for terms 2 and 3 if Warwick offered the same pledge.

I have to be honest that she's really adapted well and enjoyed her time at Uni so far she's working hard and playing hard..

If they let you out of a halls contract you can leave behind idiots you have been arbitrarily put with in halls who may be taking covid risks or are just people you don't like and move into private rented with people you like.

This is in the guidance above

"(ii) If a student has been identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive but can access testing via the mass testing programme, they should seek a test. If they test negative, they must still self-isolate for 14 days but this can be done at home if they wish to do so, taking into account the risk of transmission to their family. Students should only use public transport if they have no other option. They should strictly follow safer travel guidance for passengers. Where mass testing is not available, students must self-isolate in their current accommodation and not return home."

If they let you out of a halls contract you can leave behind idiots you have been arbitrarily put with in halls who may be taking covid risks or are just people you don't like and move into private rented with people you like.

Yes, indeed. My son suffered with an idiot in his Uni flat. The idiot was out partying on the day he arrived and partied every night the first few days. He caught covid (inevitably) due to his behaviour, and the rest of the flat mates ended up in 14 days lockdown because of his stupidity, even though none of them caught covid from him. He's continued partying ever since, so the others do their best to avoid him, which is hard when there's 8 of them sharing a tiny kitchen as their only social space.

I'm curious whether anyone's students have been given any more information about testing by their universities.

I don't think mine have.

It's a gigantic logistical nightmare for the unis - the govt are giving them the tests, but the universities have somehow got to conjure up staff/facilities to administer the tests, plus accept all liability if anything goes wrong.

There is no way, if my DC were at uni, (they're still little) I'd be leaving them there alone.
I'd happily travel to get them to avoid public transport and I'd try to get them a test but I'd get them home, provided they wanted to.

Yes, I suspect in most cases it will not be mandatory but we have not seen any new laws on it yet so hard to say. If we can only have 2 households at Christmas or 4 then those of us with 5 adult children will have to be doing a lottery as to which child loses their Christmas!

My dd has not been given any information about testing from her university. She said she saw them putting up what she thinks will be a testing centre, but hasn't heard anything official.

She lives in private accommodation and is planning to stay there until the end of term. It will be easier for her to do her work there as she has more space and better wifi. Plus she probably thinks she will have more fun in her uni flat with her friends.

I understand it's a completely different situation for first years living in halls.

Dd has heard there will be on campus testing available between 30th and 9th - 2 tests min 5 days apart. However now Scottish govt has decided noone can leave tier 3 or 4 areas unless "essential"

@AtiaoftheJulii

I'm curious whether anyone's students have been given any more information about testing by their universities.

I don't think mine have.

It's a gigantic logistical nightmare for the unis - the govt are giving them the tests, but the universities have somehow got to conjure up staff/facilities to administer the tests, plus accept all liability if anything goes wrong.

Only that there is much uncertainty that it will take place - ie that genuine mass testing will take place. And this at a uni with original testing capacity and capability. The VC email referenced relatively low prevalence at the university, and relatively low prevalence in the host large town city, therefore indicating that it would not be seen as a priority (by government) in terms of provision of necessary resources (tests, people, money)

@LIZS: DD was hoping that Edinburgh would offer testing later as she was planning on staying until Dec 20th (last exam on Dec 19th). No point coming home earlier as home is in Tier 4 until Dec 12th. Not sure testing would work for her anyway as she works part time so couldn't isolate been tests if she has a shift. Uni are saying no going back and forth between home and uni (we live less than 35 miles away) so I suspect she will only come home for a few days so she can still do some work shifts in Edinburgh. Two of her flatmates are international and not going home so she will not be alone.

therefore indicating that it would not be seen as a priority (by government) in terms of provision of necessary resources (tests, people, money)

As far as I know, there's no question of priority by the government. The individual universities may well be considering whether mass testing is a priority for them, as it's not an easy ask.