By Issie Berg Rust, Second Year, History
As we approach six years since the first Covid restrictions hit Britain, the constant gloomy days of January serve as a stark reminder of our collective hibernation. The 23rd of March 2020 marked Boris Johnson's infamous ‘you must stay at home’ ministerial broadcast, as modern life as we knew it changed drastically forever, catalysing the mass lockdown and digitalisation of society as life moved online. This was after weeks of anxiety circulating around hidden asymptomatic virus hosts, most common in young people, causing hysteria among university students and debates surrounding closures.
Epigram
Despite fears of apocalypse and mutant variants, early evidence suggests that 80 per cent of Covid related deaths were among people over the age of 65. Therefore, unless you had pre-existing health issues, or were in the minority of mature students (around 1,547 according to recent data), you were arguably more vulnerable to mental health issues such as increased anxiety and depression - with rates doubling pre-pandemic levels - from lockdowns, rather than physical health issues from catching the virus. I think students should therefore have had the option to have continued in-person studies, albeit under Covid safe protocols.
‘Paying for maintenance and building running costs alongside provision of IT equipment seems unjust given such students never felt the benefit whilst being locked in their rooms.’
I don’t disagree with the nationwide lockdowns, especially since scientific data has emerged from inquiries suggesting that the country’s hesitation to lockdown resulted in the loss of an estimated 23,000 lives. However, I think students should have had the option to continue in-person studies and extracurricular activities, both because of being at lower risk of complications from the virus, but also due to paying for a university experience arguably diminished by its digitalisation. University is often sold as a package deal experience, with many choosing to study not only for the degree title but also for the opportunities to network and develop their sense of identity. Opportunities for interpersonal development are sold through societies, workshops and other events which were made impossible under covid restrictions.
Moving onto the issue of tuition fees: The University of Bristol has a rundown of where tuition fees are used, and in the 2023/2024 year, a total of around 44 per cent of fees were spent on non- staff running costs. Paying for maintenance and building running costs alongside provision of IT equipment seems unjust given such students never felt the benefit whilst being locked in their rooms. The issue led to many deciding to engage in ‘cut the rent’ protests, refusing to pay rent due to being fixed to contracts and failing to receive the ‘blended learning’ approach the university had promised to deliver, and reportedly receiving inadequate pastoral care during self-isolation.
Jenna Baker
Questioning lockdowns is a sensitive topic, especially to those who unfortunately lost loved ones during the pandemic. However, I think students and professors alike should have had the opportunity to decide themselves whether they chose to participate in lockdowns when preventative measures such as self-isolation, at-home testing kits and PPE were readily accessible.
Featured image: Unsplash / Justin Schwartfigure
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