Face-to-face teaching is returning to Manchester Metropolitan University next week.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Malcolm Press, stated that students will be allowed on campus up to “three hours each week” starting from November 2nd. The vice chancellor’s announcement came as a surprise after students in MMU’s Birley and Cambridge halls were forced to be locked down back in September.
Students will have to wear face coverings when they move around buildings, in teaching spaces and classes.
The chancellor stated that the approach “is consistent with the wishes of many of our students and our Students’ Union”. Furthermore, he notes that face-to-face teaching “enhances students’ wellbeing, and helps them to build connections with their tutors and peers”.
Online teaching
Many students have expressed their anger with online teaching, and having to pay £9000 a year.
https://twitter.com/bimbosoftgirl/status/1318118256566296577
https://twitter.com/a_florenceking/status/1318139328808296448
“Learning from home is no substitute for face-to-face teaching in schools” …. okay @RobertJenrick but you’ll let uni students pay over £9000 a year to teach themselves online? Sounds about right…
— Ellie Grant (@ellefayegrant) October 11, 2020
Still think it’s disgusting uni made students move down to their student accommodation and didn’t notify majority of students that all their teaching would be online. And forcing first years to go to one lecture a week so they get stuck in halls 🤷🏼♀️
— Cait (@allania_xx) October 27, 2020
mental health
There is a lack of mental health support for university students during the pandemic as shown by student comments on Twitter.
It’s cause uni doesn’t give a shit about us learning and our mental health. They overload us and just expect us to cope https://t.co/wIdgykdJSx
— SUPERMAX (@KeelyBoon) October 28, 2020
A member of Manchester’s Student Group voiced university students’ struggle with workload and mental health during the pandemic.
Many students are forced to self-isolate in their halls of residence, for most, it is their first time in a new city and away from home. The chancellor’s decision to slowly reintroduce face-to-face teaching is both essential for student learning and vital for their mental health.
