By Kate Holton
LONDON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The University of Glasgow has
offered a rent rebate to residents and support with securing
food and medical supplies for self-isolating students in a sign
of the huge challenge colleges are facing when COVID-19
outbreaks hit campus.
Students travelled across the country to start university
this month, paying thousands of pounds to live in halls of
residence and attend lectures in institutions such as Cambridge,
Oxford, University College London and Edinburgh.
But coronavirus outbreaks have forced some colleges to ask
students to self-isolate in their rooms and follow lectures
online, threatening to leave pupils isolated when they have made
few friends and raising questions over their tuition fees.
Robert Halfon, the head of parliament's education committee,
said 3,000 students were in lockdown and the health minister
said this week he could not rule out asking students to stay on
campus over Christmas to prevent the virus from spreading.
"We understand how difficult and stressful this situation
is," the University of Glasgow said on Twitter. "We are here to
support you through it."
The university offered students in residences, whether they
were isolating or not, a four-week rent rebate in recognition of
the difficult circumstances, plus money towards food, and
clothes washing services for students who cannot leave their
room.
In Manchester, students at residential halls at Manchester
Metropolitan University have to self-isolate for 14 days after
127 tested positive for COVID-19.
Jo Grady, head of the University and College Union, said the
outbreaks were wholly predictable and said all teaching should
go online. "There is no point encouraging students to come to
university to self-isolate for a fortnight," she said.
Britain's top universities routinely feature on the list of
the best colleges in the world and international pupils travel
from across the world to attend.
(Reporting by Kate Holton; editing by Jason Neely)