... while some elite universities STILL won’t pull the plug on virtual teaching

MANY students at elite universities are still learning remotely despite ministers’ pleas for face-to-face tuition.

Of the 24 universities in the prestigious Russell Group, eight have kept at least a portion online even though Government Covid restrictions have been lifted. Only six said they could guarantee all teaching would be in-person while the rest would not confirm either way.

Some are keeping large lectures remote while holding smaller sessions in-person.

Earlier this month Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said students should consider taking action against universities that force them to attend Zoom lectures. He encouraged them to challenge institutions that provide ‘insufficient’ face-to-face teaching. Curbs on face-to-face learning were lifted in May 2021, but some universities are continuing online learning while charging full £9,250-a-year fees. Only Birmingham, Nottingham, Durham, Manchester, York and Newcastle said they would return to full in-person teaching this term except for medical or Covid outbreak reasons.

Of those keeping online learning, many said it was in response to feedback from students saying they liked it.

However, Chris McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said: ‘Universities must discharge their responsibilities. So-called online teaching can be an easy way out for lecturers but is often ruinous for students. Students should be up in arms. They are being loaded with massive debts for their loans and getting too little in return. I would suggest they look towards crowdfunding legal action if universities fail to deliver the education they are encouraging young people to buy.’

A Russell Group spokesman insisted: ‘In-person teaching remains at the heart of the university experience.’ He added that students ‘can expect seminars, small group classes and lab work to be taught in-person’.

However, he said: ‘An element of digital learning – an important feature of courses pre-pandemic – will continue. This is used primarily to enhance teaching and learning... We also know many students welcome the flexibility and accessibility that... digital learning provides.’