UK minister hints at backing calls for refunds on tuition fees

(File photo) UK Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson.

Students in England should not be charged full fees if they do not receive face-to-face teaching in the next academic year, the Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, has signalled. In interviews yesterday, Williamson said that from the autumn he expected universities to return to offering in-person lectures and tutorials, instead of just online, which has been the norm for most students since the pandemic started. He also hinted he would back calls for students to receive refunds on tuition fees in the event of universities failing to provide in-person education. Over the last year there have been persistent calls for students to be offered refunds on fees, which are normally £9,250 a year, because most of them have only been able to access teaching via a laptop. Students have also missed out on much of the socialising associated with the normal university experience. But until now ministers have not backed calls for the widespread payment of refunds, arguing that the move to online learning forced by the pandemic did not stop universities offering quality education. The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education has ordered universities to offer compensation for lost teaching in some cases, but only in relation to a small number of complaints involving unusual circumstances. Williamson yesterday stressed he expected the student experience to be very different in the next academic year from what it has been since the start of the pandemic. “Our guidance is clear, our direction is clear and we do expect all universities, unless there’s unprecedented reasons, to be moving back to the situation of actually delivering lessons, lectures, face to face,” he told Sky News. “I think universities have got to sort of stand up their offer to their own students. I think they have the flexibility and the ability to deliver face-to-face lectures, and expect them to be delivering face-to-face lectures.” A record number of students have been accepted on to UK degree courses this year, Ucas figures show. A total of 435,430 people from the UK and overseas have had places confirmed, up 5% on the same point last year, according to data published by the university admissions service. Among UK applicants, 388,230 have been accepted – an 8% rise compared with results day last year.