Listen to us: plea to Stormont from students as they prepare to come home for Christmas
Last updated 17th Nov 2020
By SARAH MCKINLEY
Students from Northern Ireland are hoping to thrash out issues over getting home from university for Christmas at a town hall meeting tonight (Tuesday).
Last Wednesday, the leaders of the UK’s four nations joined forces and agreed to implement the same rules to allow free movement of young people studying away from home to get home for festivities in December.
The National Union of Students – Union of Students Ireland (NUS-USI) is holding a meeting tonight via zoom, on the International Day of the Student.
Usually a day of celebrating students’ contribution to society, this year, the Union says they have nothing to celebrate.
The NUS-ISU claims students have not been given the support they need this term, with many struggling with isolation, far from their usual support networks.
“Students’ concerns have frequently been ignored or addressed too late by the NI Executive,” the Union claims.
“While other government’s around the UK have begun to announce their plans to help students to travel home over the Christmas holidays, the Northern Ireland government is yet to release a plan.”
Yesterday in the Assembly at Stormont, First Minister Arlene Foster said a unified approach was a work at progress right now.
The Department for the Economy told Downtown Cool FM that “cross-cutting issues to be worked through, involving a variety of Departments” are why no official advice has been communicated to students yet.
A spokesperson said: “These Departments are working collectively with other partners to develop and communicate a package of advice and support to help students stay safe, and to travel home safely, at Christmas. This includes engaging with the local Higher Education providers to agree a phased end to the semester and the facilitation of a move to online learning.
“The package also involves testing. The public health authorities are working to agree the operational aspects of a testing programme to inform arrangements for student travel. Students should continue to follow the relevant public health advice in terms of travelling, and self-isolating when required.”
President of NUS-USI, Ellen Fearon, said: “Since the start of this pandemic students have been betrayed by this government. They produced no coherent guidance to support students to return to campus in September, have offered no support for those now trapped in accommodation contracts they wish to leave, and have failed to increase funding to support student mental health.
“They are now lagging behind other governments in planning for Christmas holidays which is creating a lot of uncertainty and anxiety for students. Students have been scapegoated for causing a second wave of this pandemic, when they have simply followed instructions.
“We are hosting a town hall meeting so that politicians have the opportunity to hear directly from students the struggles they have faced this year. Too many people have been talking about students without actually talking to them. But we refuse to stay silent.”
The meeting is open to members of the public by registering online: http://ow.ly/abjR50Cgpib