Fresh doubts on return of universities

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Observer front page: https://i.imgur.com/TkyvbcX.jpg

Plans to reopen universities have been thrown into serious doubt as the UK's largest academic union warns today that it is "too dangerous" for face-to-face teaching to resume, and calls on the government and vice-chancellors to prevent students returning to campuses this autumn.

Around one million students are expected to move around the UK as they head back to universities over the next month, which union leadrs and public health experts fear could lead to a dramatic increase in outbreaks of Covid-19.

The University of College Union (UCU) which represents over 120,000 academics, lecturers and university workers accused the government of "encouraging a public health crisis", warning that British universities are just "weeks away" from "sleepwalking into a disaster".

"A million young people are being encouraged to travel all around the UK, move into halls of residence and congregate in large numbers. This could lead to universities being the care homes of any ssecond wave of Covid," general secretary Jo Grady said in an interview with the Observer.

The comments will increase uncertainty amount students, parents, and university staff hoping to return to something close to normal university life next month. Undergraduates have already suffered disruption to their studies, with two strikes by university...

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