Leeds University students demand return to face-to-face teaching

Thousands of people have signed the petition addressed to the university's Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor

University students are petitioning for a "complete return to in-face teaching" in the autumn term instead of a mix of online lessons due to the pandemic.

Leeds University said a "hybrid approach" from September would see students get "face-to-face" sessions each week as well as online lectures.

But physics student and petition organiser Will Huddie said the benefits of in-person teaching were invaluable.

"We're not being asked what we want and I'm really angry about it," he said.

About half of students across the UK have only been able to return to face-to-face teaching this week, not long before the term ends - having been taught online since the third Covid lockdown was announced.

Will Huddie has called for university leadership to talk to students about what they want

The University of Leeds has joined a growing number of others preparing to carry on with a mix of online and in-person teaching into the autumn term.

Second year student Mr Huddie, who said he had not been on campus since March 2020, said many of his lectures had been pre-recorded, meaning he did not have the chance to "engage and ask questions".

"You lose the benefit of that interactivity and having real-time discussions where you learn from each other," he said.

"And there's the whole social aspect of being with friends on your course."

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Corey Jones, from Leeds student newspaper The Tab, said: "I've had a whole year at university and still not set foot in a building yet.

"For first year students like myself, it's very unmotivating and demoralising."

Mr Huddie said he had not been offered any lab time over the last year and, as it stood, he did not know when that would change.

"My first year at university was great, meeting people on my course who were interested in the same thing as me.

"Everything basically we're missing now - the whole university experience - was what my first year was all about."

A University of Leeds spokesperson said the aim would be to "give every student a substantial on-campus experience throughout next semester".

But the spokesperson added the university was "planning on the basis that many large teaching events - in particular large lectures - will be delivered online as part of an overall hybrid approach".

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