The misery continues for the Covid class of 2020

England might be coming out of lockdown – some of it at least – but there is little cheer for students. This week’s government mandated ‘student travel window‘ will extinguish any vestiges of face-to-face teaching to allow students to Zoom out the term from parental homes. My son Barney is among the class of 2020, the group of students forking out high fees to be cooped up in their overpriced university accommodation, seeing few people apart from the flat mates they have been billeted with.

November’s lockdown has hit these students hard. Clubs and societies have been curtailed; Facebook groups and mailing lists have taken their place. Barney was not alone in deciding to head home before the end of term. As his city moves into Tier Three, he certainly didn’t need to stay local to celebrate the end of term eating and drinking alone in his room in front of a laptop; a room that cost him £1442 this term.