By Gavin Mackintosh-
The Uk government has dropped proposals for university students to be required to show Covid vaccine passes to attend lectures, after a revolt from Mps.
The backtrack comes just five days after Downing Street floated the idea of demanding proof of vaccination or a negative test to allow access to lecture rooms and halls of residence when autumn term begins in September.
The proposal sparked an angry backlash among Conservative MPs, with as many as 50 considering rebelling against legislation on mandatory certification for venues such as nightclubs and conference centres.
Some Mps went as far as threatening to boycott the party’s annual conference in Manchester if Covid passes, leading to the dramatic U turn by the British government on the matter.
University students across the country have been reacting on campuses differently to the initial announcement that a double vaccination jab was being planned as a requirement for them to attend lectures as from September.
English student Sharon Winston told The Eye Of Media.Com: ” I think it would haver been too divisive for the government to put students who have chosen not to take the vaccine in a position where they receive unequal education to others.
”At best they should have been encouraged to take the vaccine, or restrict their visit to lecture rooms by choice according to facts about infection statistics at various campus’s.
The rate of double vaccination in universities at the moment isn’t very high, according to ongoing research yet to be completed.
Ongoing research suggests that a higher percentage of students at universities have received one jab of the vaccine, not two.
Many students in the Uk have been double vaccinated, but ongoing research at Leeds University, Leicester University, and Manchester University, suggests that there are a higher percentage of students have received just one jab of the vaccine, than those who have got two. Further research is expected to conducted in September when students return to the campus, and fresher students join.
Some pupils have not been vaccinated at all against the variants of the coronavirus due to individual theories about it, in some cases , influenced by conspiracy theories. In some cases, pupils have been scared of the illness that has resulted in a small minority of cases of those who have taken the vaccine.
As relatively small as the fraction of 1% is, news that some people have died of the vaccine has been a complete put off for some pupils.
Switch From Mandatory To Encouragement
Sources from Westminster today said there are now “no plans” for mandatory passes for students, and that universities will instead be asked to encourage them to get their jabs.
Boris Johnson is thought to have suggested the plan himself, after reportedly “raging” in a Zoom meeting with ministers over the low take-up rates of vaccines among young people.
The level of revolt among ministers got so serious that the government was warned about the threat of legal challenge if it was seen to attempt to deny young people access to education, after universities have entered a contractual obligation to provide it.
MPs warned the idea was potentially discriminatory, and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for a recall of parliament to debate what he said was the introduction of ID cards by stealth.
Rapid testing centres are to be installed on campuses before term begins this September, and students may be encouraged to take tests twice weekly.
Outrageous
The deputy chairman of the Covid Recovery Group of Tories, Steve Baker, said it was an “outrageous proposal” that would risk “splitting the Tory Party irretrievably”.
Speaking after it emerged the idea was being dumped, Sir Ed Davey told Times Radio it was another instance of “shambolic” messaging by the Johnson administration.
“One day they’re briefing there will be restrictions on students, the next day they’re briefing there won’t be,” said Sir Ed.
“I think people overall, with the way the government is managing this, are just left confused. And that’s one of the things I’m so shocked at.
“One would have thought the government would have learned by now that when you’re dealing with a public health crisis, the most important thing is to get your messaging clear.
“It’s shambolic. They’re failing our nation in a really serious way. I’m surprised people aren’t more angry about how Boris Johnson is failing.”
Conservative MP Damian Collins defended the government’s initial proposals. The Mp said those who had chosen not to get vaccinated could not expect “to be treated in the same way” as those who had.
“We don’t force anyone to have a vaccine in this country, it is up to their individual choice,” said the Folkestone and Hythe MP.
“But, at the same time, it might be unreasonable for someone who has decided not to get vaccinated to expect to be treated in the same way as someone who has been vaccinated twice.”
Mp Collins is amongst many who feel that those who have been double vaccinated should not have to take the same risks as those who refuse to be vaccinated.