• Contact
  • About
DONATE
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  • Login
North East Bylines
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Brexit
    • Education
    • Environment
    • European News
    • Health
    • Politics
    • Science
    • UK News
    • World News
    NUFC foodbank

    Howay the lads and lasses: the new football foodbank season ‘22/23

    Darlington protestors

    Protestors greet Sunak and Truss at Tory Hustings in Darlington

    RMT Union banner

    When do strikes work? History shows the conditions need to be right

    Cartoon of Liz Truss with shopping trolley

    Tory leadership election: policy shopping is no way to treat people

    Border control at Dover

    The moral argument for open borders

    the quilt

    Join Hands for Ukraine at the Royal Albert Hall

    Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, 08-06-2021 A man was shot to death in the streets of Juárez, the experts work at the crime scene.

    Mexico: new research shows the historic link between opening schools and falling murder rates

    Andy Preston, Middlesbrough Mayor

    Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston faces calls to resign over damning audit report

    The freight area at Teesside Airport

    The ostrich has landed: an update for visitors to Teesside Airport

    Trending Tags

    • Ukraine
  • Culture
    • All
    • Animation
    • Books
    • Illustrations & More
    • Music
    • Performance
    • Poetry
    • Social Media
    • Theatre
    • TV & Radio
    NUFC foodbank

    Howay the lads and lasses: the new football foodbank season ‘22/23

    Summer, Lower East Side. Weegee Ⓒ ICP (International Center of Photography)

    Classic Street Style: Weegee, Doisneau, Forsyth: three cities, three photographers, three decades

    Promo image

    Cutthroat Island: preparing to terrify landlubbers!

    street in Naples

    Five books to read that bring Naples to life

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    Master Chef of Great Britain

    Master Chef of Great Britain at Lumley

    Prezzo

    Discovering the new summer menu at Prezzo

    Chef and son

    MasterChef’s’ Posh Street Food chef’s own summer of entertainment

    Scottish highlands

    The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

    Kleo Tabuku

    Top chef to open Newcastle restaurant, Lovage

    Pop up park

    Pop up to the park in Sunderland

    The Blackbird Inn, Ponteland

    The Blackbird Inn flies high with its new summer menu

    gymnast

    Culture of fear in British gymnastics uncovered by the Whyte Review

    Kennedy and Rhind

    Kennedy and Rhind: more time to enjoy a North East favourite

    Trending Tags

    • Business
      • All
      • Economy
      • Rural
      • Technology
      • Trade
      • Voluntary Sector
      Scottish highlands

      The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

      loo

      A room with a loo

      Newcastle quayside

      Newcastle named as one of the best cities for graduates

      Brexit economics

      New research shows the economic effect of Brexit

      Wetherspoons pub

      Wetherspoons sparkle: has it gone flat?

      Leon Fussell rehearsing

      Unsung Heroes at Queen’s Hall, Hexham

      Houchen and spade

      Vampire daylight: a week in the life of Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor

      Keir Starmer

      Open letter to Sir Keir Starmer

      London Bridge tube station

      A chance meeting with Mary: homeless and begging in a train station

      Trending Tags

      • Region
        • All
        • Co. Durham
        • North East
        • Northumberland
        • Teesside
        • Tyneside
        • Wearside
        NUFC foodbank

        Howay the lads and lasses: the new football foodbank season ‘22/23

        Summer, Lower East Side. Weegee Ⓒ ICP (International Center of Photography)

        Classic Street Style: Weegee, Doisneau, Forsyth: three cities, three photographers, three decades

        Darlington protestors

        Protestors greet Sunak and Truss at Tory Hustings in Darlington

        Promo image

        Cutthroat Island: preparing to terrify landlubbers!

        DCFO Peter Heath

        Fire chiefs urge public to behave responsibly amid hot weather warnings

        Pride flag

        Northern Pride: Newcastle proves it’s loud, proud and still fighting

        Litterpick with Chi Onwurah

        Chi Onwurah publishes action plan for rubbish and calls on constituents to help improve it!

        the quilt

        Join Hands for Ukraine at the Royal Albert Hall

        Andy Preston, Middlesbrough Mayor

        Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston faces calls to resign over damning audit report

        Trending Tags

        • Opinion
          Titanic coming out of Southampton

          The 110th anniversary of the Titanic’s departure

          There is an England

          There is an England

          Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs the Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union"

          The parody of disinformation: Boris Johnson on Ukraine and Brexit

          Boris Johnson’s comments on Ukraine and Brexit are an insult

          TV Agency staff jumping in the air

          The TV Agency celebrates 10th anniversary with global success

          North East of County Dublin

          North East of England and North East of County Dublin: Compare and contrast

          North Sea oil rig

          Copping out of COP: Ukraine, fossil fuels and nuclear fusion

          Placard with Boris Johnson as a clown

          Dictators, media and mobility: erosion of identity, sustenance and safety

          close up on a child's eye

          Racism and misogyny where there should have been safeguarding and security

        No Result
        View All Result
        • Home
        • News
          • All
          • Brexit
          • Education
          • Environment
          • European News
          • Health
          • Politics
          • Science
          • UK News
          • World News
          NUFC foodbank

          Howay the lads and lasses: the new football foodbank season ‘22/23

          Darlington protestors

          Protestors greet Sunak and Truss at Tory Hustings in Darlington

          RMT Union banner

          When do strikes work? History shows the conditions need to be right

          Cartoon of Liz Truss with shopping trolley

          Tory leadership election: policy shopping is no way to treat people

          Border control at Dover

          The moral argument for open borders

          the quilt

          Join Hands for Ukraine at the Royal Albert Hall

          Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, 08-06-2021 A man was shot to death in the streets of Juárez, the experts work at the crime scene.

          Mexico: new research shows the historic link between opening schools and falling murder rates

          Andy Preston, Middlesbrough Mayor

          Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston faces calls to resign over damning audit report

          The freight area at Teesside Airport

          The ostrich has landed: an update for visitors to Teesside Airport

          Trending Tags

          • Ukraine
        • Culture
          • All
          • Animation
          • Books
          • Illustrations & More
          • Music
          • Performance
          • Poetry
          • Social Media
          • Theatre
          • TV & Radio
          NUFC foodbank

          Howay the lads and lasses: the new football foodbank season ‘22/23

          Summer, Lower East Side. Weegee Ⓒ ICP (International Center of Photography)

          Classic Street Style: Weegee, Doisneau, Forsyth: three cities, three photographers, three decades

          Promo image

          Cutthroat Island: preparing to terrify landlubbers!

          street in Naples

          Five books to read that bring Naples to life

        • Lifestyle
          • All
          • Fashion
          • Food & Drink
          • Health & Fitness
          Master Chef of Great Britain

          Master Chef of Great Britain at Lumley

          Prezzo

          Discovering the new summer menu at Prezzo

          Chef and son

          MasterChef’s’ Posh Street Food chef’s own summer of entertainment

          Scottish highlands

          The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

          Kleo Tabuku

          Top chef to open Newcastle restaurant, Lovage

          Pop up park

          Pop up to the park in Sunderland

          The Blackbird Inn, Ponteland

          The Blackbird Inn flies high with its new summer menu

          gymnast

          Culture of fear in British gymnastics uncovered by the Whyte Review

          Kennedy and Rhind

          Kennedy and Rhind: more time to enjoy a North East favourite

          Trending Tags

          • Business
            • All
            • Economy
            • Rural
            • Technology
            • Trade
            • Voluntary Sector
            Scottish highlands

            The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

            loo

            A room with a loo

            Newcastle quayside

            Newcastle named as one of the best cities for graduates

            Brexit economics

            New research shows the economic effect of Brexit

            Wetherspoons pub

            Wetherspoons sparkle: has it gone flat?

            Leon Fussell rehearsing

            Unsung Heroes at Queen’s Hall, Hexham

            Houchen and spade

            Vampire daylight: a week in the life of Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor

            Keir Starmer

            Open letter to Sir Keir Starmer

            London Bridge tube station

            A chance meeting with Mary: homeless and begging in a train station

            Trending Tags

            • Region
              • All
              • Co. Durham
              • North East
              • Northumberland
              • Teesside
              • Tyneside
              • Wearside
              NUFC foodbank

              Howay the lads and lasses: the new football foodbank season ‘22/23

              Summer, Lower East Side. Weegee Ⓒ ICP (International Center of Photography)

              Classic Street Style: Weegee, Doisneau, Forsyth: three cities, three photographers, three decades

              Darlington protestors

              Protestors greet Sunak and Truss at Tory Hustings in Darlington

              Promo image

              Cutthroat Island: preparing to terrify landlubbers!

              DCFO Peter Heath

              Fire chiefs urge public to behave responsibly amid hot weather warnings

              Pride flag

              Northern Pride: Newcastle proves it’s loud, proud and still fighting

              Litterpick with Chi Onwurah

              Chi Onwurah publishes action plan for rubbish and calls on constituents to help improve it!

              the quilt

              Join Hands for Ukraine at the Royal Albert Hall

              Andy Preston, Middlesbrough Mayor

              Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston faces calls to resign over damning audit report

              Trending Tags

              • Opinion
                Titanic coming out of Southampton

                The 110th anniversary of the Titanic’s departure

                There is an England

                There is an England

                Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs the Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union"

                The parody of disinformation: Boris Johnson on Ukraine and Brexit

                Boris Johnson’s comments on Ukraine and Brexit are an insult

                TV Agency staff jumping in the air

                The TV Agency celebrates 10th anniversary with global success

                North East of County Dublin

                North East of England and North East of County Dublin: Compare and contrast

                North Sea oil rig

                Copping out of COP: Ukraine, fossil fuels and nuclear fusion

                Placard with Boris Johnson as a clown

                Dictators, media and mobility: erosion of identity, sustenance and safety

                close up on a child's eye

                Racism and misogyny where there should have been safeguarding and security

              No Result
              View All Result
              North East Bylines
              No Result
              View All Result
              Home News Education

              Dear Michelle Donelan, universities’ minister

              An open letter to Michelle Donelan, universities' minister. Students are angry about the way they, and their teachers have been treated.

              Connor LambbyConnor Lamb
              16-08-2021 06:25
              in Education, Politics, UK
              Photo by Julia M Cameron from Pexels

              Photo by Julia M Cameron from Pexels

              Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
              ADVERTISEMENT

              When I started university in September 2019, I was expecting a lot of things. I was expecting to make some new friends and get to know a new and diverse range of fellow students. I was expecting a pristine environment where I could study my passions in a stimulating, supportive and relaxed community. I was expecting to be able to use university facilities without needing to book timed slots to access them. And for the first six months, that is exactly what happened. I got into some volunteering opportunities that changed my life for the better. I ran around in hilarious costumes handing out free contraceptives. Things were looking up. Then the pandemic hit.

              Leaving students to flounder

              Suddenly, you and the rest of the system started to show their true colors. You and Mr. Williamson left students to flounder as they suddenly had to adapt to digital learning, often without the right equipment needed to do the job. Staff had to worry about their own health and safety, and their loved ones, many of whom were abroad at the time of the pandemic.

              Yet the thing that was on their mind the most was the worry they had about the wellbeing of their students. They went above and beyond in their care, which was a good thing. Mind found that 73% of us reported a decline in mental health as a result of the pandemic. Students struggling to find income to pay for university expenses due to being on furlough and anxiety leading to students struggling to complete their academic work have been commonplace throughout the last nineteen/twenty months.

              The wake of destruction that you have left is disgusting and you do not seem to care one bit about that.

              “Blended experiences” for over £9K

              And now you and Mr. Williamson are still enabling universities to market their degrees as “blended experiences” while still charging £9250. It’s incredibly disingenuous for Mr. Williamson to go on record arguing that universities shouldn’t be charging full fees for degrees with online teaching and then backtracking on it a day later.

              Your silence on the issue is absolutely deafening.

              So let me get this straight: universities were required by the government to close when the pandemic first started. But when the issues of finances came up, you threw the word ‘autonomy’ around as a get out of jail free card. So, which one is it? It seems to be both depending on whatever suits your agenda, because you have no actual passion for the students or staff you claim to want to support.

              Why keep online teaching?

              Social distancing regulations have already been lifted so why do universities still feel compelled to maintain online teaching? Because you have given them the option of increasing their profit margins that they are taking with open arms. This is understandable considering how you and Mr. Williamson plan on slashing funding for certain courses. You’ve systematically underfunded universities at every single opportunity you’ve got, while tossing scraps of student hardship funding to try and shut us up.

              The hardship funding only came after multiple student rent strikes, which even the Student Unions at those universities tried to stop. That surprised me considering that Student Unions are meant to represent their students instead of turning against them. The latter is exactly what you wanted. Do not try to pretend otherwise. At least the Student Union that represents me actually advocates for us instead of throwing us under the bus.

              An “immersive learning experience”

              Despite everyone acting complacently with blended learning arrangements to support university staff who are still receiving unfair hate, nobody is satisfied with this. Students sitting on their beds, kitchen tables or the university library watching pre-recorded videos or live streams is nobody’s idea of an “immersive learning experience”. Having to book slots to use library facilities that we are paying £9250 isn’t anyone’s idea of an “immersive learning experience”.

              And I fear for this upcoming cohort of Freshers as you have conditioned them to accept paying up £9250 for degrees that aren’t worth that amount. Universities were hung out to dry as they worried about the impact of oversubscribed courses on social distancing regulations. Those worries have now been realised, and not a single word has come out of your mouth.

              So many times, you have said how “grateful” you have been for the teaching staff within universities this past year, but you haven’t actually put your money where your mouth is. So, I hope you understand what I mean when I call you a poser. All you have done is toss financial scraps towards universities while plastering your marketable smile across online press statements, trying to hide how ineffective you truly have been.

              An absolute disgrace

              Michelle, you are an absolute disgrace and embarrassment to the Higher Education system. You and Mr. Williamson are symbolic of the harrowing wreck that has come out of the pandemic. And judging from your poor performance as our university minister, you couldn’t even look after a goldfish never mind an entire education sector.

              The worst thing about it is that you could have made yourself into a hero in our eyes. You could have had open letters thanking you for your hard work instead of letters like these dragging you through the mud. But you have blown it and there’s no marketing your way out of this one. I wanted to root for you, but you have failed us.

              I hope you resign at your earliest convenience. We’ll be waiting for your resignation letter any day now.

              ADVERTISEMENT
              Previous Post

              No ‘levelling up’ for the North East: another broken promise

              Next Post

              Learning to live with Covid: the pandemic is not over yet

              Connor Lamb

              Connor Lamb

              The founder of Schools Matter UK, who is a second year sociology student, a passionate education reformist and a programme rep for their university degree

              Related Posts

              NUFC foodbank
              Culture

              Howay the lads and lasses: the new football foodbank season ‘22/23

              byBill Corcoran
              August 10, 2022
              Darlington protestors
              North East

              Protestors greet Sunak and Truss at Tory Hustings in Darlington

              byYvonne Wancke
              August 10, 2022
              RMT Union banner
              Politics

              When do strikes work? History shows the conditions need to be right

              byChristopher Massey
              August 9, 2022
              Cartoon of Liz Truss with shopping trolley
              Opinion

              Tory leadership election: policy shopping is no way to treat people

              byPeter Benson
              August 4, 2022
              Border control at Dover
              European News

              The moral argument for open borders

              byDavid Rose
              August 3, 2022
              Next Post
              Many countries vaccinate all their 12 to 17-years-old but not the UK. Published risk-benefit analyses suggest that vaccination would be advantageous 
Photo by Arne Müseler on Wikimedia commons

              Learning to live with Covid: the pandemic is not over yet

              Want to support us?

              Can you help North East Bylines to grow and become more sustainable with a regular donation, no matter how small?  

              DONATE

              Sign up to our newsletter

              If you would like to receive the North East Bylines regular newsletter, straight talking direct to your inbox, click the button below.

              NEWSLETTER

              LATEST

              NUFC foodbank

              Howay the lads and lasses: the new football foodbank season ‘22/23

              August 10, 2022
              Summer, Lower East Side. Weegee Ⓒ ICP (International Center of Photography)

              Classic Street Style: Weegee, Doisneau, Forsyth: three cities, three photographers, three decades

              August 10, 2022
              Darlington protestors

              Protestors greet Sunak and Truss at Tory Hustings in Darlington

              August 10, 2022
              Promo image

              Cutthroat Island: preparing to terrify landlubbers!

              August 10, 2022
              DCFO Peter Heath

              Fire chiefs urge public to behave responsibly amid hot weather warnings

              August 9, 2022
              Master Chef of Great Britain

              Master Chef of Great Britain at Lumley

              August 9, 2022

              MOST READ

              NUFC foodbank

              Howay the lads and lasses: the new football foodbank season ‘22/23

              August 10, 2022
              Summer, Lower East Side. Weegee Ⓒ ICP (International Center of Photography)

              Classic Street Style: Weegee, Doisneau, Forsyth: three cities, three photographers, three decades

              August 10, 2022
              Darlington protestors

              Protestors greet Sunak and Truss at Tory Hustings in Darlington

              August 10, 2022
              Promo image

              Cutthroat Island: preparing to terrify landlubbers!

              August 10, 2022

              BROWSE BY TAGS

              Audio Beach Brexit Business castle leazes climate activism Co. Durham cost of living crisis Culture defra democracy ducklings Economy Education Environment fire and rescue firefighter Food & Drink food poverty Health Health & Care Home Affairs just stop oil Lifestyle Local Lockdown Northumberland Peace Performance Politics pride month refugee rescue Science Social Media Teesside TV & Radio Tynemouth Tyneside Ukraine volunteer Wearside

              We are a not-for-profit citizen journalism publication. Our aim is to publish well-written, fact-based articles and opinion pieces on subjects that are of interest to people in the North East and beyond.

              North East Bylines is a trading brand of Bylines Network Limited, which is a sister organisation to Byline Times.

              Learn more about us

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Contact
              • About
              • Letters
              • Donate
              • Privacy
              • Bylines network
              • Shop

              © 2022 North East Bylines. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Home
              • News
                • Brexit
                • Education
                • Environment
                • UK News
                • Transport
                • World News
              • Politics
              • Opinion
              • Lifestyle
                • Culture
                • Music
                • Poetry
              • Business
                • Economy
                • Technology
                • Trade
              • Donate
              • Newsletter sign up
              • Boriiis Cartoons
              • Authors

              © 2022 North East Bylines. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              Welcome Back!

              Login to your account below

              Forgotten Password?

              Retrieve your password

              Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

              Log In