Image: Thierry Roge, European Union 2012
Universities need help absorbing ‘tremendous hit’, MEPs say
A group of MEPs has written to the European Commission and EU member state governments, requesting EU support for universities and schools suffering because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Universities have been “tremendously hit in every way: disruptions to the educational process, incredible pressure on students and professors alike, interruptions to the research projects etc,” the 28 MEPs wrote in an open letter. “They, too, need support right now in order to preserve their strong role in our communities.”
The letter calls for “an EU created, funded and driven educational platform for European schools and universities” to support e-learning. It says that “while some educational establishments can appeal to available tools, a vast majority of schools and universities do not have access to an infrastructure ensuring quality educational solutions on a permanent basis”.
The European Students’ Union backed the letter on 7 April, saying that Europe must “step up to protect its future”. ESU president Robert Napier told Research Professional News that Covid-19 has exacerbated inequalities between students and put additional pressure on universities.
Napier warned that not all universities have the capacity to cope with a switch to online learning, and that even those that can replace physical classrooms with online learning face new challenges. “If universities go digital we need to make sure this does not have an impact on the quality of education that students are receiving,” he said.