Universities and colleges in Scotland move teaching online until end of February

Students should stay where they are and avoid travelling back to campus during lockdown, Nicola Sturgeon says

Scottish universities will teach online until at least end of February, Nicola Sturgeon says (Getty Images)

Universities and colleges in Scotland have been told to move courses online until at least the end of February.

Nicola Sturgeon said students should not travel back to their term-time accomodation during the latest coronavirus lockdown.

Earlier this week, Scotland’s first minister announced new lockdown rules lasting until the end of January, and told everyone on the mainland to stay at home except for essential purposes, and moved schools and nurseries online until 1 February, rather than the planned 18 January date. 

On Friday, Ms Sturgeon said universities and colleges will not resume in-person teaching until at least the end of next month.

“I can confirm that the staggered return to term-time accommodation and studies for students, which had been planned for since the end of last term, will now be extended,” she said.

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“For the vast majority of university students, learning and teaching will be online only until at least the end of February. And that means if you're a student you should stay at home rather than travelling back to your campus or term-time accommodation.” 

Scotland’s first minister added: “There will be exceptions to that in the very small number of cases where remote study is not possible - for example for a student nurse or a doctor on a practical placement.”

It comes days after university students in England were told their courses would go online until at least mid-February, while only some courses - such as medicine and dentistry - would continue with face-to-face teaching.

University students were left frustrated at the prospect of paying for accommodation while lockdown kept them at home, after they were told to stay put in early January - when many were still away from campus for the Christmas holidays.

Ms Sturgeon announced the online shift for Scottish universities on the day the country reported its highest daily number of coronavirus deaths since the start of the pandemic.

The first minister said on Friday that 93 virus-related deaths had been recorded in the past 24 hours - more than the previous daily high of 84.

Additional reporting by Press Association