Indian students feel isolated, depressed in UK universities

TNN 07 November 2020

Indian students in Manchester have spoken of their isolation and depression at being stuck in their rooms all day since all teaching went online and the city moved into a harsh lockdown owing to rising COVID-19 cases, writes Naomi Canton for TNN.

Five joined a protest outside the university offices holding placards saying “Are we paying £22k [US$29,000] for this?” and “Was it worth me flying from India to attend an online class?”. The students want greater offline social activities, blended teaching, mental health support and a reduction in fees.

“I have not experienced 5% of university life this year. It was our last year to have fun and live university life. Now everything is ruined,” said Danish Hussain (21) of Ajmer, in the final year of his £15,000-a-year undergraduate degree in tourism management at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). He returned to India in the spring, when COVID-19 cases were rising, and returned in September expecting teaching to be blended. But on 7 October, the University of Manchester and MMU moved all teaching online after young people accounted for 55% of COVID-19 cases. On 23 October the city went into a Tier 3 lockdown.
Full report on The Times of India site

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