Students Win £1.5m Pledge From University

Students are looking for speical consideration in exams due to mental health issues

The number of those students who required special consideration in exams due to mental health issues, as new figures suggest, drastically soared in past five years. Special consideration is granted to those facing extenuating circumstances, like health or a family death. At Cambridge University that number had tripled; at Imperial College it had risen from 11 to 111, and at Sunderland University the number had risen from 96 up to 167. 20% of students in fee-paying independent schools recieved extra time for exams last year. “A few decades ago it was only granted in very rare circumstances but it has now become like a joke,” he told The Times. “It means there are different rules for different people and that some people who work hard and just get on with it are effectively penalised”, a former professor of sociology at Kent University Frank Furedi announced.

Students win £1.5m pledge from university

After a five-month rent strike, student demonstrators declared £1.5million pledge from London university. Two consecutive years of rent increases forced 200 students at University College London to refuse to pay for rooms in halls ranging from £154 to £276 a week. UCL has now agreed £1.2million fund to help those who are struggling with paying their rent in the next two years. Additional £258,000 will be provided to subsidise rents across the board. Jack Kershaw, a first year Classics student, said:“This victory will go a long way to help with the student debt burden and hopefully diversify student life.” UCL representative declared: “These commitments reflect our undertaking to ensuring affordable accommodation and fair access for every student.”

What happens to Chinese students coming back from abroad?

Recently, internationalisation of higher education became a significant part of agenda of every institution and individual. The question is, what happens once students decide to comeback to the country of their origin? In a recent study conducted by a private education institution in China called New Oriental, we can see how Chinese students coming from abroad (mostly UK, USA and Australia) seek for a work. Around 36 percent of returnees work in private firms. 26 percent work in companies that benefit from foreign investment, and 14 percent find a job in state-owned enterprises. Most of the students go to the biggest cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Study shows that in contrast to their local counterparts they experience favourable employment opportunities.

Photo: Shutterstock / Collage: Martina Advaney

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