Scotland’s students are now being effectively held captive at university halls after the biggest ramping up of authoritarian lockdown restrictions seen since the original lockdown. Students at universities like Glasgow and Abertay have now been banned from going to the pub, socialising with each other at all, and going home. The total number of students now in captivity reaches 1,000…

Students have been warned that flouting restrictions equals breaking of the law and could therefore result in court proceedings. The full package of lockdown measures include:

• No parties and no socialising outside households and their accommodation.
• Increased staff presence in student accommodation
• Further engagement with private providers of student accommodation, especially those with significant numbers
• Intensified liaising with Police Scotland to ensure vigilance
• A strict ‘Yellow Card/Red Card’ approach to breaches of student discipline

The raw deal students are getting is unbelievable, told to go to campus they are mostly doing lectures via video conference, not allowed to socialise and being told they can’t go home at Christmas (there will be tears) and paying full fees. Guido for once thinks complaining students may have a point. It’s been pointed out that university staff are still allowed to move freely in and between halls to check compliance, then go to the pub, then go home to their family…