This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Rejected petition Government to implement a national 'safety net' policy for all universities
Some UK universities have implemented a 'safety net' policy meaning that students' grades cannot fall below their pre-COVID-19 average. Others have not. The government should ensure that a universal policy is adopted by all universities for all students.
More details
In the midst of a global pandemic many students are being told to 'carry on with work as normal', putting them at a disadvantage compared to those with a 'safety net'. The quality of work produced cannot be expected to be that of a pre-pandemic standard. The policy should apply to every student to ensure fairness in the education system, and should include students of all years to ensure a level playing field in applying for work experience, placements and future careers.
This petition was rejected
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s about something that the UK Government or Parliament is not directly responsible for.
Decisions about university teaching, assessments and exams are a matter for individual universities, not the UK Government or Parliament.
If you have concerns about your university's arrangements for teaching and assessment you should raise these with your university or the Office for Students, which regulates the higher education sector.
We understand that the current situation is stressful for many people, including students. Student Minds, a mental health charity for students, is collating guidance and developing resources to support students experiencing stress as a result of the current situation, which you may find useful: https://www.studentminds.org.uk/coronavirus.html
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
The Government has also created an online service to help you out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support
You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips
You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/
You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Find out more: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/192/the-governments-response-to-coronavirus/
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.