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University College London lawsuit overview:
- Who: University students have asked London’s High Court to sign off on a proposed mass lawsuit against University College London (UCL).
- Why: UCL is accused of breaching its contract with students by transitioning its courses from in-person to online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Where: The case is currently before London’s High Court.
University students in London asked the city’s High Court last week to green light their proposed mass lawsuit against University College London (UCL) revolving around educational disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
UCL is being accused of breaching its contract with students who paid at least £9,250 a year to attend the university, according to Reuters, which reports more than 3,000 current and former UCL students are part of the claim.
The university is reportedly denying it breached its contract with the group of current and former students, arguing it was within its rights to change or cancel courses due to a situation it argues was beyond its control.
The lawsuit is only one of multiple that have been filed against universities across the UK by current and former students arguing they should be compensated for COVID-related schooling disruptions.
In total, around 100,000 students from a total of 18 universities have signed up to make claims, according to lawyers managing the allegation against UCL, Reuters reports.
Universities across the UK reportedly moved their in-person courses to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, with students also barred from accessing teaching facilities, including libraries.
UCL students were promised in-person, on-campus school environment, suit says
A lawyer representing the current and former UCL students argues that, upon paying for tuition, they were promised a learning environment that was both in-person and on campus, Reuters reports.
The counsel reportedly argues the current and former UCL students — who she claims also lost 47 teaching days from 2017 to 2022 as a result of strikes — ultimately “did not get what they bargained for”, however, and that they now “want justice”.
Lawyers representing UCL, meanwhile, are arguing there is no difference in market price between an in-person and an online learning experience, and has asked the High Court to place the lawsuits on hold, Reuters reports.
UCL reportedly said it wants the students to go through its internal complaints process as the way to settle their claims. A decision on whether the lawsuit should be put on hold will be made at a later date, according to the judge.
In other COVID-19 news, a federal judge in New York approved a class action settlement last November that granted refunds to British Airways passengers who dealt with cancelled flights during the global health crisis.
Did the COVID-19 pandemic affect your educational experience? Let us know in the comments.
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