The Education Committee has launched a new inquiry to
investigate the impact that this year’s industrial action by
university staff had on students.
University and College Union (UCU) members at 150 UK universities
went on strike between February and March 2023 over pay, working
conditions and pensions. This was followed by a boycott of
marking and assessing students’ work between April and September,
which led to delays in students receiving their degrees, being
able to graduate and move on to employment or post-graduate
study.
UCU members took the coordinated action to boycott marking and
assessments due to disputes over their pay and conditions
including gender and minority ethnic pay gaps, staff workload and
the casualisation across the sector.
The cross-party Committee’s inquiry will focus on how students
have been impacted by various forms of industrial action in
recent years, with particular focus on the marking and assessment
boycott.
MPs will examine the efforts that universities made to minimise
disruption and look at whether a standardised method of
mitigation could be used across the sector if needed in future.
Some universities such as Newcastle University and Lancaster
University took a so-called ‘no detriment’ approach where
students were issued with temporary marks, allowing them to
progress to the next academic year. At other institutions such as
Bristol University some students received confirmed marks, while
others received preliminary, provisional or no awards until the
end of the boycott.
Meanwhile, the Government suspended the requirement for students
on initial teacher training courses to have their degree
confirmed prior to starting. It also said it exercised
“operational discretion” to provide flexibilities for
international students where their permission to remain in the UK
was about to expire and they were hoping to apply for a graduate
visa.
The inquiry will also look at the role of the Universities and
Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), which represents the
universities, and how they acted through periods of industrial
action.
Whilst the marking boycott came to an end in September, staff at
some universities held further days of strikes in October.
However, an attempt to renew the mandate for industrial action in
this dispute into 2024 was unsuccessful due to turnout being
below 50%.
Education Committee Chair said:
“As with any form of industrial action, the UCU’s intention
was to ensure the withdrawal of their labour was felt. And
through the unprecedented length of the marking and assessment
boycott it was clear that large numbers of students were being
caught in the middle, with some having to delay taking further
qualifications or accepting jobs.
“The purpose of this inquiry will not be to litigate the
reasons for the industrial action, but to examine ways in which
the damage could be limited through effective planning and
mitigation by university leaders, working with the Government and
the unions. There were good examples of universities managing to
limit students’ exposure to this disruption, but others too where
students appeared to have been left high and dry, their lives put
on hold. Lessons need to be learnt. Our Committee will now
investigate how any similar scenario in future could be better
managed and disruption to students minimised.”
Call for evidence
To inform its inquiry, the Committee is now accepting written
evidence submissions that respond to the following terms of
reference. MPs want to hear from a range of sources but
particularly teachers, pupils, and school administrators.
Information on how to submit
evidence online by Friday 5 January is available
here.
· How have students been
impacted by industrial action at their universities?
· What mitigations do
universities have in place against industrial action negatively
impacting students?
o Why did the impact of the recent Marking and
Assessment Boycott (MAB) vary so much between different
universities?
· What action are trade
unions taking to mitigate the impact of their industrial action
on students?
· What action did the
Government take to mitigate the impact of the MAB on
students?
