Academic union seeks legal battle over government’s decision to ignore expert advice to move all non-essential teaching online
The government is facing a legal battle with academics over its “unlawful” decision to reopen universities for face-to-face teaching last month.
The UK’s largest academic union is seeking a judicial review of the government’s decision to ignore advice from its own Sage committee of experts to move all non-essential university and college teaching online in September. In a pre-action letter, sent to the education secretary Gavin Williamson and shared with the Observer, the University and College Union (UCU) argues the government’s failure to direct universities to move to online teaching this term was unlawful, unfair, unjust and irrational.
