The Education Secretary has told university leaders that they must return to face-to-face teaching – but was ridiculed for delivering the message via a videolink.
Gavin Williamson had been due to address vice-Chancellors at the annual Universities UK (UUK) conference in Newcastle on Thursday morning, but cancelled last minute and appeared “virtually” instead, with aides explaining that the Wednesday evening vote on heath and social care plans – which took place just before 7.30pm – meant that he was unable to travel this morning.
Speaking from his office in Westminster, Mr Williamson said that universities “cannot ignore” the desire from students for in-person teaching to return.
“While the switch to online teaching was a necessary and vital way of keeping young people learning in as safe a way as possible, we have now moved on and students quite rightly expect that they can study in person alongside other students,” he said.
“Imagine trying to make sense of the subtleties of interpreting Chekov for the stage or carrying out complex molecular biology techniques over Zoom. I for one would need the full benefit of that in-person, world-class teaching that you and your members can rightly be so proud of.”
He said while heath and safety measures are important to limit the spread of Covid-19, lectures must not be moved online as a “cost-cutting” measure.
If there is a “genuine benefit” to using technology, it should be done but added that is “not an excuse to not also deliver high quality face-to-face teaching”.
But Mr Williamson was mocked on social media for delivering his message online, rather than in person.
It is the second time this week that he has been the object of ridicule, after confusing the footballer Marcus Rashford with the rugby star Maro Itoje.
During an interview with the Evening Standard, he was asked whether he had met Rashford, who has campaigned on child poverty during the pandemic.
Mr Williamson said: “We met over Zoom and he seemed incredibly engaged, compassionate and charming but then he had to shoot off. I didn’t want to be the one that was holding him back from his training.”
But the write-up of the interview went on to state that Williamson’s team subsequently admitted he had instead met Itoje as part of the England rugby forward’s campaign to ensure all children had the use of a laptop at home.
Mr Williamson also used his speech at UUK to warn vice-Chancellors against "cancelling" national heroes and pursuing staff over "microaggressions".
“Too often, some universities seem more interested in pursuing a divisive agenda involving cancelling national heroes, debating about statues, anonymous reporting schemes for so-called microaggressions, and politicising their curricula,” he said.
“Vice-chancellors who allow these initiatives to take place in their name must understand that they do nothing but undermine public confidence, widen divisions, and damage the sector.”