FREEMAN UNI ROW
FOI request reveals emails before change in guidance
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman’s partner is a key member of the university industry body which lobbied ministers to allow students back on campus.
The Scottish Government has been heavily criticised for a policy U-turn that allowed undergraduates to pack into halls of residence in September.
Outbreaks of Covid-19 quickly followed in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen, forcing thousands of students to self-isolate.
Documents released through freedom of information (FOI) laws have revealed Universities Scotland applied pressure behind the scenes for the Government to relax social distancing rules in the run-up to the scandal.
Last week it emerged Freeman, below, wanted to suspend FOI legislation in response to the coronavirus pandemic. She made the request as the Government was preparing emergency legislation.
Now the Sunday Mail can reveal Freeman’s long-term partner Susan Stewart was vice- convenor of the organisat ion’s committee tasked with ensuring the “best possible recovery from Covid-19
and the best possible learning experience for students”, and also “informing Scottish Government policy impacting on learning and teaching”.
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: “It’s hugely concerning that the Scottish Government caved in to the pressure over this issue so swiftly and seemingly with such little resistance.
“It’s particularly alarming given that there appears to be such secrecy, with the refusal of Scottish Labour’s freedom of information requests about how this decision was arrived at.
“We needful land immediate disclosure about how and in what way this decision was reached, with total transparency about all communications between ministers and those lobbying over this issue.
“A fai lure to provide this wi l l inevitably lead to suspicions about murky decision- making processes, which are totally against the spirit of devolution and reminiscent of old-style stitch-ups in smoke-filled rooms during the pre- devolution Tory era of the Thatcher and Major governments.”
Stewart is the director of the Open University in Scotland as well as being a senior member of Universities Scotland’s learning and teaching committee.
The Scottish Government’s decision to drop guidance that stated “work and study that can be done remotely must be done so” meant universities were able to collect full fees and rents from returning students, including lucrative overseas arrivals.
And emails released through FOI suggest the move was linked to the universities’ desire to have the largest possible classes.
A policy adopted on September 1 contradicted previous Government advice on social distancing and replaced an earlier draft of guidance signed off on August 30.
Emails show that in the run- up Universities Scotland director Alastair Sim complained aspects of the draft guidance “sound more restrictive on in-person teaching than I recall”.
Meanwhile deputy director David Lott suggested the line “work and study that can be done remotely must be done so” be replaced by a statement saying the appropriate blend was up to institutions.
The relaxation of the rules allowed tens of thousands of students to move around the country to take up places in halls from the end of September.
A spokesman for Universities Scotland said: “Susan Stewart, as director of the Open University in Scotland, has been a real asset to the higher education sector in Scotland for a number of years.
“Elected by her fellow principals, her role as vice convener of our learning and teaching committee is about ensuring students across Scotland receive the best teaching and learning at university as possible.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We have had no contact with Ms Stewart on the issues of social distancing in universities and the return of students to campuses – and any suggestion that we have is entirely incorrect.”
The Sunday Mai l revealed in September how hundreds of students had fled university campuses to return home after being told to quarantine due to Covid outbreaks.
Many booked flights and trains after the Scottish Government ordered them to stay put and avoid all social gatherings to tackle the spike in Covid cases.
Those who remained claimed it was like being in prison as university bosses had threatened them with expulsion if they did not comply.
At the time Universities Scotland warned students who socialise with anyone outside of their household that they risked losing their place at university.
There are fears the decision to allow students to return could have accelerated the second wave of coronavirus infections that has now killed hundreds of people.
Universities stood to lose millions if students did not take up places at halls of residence because of deals with accommodation companies.