Parents Forced to Watch Children Graduate Online as Universities Refuse to Accept Pandemic is Over

2 min read

Universities are forcing students to go to their graduations alone, while their families watch online, in defiance of the Government’s scrapping of Covid restrictions in England. The Telegraph has more.

Students have waited up to two years for a graduation ceremony as campus officials cancelled them for most of the past 22 months.

While some universities refused to rearrange graduations, the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London are among those rescheduling ceremonies for their graduates.

But despite the scrapping of all remaining COVID-19 restrictions in England in recent days, students still face draconian curbs such as social distancing, mandatory face coverings and a ban on handshakes.

The Chairman of the student watchdog has now warned vice-chancellors they have “no excuse” to go further than the Government’s Covid rules.

Lord Wharton, who heads the Office for Students, told the Telegraph: “There is no excuse for universities imposing stronger restrictions than the Government requires.

“They should be looking to get back to normal – whether that’s with face-to-face teaching or organising proper graduations as students should be able to expect.”

The University of Cambridge has told graduates that the next five ceremonies between the end of February and April will be “in-person but no guests permitted”, meaning families cannot attend. Its website also says “face coverings [are] to be worn at specified times and social distancing”.

Imperial College London is hosting two rearranged “graduate-only” ceremonies in the Royal Albert Hall on March 10th and March 30th to “ensure the safety of everyone involved on the day” as “distancing measures will be in place”. Parents will be forced to watch their children graduate online.

“We know that this will be disappointing after so many years of support from your friends and family. The ceremonies will be live streamed on the graduation web pages so that they can support you from wherever they are in the world,” the University’s guidance says.

What’s the betting that university courses will still be “blended”, vaccine mandates will be in place and students will be forced to wear masks until the end of 2023?

Worth reading in full.

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100 Comments
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Banjones
Banjones
4 years ago

Are these ‘yoonis’ hedging their bets so they’ll be on the right side of the fence when even worse things come our way?

annepassman
annepassman
4 years ago

My granddaughter and her boyfriend are like thousands of others- no graduation ceremony with proud parents, half their degree online, no celebratory drinks etc. And the universities are still at it charging grossly inflated fees for damn all. Who is allowing them to get away with this fraud? Am so glad that they didn’t do the same with Hong Kong flu 8n 1967/8 when over 80,000 died and I was in my secong uni year

hadenoughcrap
hadenoughcrap
4 years ago

Imperial College isn’t that where the useless Ferguson works

JohnK
JohnK
4 years ago

More than ten years ago, I came across some late teenagers who were working as apprentices under my management at an engineering firm, who could have done well at places like that if they wanted to, but it seemed to me that they were better off with us, with part time college education (1 day per week) and a real salary at the same time, rather than building up a debt.

SimCS
SimCS
4 years ago

This now confirms that universities have now lost any shred of resemblance to being places of enlightenment and education. They are demonstrating such an abject lack of intelligence that they should lose that status.

To demonstrate their disgust, perhaps the students should boycott these non-ceremonies, and parents organise their own. There’s nothing to stop them, and put these universities to shame.

The old bat
The old bat
4 years ago

I was invited to a young relatives graduation today. I declined going to the ceremony because they demanded a covid passport thing or written evidence of a negative test, plus masking and social distancing. What a load of total nonsense! I am taking her out to lunch instead to celebrate. People need to stand up to these ridiculous and arbitrary demands.

Peter W
Peter W
4 years ago

Imperial college won’t allow graduation ceremonies as they have to follow the narrative – much of which they produced via their disreputable modelling. They’ve had hundreds of millions of pounds ploughed into their college these past 2 years including a brand new £100 million pound building.
Imperial are a disgrace to this country.

bowlsman
bowlsman
4 years ago

This nonesense needs sorting out right now. HMG need to force these chancellors and teachers to comply immediately and remove all restrictions.
Bet that won’t happen though.

John Dee
John Dee
4 years ago

This rubbish will be required by all the ‘Safeguarding Officers’ that universities have been employing to justify not teaching undergrads to think for themselves.
Just as many companies are now hamstrung by their HR departments.

Beefbeefbeef
Beefbeefbeef
4 years ago

The two institutions who refuse to give up this covid farce – universities and schools – are chock full of people who almost never die of covid. Says a lot about the paranoid hand-wringers who run them.

imp66
imp66
4 years ago

Is there anyone out there who will ever want to study at Imperial ever again? What a track record these past two years! What a bunch of clowns ( words chosen very carefully so as not to offend our new moderator.) Winker!

kate
kate
4 years ago

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/last-living-author-of-canadian-rights-charter-sues-trudeau-govt-over-travel-restrictions/

OTTAWA, Ontario – The last living politician who helped draft the Canadian constitution’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms has launched a lawsuit against Trudeau’s Federal government for violating the Charter’s provisions. 

When I heard Prime Minister Trudeau call the unvaccinated ‘racists,’ ‘misogynists, ‘anti-science’ and ‘extremist’ and his musing ‘Do we tolerate these people?’ it became clear he is sowing divisions and advancing his vendetta against a specific group of Canadians—this is completely against the democratic and Canadian values I love about this country,”

“The federal travel ban has segregated me from other Canadians. It’s discriminatory, violates my Charter rights, and that’s why I am fighting the travel ban,”  

LonePatriot
LonePatriot
4 years ago

MSM is trying to make fun of people wanting to protect themselves with cheap and proven drugs. Ivermectin has been FDA approved for human use since 1996. It also beats Pfizer’s new wonder drug hands down, and costs next to nothing. Ivermectin doesn’t make tons of money. So they know the Covid shot is on its final gasp, so they take it add something different to it, rebrand under another name and charge 20 times what they would for ivermectin. I cannot wrap my head around this nonsense. When I explain this to my relatives they label me as crazy and ask me if I know better than science. I don’t make up these information out of my ass. All this information is true and proven. For some people it is near impossible for them to wake up. They are comfortable in their clown world life. If you want to get Ivermectin you can visit https://ivmpharmacy.com

John Dee
John Dee
4 years ago
Reply to  LonePatriot

You could always try asking your family what they mean by ‘science’.
My lot are all jabbed and starting to see the gilt fall off their ‘safe’ status.

tom171uk
tom171uk
4 years ago

The miserable puritans are just continuing to suck the very soul out of life. It obviously pains them to think of a parent feeling pride or pleasure in seeing their child’s achievements acknowledged. Miserable gits.

dearieme
dearieme
4 years ago

“Imperial College London is hosting two rearranged “graduate-only” ceremonies”

After the performance of the Astrologer-Royal during the pandemic you’d think people might be ashamed to graduate from Imperial.

TSull
TSull
4 years ago
Reply to  dearieme

Not just during the so-called pandemic, but as far back as the BSE debacle. ICL is compromised beyond repair.

John Dee
John Dee
4 years ago
Reply to  TSull

Compromised, but not ‘cowed’, it would seem.

SJR
SJR
4 years ago

Telegraph reporting that the NHS and care worker vaccine mandate is to be cancelled.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/01/30/front-line-health-staff-no-longer-need-covid-vaccines/

I hope this is true! Though I bet those who were coerced into taking the vaccine or those care workers sacked might still have a greivance!

Rogerborg
Rogerborg
4 years ago

If your criteria for whether your £40K degree is worth it because a drunk old man hands you a meaningless piece of paper in a farcical terrestrial ceremony, then you’ve wasted that money.

I mean, if you’d paid it rather than “borrowing” it with no intention of paying back a penny.

Move on, lads. I didn’t attend my theatrical performance 30 years ago, I pity anyone missing it now.

Rupert Rhine
Rupert Rhine
4 years ago

One possibility that has not been considered is that government managers are not very smart. See e.g. https://rupertoftherhine.substack.com/p/the-illuminati-are-dumbasses

John Dee
John Dee
4 years ago
Reply to  Rupert Rhine

Dimmati?

Star
Star
4 years ago

This is what happens when every traffic warden, every medic, every religious minister, every c*** from the local council, every schoolteacher, every last butt-faced fingerwagger and petty bureaucrat and official, every police officer, every administrator at a university or prison or shopping mall, etc., has for two years been conditioned to associate their position in the hierarchy with cleanliness and with “public health” instructions – they get a taste for it. “Give them a uniform and they think they’re Hitler.”

John Dee
John Dee
4 years ago
Reply to  Star

That last sentence should only apply if they’re prepared to adopt the moustache.

kate
kate
4 years ago

This seems to be a reputable report of genuine findings of nanotech in some of the vaxxes. Two responsible and intelligent people not afraid to risk being derided for their findings.
https://odysee.com/@spearhead4truth:e/Nanotech-discovery-280122:9
Nanotech found in Pfizer jab by New Zealand lab. Sue Grey Co-leader of Outdoors and Freedom Party and Dr Matt Shelton report findings to Parliament’s Health Select Committee.
http://www.orwell.city has been publishing similar work from Spain, since last year, as have German pathologists.

crisisgarden
crisisgarden
4 years ago
Reply to  kate

I’ve been reluctant to take on this aspect of the saga for months thinking it seems just too far fetched, but the reports keep coming, and many of them (like this one) sound credible. Wtf????!

kate
kate
4 years ago
Reply to  crisisgarden

Yes, I posted this because the two people in the discussion are reputable people, one a politician (I know that is a contradiction) and the other a medical doctor who has consistently spoken out against the covid policies and vaxxes.

I believe the technology is more advanced than we realise.

kate
kate
4 years ago
Reply to  kate

For example, from a comment below this video, you can see how interested the military are in these technologies.
This guy sounds like he belongs in Dr Strangelove.

A GREAT WESTPOINT MILITARY LECTURE 2018
36 MINUTE MARK for 5minutes but I encourage you to watch it all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9asZVLItPbg&ab_channel=TARGETEDINDIVIDUALSREVELATIONS

kate
kate
4 years ago

This open letter suggests to me that the “other side” are not backing down on their programme of vaxxination.
Despite the rebellion in Canada, I think the “other side” will have wargamed this, and will not give up.
Reads like a threat.
https://noorchashm.medium.com/an-open-letter-to-drs-3e5e1bffd404
An Open Letter To Drs. Peter McCollough, Robert Malone and Pierre Kory — On Your Public Disparagement of COVID-19 Vaccines And Marketing Of “Early Treatment” To Infected Americans.
In this open letter to Drs. McCollough, Malone and Kory on the public record, I point to a very serious, and likely dangerous, error being committed by their disparagement of COVID-19 vaccination and marketing of a specific and systematized “early treatment” algorithm ….. Certainly, I have very serious concerns about the legality of their professional scheme.
Drs. McCollough, Malone and Kory,
I am compelled to write you this public letter of critique and professional opinion as a physician-immunologist, a public health advocate and an American citizen — having carefully listened to your perspectives and watched your public displays in the press and on the internet for the past 2 years. Specifically, after observing you on January 22 and 23, 2022 at the press conference organized by Senator Ron Johnson—… Read more »

stewart
stewart
4 years ago

So the universities are ignoring the lack of scientific evidence for masks, the evidence that there is no unusual danger to the population, the evidence that social distancing doesn’t do much. So basically, their policies are based on ideology and not scientific evidence.

Not a great look for a university, one would think, and yet, is anyone surprised?

Just one more piece of the establishment that has shown itself over the last two years to be completely rotten.

TSull
TSull
4 years ago
Reply to  stewart

The woke left in academia have been pushing the notion that the scientific method was invented by “old white men” and as such has no value. Some of us still hold on to it as the only true way to advance knowledge. It sometimes feels like a losing battle though.

John Dee
John Dee
4 years ago
Reply to  TSull

‘Has no value’, while they enjoy all the fruits within their modern lifestyle. If they eschewed the modern comforts that those ‘old white men’ have bestowed, I’d be more convinced that their attitudes were genuine (or logical).

GroundhogDayAgain
GroundhogDayAgain
4 years ago

Close the universities, sack the lecturers. But first force them to commit all their lecture materials to video, thus ushering in their own obsolescence. Online solitary learning is the only way forward in this brave new normal!

/s

John Dee
John Dee
4 years ago

Replace them with holograms? Much more hygienic.

Jon Mors
Jon Mors
4 years ago

There are some silver linings to the ****fest of the last two years. One is that it has become much more obvious which human activities are useful and which are not. I’d suggest that a university education is not useful or valuable to many.

Sure, if you are academically minded, and you can find a university where the staff actually want to teach you in person, and those staff are of a high caliber and critically minded, then go ahead.

I’ve studied at two different physical universities, undergraduate (solid but not top tier) then post graduate (Russell university), a few courses at the Open University, and some professional qualifications in the private sector, mostly self study but with a taught component. Professional qualification was by far the best taught, then Open University, then from my undergraduate, then the Russell uni dead last. For most

One could argue that, quality notwithstanding, the uni sector brings cash to the UK through all the Chinese students (3/4 of my post graduate course – 20 years ago). I’ve come round to the view however, that busying ourselves with activity that is of questionable intrinsic value is bad for the national soul and we should… Read more »

brachiopod
brachiopod
4 years ago

Can I take it that most of these centres of excellence of teaching are not ‘fit for purpose’ because they are unable to understand that the scientific method should not be applied as it has been in the service of promoting unsound medical experimentation on uniformed people.
Once the foundations of science are undermined in this way, the universities justifying their mask and jab mandates on the corrupted science that is without sound foundations should be closed down and student reimbursed their fees.

brachiopod
brachiopod
4 years ago
Reply to  brachiopod

Uninformed obvs.

TSull
TSull
4 years ago
Reply to  brachiopod

The scientific method was invented by “old white men” don’t you know. It is fashionable to reject it in favour of media-generated woo. Even in the august institutions that should not only be embracing the scientific method but actively promoting it.

rtaylor
4 years ago

To forward thinking students wishing to use online graduations to pay off their student debt:

  1. Create an OnlyGrads app specific to your years graduation.
  2. Use your dad’s OnlyFans login and tip feature to test.
  3. Authenticate the received payment using your mum’s account.
Catee
Catee
4 years ago

The government are to blame, they knew exactly what they were doing when they stopped the mask mandate but recomnended that masks be worn etc when in enclosed, crowded places. They knew those in education, transport etc would jump at the chance to instil their own rules and keep this debacle ongoing. It’s all part of the psyop.

bluewoody
bluewoody
4 years ago

I wonder whether the normalisation of Zoom is perhaps more sinister than it appears. Or am I getting paranoid!

Emerald Fox
Emerald Fox
4 years ago
Reply to  bluewoody

“Zoom is a U.S.-founded company and its founder Eric Yuan is a Chinese immigrant who is now an American citizen. However, the company’s development team is “largely” based in China, according to Zoom’s regulatory filing from earlier this year.”

CCP spying on everyone.

TSull
TSull
4 years ago
Reply to  Emerald Fox

Leaving aside the obvious problems of CCP involvement, this move towards virtual interaction is even more sinister, to use bluewoody’s terminology. It is priming the young to eschew normal face-to-face interaction and to view the old way of doing things as dangerous, inconvenient or both. Cue Zuckerberg’s metaverse and you have all the ingredients for a digital prison.

John Dee
John Dee
4 years ago
Reply to  TSull

Didn’t it all start with video games? Why go outside a kick a ball with friends when you could play FIFA alone in your bedroom?

John Dee
John Dee
4 years ago
Reply to  Emerald Fox

If only the CCP would incentivise the use of the Zoom platform, they might learn something about me (but nothing interesting).
Mrs Dee tried to use it once, for a friends’ reunion, but it was a disappointing shambles.

bertieboy
bertieboy
4 years ago

These ceremonies, as I understand it, are really for family and friends to celebrate the achievements of their students.
the students have already achieved their degree therefore is there any reason for the students just not turning up for said ceremony to make a statement? The whole thing online seems pretty pointless to me and another expense with cap and gown etc
save your money and celebrate with your family and friends with a meal out, these students have been punished enough, if they can’t celebrate officially with those who have encouraged, supported etc etc throughout their courses arrange your own celebration!

lordsnooty
lordsnooty
4 years ago

re: Parents Forced to Watch Children Graduate Online
what nonsense, what is forcing them, they can watch the tennis instead.

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