Work-shy university lecturers ORDERED back to class as students face more online learning

WORK-shy university tutors have been ordered back to class as students face yet more online learning.

Professors at a string of universities will keep giving lectures and some classes via the internet over fears of spiralling Covid cases.

Some will ask students to wear masks on campus or to have been double-jabbed.

Of the leading 24 Russell Group universities, 20 say they will still hold some classes online.

Now they face calls to get back to normal or suffer a student backlash.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and his team are keen to get students back on campus and official guidance says any social distancing measures should not be a barrier to in-person teaching.

Tory MP Robert Halfon said: “Students are being conned. Ministers and the Office for Students should make it clear — either get back to normal or cut your fees.”

A spokesman for UK universities said they plan to “maximise face-to-face opportunities for students”.

GPs also face growing pressure to get back to normal instead of continuing with phone appointments.

Tory MP Lucy Allan said: “Some GP practices have shut up shop despite being paid a handsome salary to serve people in need.” It comes amid warnings that the waiting list for urgent heart surgery in England could peak at 15,385 by February — double pre-pandemic levels.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid yesterday admitted the huge scale of the challenge facing the NHS.

But it was also revealed that his civil servants will not return to Department of Health offices until at least October.

Plans for them to spend eight days a month at their desks from September have now been quietly shelved.