Fury as two-week university lecturer strike hits a million students with fears it will harm graduation prospects despite them paying more than £9,000-a-year

• Staff at 74 UK institutions will walk out over pay and conditions on Thursday 
• Universities will be hit by what is the third mass strike in less than two years
• Some students are expected to resort to private tuition to avoid falling behind

Students have hit out at lecturers preparing to start a fortnight-long strike this week – fearing it will harm their graduation prospects.

More than a million will be affected by what is the third walkout in less than two years.

And some students are expected to resort to private tuition to avoid falling behind – despite paying more than £9,000-a-year for courses. 

More than a million will be affected by what is the third walkout in less than two years. And some students are expected to resort to private tuition to avoid falling behind – despite paying more than £9,000-a-year for courses (stock image)

One student leader, at Cardiff University, privately warned undergraduates may have to repeat a year due to lost teaching time, and another student claimed she would lose £2,575 in fees for missed lessons.

Lecturers, librarians and technicians at 74 UK institutions will walk out over pay and conditions on Thursday. 

The University and College union has claimed pension changes will leave members up to £10,000 a year worse off during retirement. 

But, at the same time, six-figure salaries have become commonplace among university bosses, with 508 employees across the Russell Group of elite institutions earning more than the Prime Minister’s salary of about £160,000 in the last academic year, up from 428 in the previous 12 months.

Nearly 14,000 have signed an online petition calling for universities to refund students the fees for tuition they will now not receive.

One student leader, at Cardiff University (pictured), privately warned undergraduates may have to repeat a year due to lost teaching time

Nina Porter, 20, a second-year student at University College London, told the Sunday Times: ‘I am so angry. I still have to pay the fees.

‘For me it works out at about £2,575 in fees for [lectures] and seminars I have not or will not receive. That is how much money I have thrown away. I have peers who have been crying in lectures after finding out about the action.’

Liz Chen, of tutoring agency The Profs, added: ‘The students… are quite panicked at missing teaching time. They feel they will fall behind.’ 

Cardiff University said its ‘number one priority is to support our students throughout the strike’.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady slammed ‘out of touch’ vice-chancellors and threatened further strikes if the dispute is not resolved. 

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