On 18 March 2020, the government announced that universities were to close two days later. All teaching then went online for the rest of the academic year. Exams were done at home. Extensive ‘no detriment’ policies were rapidly enacted so that students’ grades would not suffer even if their education did.
When the new academic year started in September, heavily socially distanced campuses opened for some teaching, although for many it remained solely or predominantly online. A switch to wholly online teaching for all was announced for 9 December, and has continued since. The only exception has been limited exemptions for certain practice-based subjects. As I write, the government has announced universities can reopen on a socially distanced basis on 17 May. For the vast majority of students, this is after their year’s teaching has finished.
Education has suffered greatly.