Motion: Coronavirus Pandemic impact on Further and Higher Education Students

"Due to the ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic Fermanagh and Omagh District Council recognises the unprecedented strain that further and higher education students from our district are facing.  This council:

• Recognises that the young people of this district are contributors to our society today and the workers of the future and that we as a Council need to fight for their rights and entitlements
• Acknowledges the very serious situation our student population have been left in due to the current Coronavirus Pandemic including being burdened with student fees here in Ireland (north and south) and in Britain
• Notes that the majority of students are receiving online classes and only having to physically attend class, in a limited capacity, in certain subjects
• Further recognise, that due to students being told by government to return to university and college, they are tied down into contracts paying high rent for accommodation with no legal means of escaping from these
• Also acknowledges that those students who are studying from home, within this district area, are faced with one of the worst broadband infrastructures on this island
• Further notes that many students supplement their income with part time jobs to support themselves, but many are now unable to access these jobs, leaving many of them in severe financial strain

As such this Council shall write to all the Political Party Leaders in the Northern Executive to ask them to put in place an appropriate package of financial support for all students at this time.

This Council will further write to the other 10 Councils asking them for support in this motion."