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Universities across the country are supporting students by opening food banks, as the cost of living continues to disrupt the education of young people.
Striking teachers have dominated the news cycle lately, as dire pay forces educators to join picket lines.
The extent of their situation was highlighted by teachers’ use of food banks, as they struggled to feed themselves on such low incomes.
Students and members of the wider community have been joining and supporting teacher strikes across the country in an effort to save schools from bankruptcy and underfunding.
But this week, the economic collapse of Britain’s education system – and the bleak realities of the cost of living crisis – have been highlighted by a swathe of universities opening their own food banks.
Swansea University Students’ Union (SU) announced efforts to support students struggling with rising costs, and have set up a food bank service on campus.
The SU said that 70 food parcels were claimed within 30 minutes of opening just before Christmas – a time notorious for increased expenses.
The university food bank came after lecturers reported an increase in student mental health struggles, with some taking on multiple jobs outside of their studies just to support themselves.
Ms Rosser, a member of the Swansea SU who helps run the weekly food banks, said ‘each time we’ve held a food bank we’ve been completely cleared out in terms of stock’.
The food parcels provided are funded by the university, and contain non-perishable essentials such as rice and pasta.
Other British universities, particularly in the North of the country where the cost of living crisis is felt the most, are struggling with student poverty.
At Manchester University, dozens of students barricaded themselves inside campus buildings to protest rising rent costs on site.
All first years, the students are calling for a 30% cut on monthly payments to the university, and a refund on fees already paid to help with the affordability of rent.
