The total number of complaints was 2,763, a third of those being directly related to the pandemic.
This was 6% higher than 2020, although the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) claimed the higher figures are due to industrial action, staffing shortages and delays in submitting complaints from 2020.
The OIA said the majority of complaints where about how the courses where delivered, and their failure to meet the expectations of students.
The cumulative effects of being unable to access university facilities and the deficiencies of remote learning led to a poorer learning environment, claimed some students. This included some students having technical failures that affected their learning. The report stated that "Some students struggled with digital literacy, especially in online timed exams…For others their limited typing skills affected their performance."
Despite money being made available by the government for those experiencing financial difficulties and without proper access to online learning, most do not have access to these funds. Many students reached a breaking point over the 2020/21 year, with reports of students using buy-now-pay-later loans not uncommon.
Others complained about being unable to take work placements or study abroad, two key draws of the university experience. Other complaints where related to staffing issues such as poorly prepared substitute teachers, the incessant use of PHD students for teaching seminars and the departure of experts leaving their departments during the pandemic. Some Complaints filed to the OIA also address the mental health issues brought about by remote learning, social isolation and a lack of support from university’s. The Office of the Independent Adjudicator also said it had awarded ‘significantly more’ financial compensation this year than any previous year.
University’s UK, the representative and lobbyist for over 140 higher education institutions in the UK stated that the complaints represented only "a small fraction of the total student population". In a statement on its website, it defended higher education’s response to the disruption caused by the pandemic. However, the number of official complaints filed for the purpose of receiving compensation are not reflective of the total dissatisfaction with education over this period. In the Students experiences insights survey (ONS) 2021, 48% of higher education students felt the pandemic had a major or signfiance impact on their quality of education and academic performance.