Teenagers across the UK have called on the government to stop students from coming to universities amid fears they will be “stuck in their classrooms” as an outbreak of the coronavirus has forced thousands to self-destruct.

Labor said Education Secretary Gavin Williamson should consider delaying the start of the autumn period until mass-campus Covid-19 testing or distance learning options are available.

The call came after thousands of students in Glasgow, Manchester and Edinburgh were ordered to self-destruct as a result of clashes with Fresher’s Week, with some accusing their university of “false imprisonment”.

Students were unable to prevent them from leaving their dormitories after Manchester Metropolitan University human rights lawyers questioned the legitimacy of a lockdown enforced by security personnel on Sunday.

The university’s vice chancellor, Professor Malcolm Press, said he believed the 1,700 students, confined to the Birley campus or Cambridge halls, would “do the right thing” and adhere to government guidelines on self-separation.

He claimed that delaying or canceling the new academic year would be “unfair to students”, adding: “The government prioritizes universities to remain open and provide high quality education.”

But Kate Green, secretary of Labor’s shadow education, suggested there should be a delay to ensure adequate distance learning and carnivirus testing were available to students.

He also called on the education secretary to promise that students would not be barred from traveling home at Christmas.

“The university has tried its best to prepare students for safe return, but the government has failed to take its role,” Ms Green said in a letter to Gavin Williamson. “You dropped the young people with the exam fisco in the summer and now many of those same students are being dropped again. These young people deserve better than your incompetence.”

Ms Green added: “It is unimaginable that students will be locked in their rooms and will not be able to return home to spend Christmas with their families. The government must promise that this will not happen, and work in universities so that every student is able to enter the exam. . ” That they can travel home safely.

The government should consider a delay in the start of the term or a break in immigration to universities where the term has not yet allowed improvements in examination capacity and distance learning provisions.

“Gavin Williamson needs to come to Parliament immediately and determine how he will address this complex situation in our universities that is causing such concern for families across the country.”

Shadow Judicial Secretary David Lamy has called on the government to fix his “tragic” test and trace program to allow students to return home at Christmas.

He added: “Students have finished with their A-levels, they have finished Fresher’s Week, the government is now threatening to keep them stuck in the university. Tests needed to confirm ”

Union leaders said their warnings to Manchester Metropolitan University managers had been “acquitted”, forcing the city council to impose a lockdown on Friday night before the coronavirus spread among at least 127 students.

Hours later, as students put up posters criticizing Boris Johnson and compared their dormitory halls to a prison, human rights lawyers questioned whether local authorities and university students had the legal right to lock their rooms.

To challenge the decision, a Liverpool-based company offered to “pro bono” their services, claiming the bans could be false imprisonment.

The students said they were “frightened and confused” when police looked at the gate and security guards refused to let them buy food.

The university has since pledged to support all residents in the damaged halls, including food supplies from Assad.

University teachers at universities in Glasgow and Edinburgh, meanwhile, have faced criticism for banning students from returning to the country or visiting pubs and restaurants.

It persuaded the Scottish Government to issue updated guidelines for students to “change families” and return to the country from study accommodation.

Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead said: “We know that many students are struggling with the possibility of not being able to return home on family and other support networks, especially if they were away from home for the first time in their lives.

“Knowing what to consider when deciding whether to return home will help better and enable students to make informed choices, but it is important to emphasize that adjusting to living away from home is always challenging.”

The government has rejected calls for delays in returning students to universities after unions described the situation as “shamblik”.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden acknowledged that the crisis, which began in the autumn, was “not as it should be” but said students should be paid tuition fees even though they are being taught.

He emphasized that the students had “clear guidelines to follow” as he said on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show: “Young people have paid a huge price in this crisis and I think it is only fair to try and bring them back.”

A spokesman for the education department said: “The government is working hard to ensure that universities are well prepared for the return of students and we have issued guidelines to help keep students and staff as safe as possible.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and follow the advice of Public Health England, adapting policies to best support students and suppliers.”