A British university regulatory body has told students that they need to be ready to be shocked and offended when they attend university.

This was the message Arif Ahmed, from the Office for Students (OfS): a body which regulates British universities.

This comes after universities requested guidance on how to manage a new law which comes into effect in August. The new law puts the responsibility on universities to uphold free speech and expression. Universities could be fined millions of pounds if they fail to do so.

The University of Sussex was fined over £500,000 in March for failing to uphold free speech, after one of its staff members, Kathleen Stock, was hounded by students who believed her views on sex and gender were “transphobic”.

Ahmed said: “You should expect to face views you might find shocking or offensive, and you should be aware that’s part of the process of education.’ He also said students should be free to express views even if others believed them to be “offensive”.

[Image: Flore W from Pixabay]


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