British university cuts staff but helps environmental girls build statues, student union blasts vanity

The University of Winchester (UK) spent nearly £24,000 to create the world’s first Life-size statue of Swedish environmentalist teenage girl Greta Thunberg. While the university’s top brass called her “inspiring,” the student union denounced the move as a “vanity project” and argued that the money should be spent in a better way.

The BBC reports that the University of Winchester found funding in 2019 for a £50 million teaching center development and construction program to commission a statue of Child Berry. Although the university stressed that it did not divert student or staff funds to build the statue, student president Megan Ball stressed that the student union could not support the university’s efforts to build a statue of her.

Ball, who is also president of the student union, praised Child Berry for “speaking loudly and proudly about global issues and being an amazing role model for everyone,” but many students have been affected by the Epidemic and have not been able to get on campus until now, and must learn online with much-needed support. She said the university spent £23,760 to help build a statue of the boy Berry, so it should allocate the same price to support students, but also openly face criticism and improve financial transparency.

Students reportedly received an email saying that the university wanted the statue to be a “symbol of commitment to fighting climate change and ecological emergencies,” but Ball complained to SKY News on the 26th that the university commissioned the statue and then went so far as to cut the library and lay off staff twice, not to mention that students generally have mental health problems, saying that students are angry and frustrated with the school’s actions. The university has been very angry and frustrated, and the senior management should consider the timing and suspend the unveiling.

The University of Winchester spent money to build the world’s first life-size statue of the Swedish environmental girl Berry, the student union condemned the “vanity project”, advocating that the funds should be spent in a better place.