The parents of a student with severe social anxiety who took her own life on the day she was scheduled to face “the ordeal” of an important oral test have launched legal proceedings against her university, claiming she was the victim of negligence and disability discrimination.If she wasn't able to cope without extensive 'help', maybe university wasn't the best place for her?
They argue the university did not do enough to support Abrahart when staff had known for six months that she suffered from panic attacks and was struggling.Why was it up to the university to help her in an environment she clearly couldn't cope with?
Don't her parents bear any responsibility at all for sitting their daughter down and having a frank and honest talk about her options?
Abrahart’s parents believe the university is in denial over their daughter’s death and taking legal action is the only way they can get to the truth of what happened. She is one of 11 Bristol university students who have taken their own lives in the last four years.Which indicates one of two possible options: either Bristol University has adopted the tutoring techniques of the SAS or the nation's crop of students are, well, snowflakes.
The university argues that staff repeatedly tried to help Abrahart and measures were in place to help her to continue on her course.
It points out that at the conclusion of the student’s inquest last year the coroner did not criticise the university but flagged up concerns over the role of the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS trust (AWP), whose care she was under, for not putting in place a management plan that would have given her hope and managed her risk.If you're a risk that needs to be managed, why the hell are you at university in the first place?
This is very sad. It's always a shame a loss of life so young. I remember doing a course at the local college about 17 years ago and there were a few disabled people on it. The 'help' for the less abled was abysmal. They plonked untrained people who had no idea about disability with these folk that just wanted to get on in their lives. To top it off the bastard tutor on the course said in front of the whole class "to those of you that are disabled, I am not going to make any provisions for you". Needless to say the disabled people didn't survive the course. I doubt much has changed since then. 11 poor souls taking their own lives in the past 4 years does seem an awful lot. Maybe suing the university is what is needed for change to happen. All these kids want to do is get on in life. Very sad that it's cut so tragically short.
ReplyDeleteKids? But they're adults. Old enough to vote, marry, have kids, fight in wars, go on protests to change everything. Just how safe a space do the young flakes require?
DeleteWhat you say is true about them being able to vote, marry, have kids, fight in wars and go on protests but when you are in your 20's you think you know it all and you feel invincible. It's not until you are older that you realise how young and immature that age is. In your 20's you are transitioning from child to adult and people this age still need nurturing, especially if they have mental health problems. Abrahart should have felt confident at university not so scared she could see no way out. That's wrong.
DeleteWhere there is blame there is a claim. The scent of money is in the air, no point in claiming against yourself even if you are at fault but a university now that's a different matter.
ReplyDelete"he is one of 11 Bristol university students who have taken their own lives in the last four years"
ReplyDeleteUK annual suicide rate is about 11 for every 100,000 population.
Bristol University has about 25,000 students. (Every year).
To have 11 suicides in four years seems to be about in line with the national average?
1981. When nobody knew what was going to happen. Much love to you my friend. X
ReplyDeleteThe problem comes from the Blair days of 'all must have prises' in education. When you push anyone into a higher education, based on quotas, equality, and all the other rubbish that is supposed to make up for a higher than average IQ but doesn't, then you're bound to end up with a bunch of "alleged qualified" people that are effectively dumber than rocks, and don't get me started on the pseudo social sciences that will never be scientific by any stretch of the imagination.
ReplyDeleteMost of the jumped up Polytechs that became the 'new' universities should have the 'university' name removed and the remaining real universities should only permit enrolment after the new student has passes a test that proves they have at least 3 working brain cells - oh, and we need to get the political elements out of the teaching staff.
Ivan, In Engineering disciplines, the ex-Polys give the Russell Group and redbricks a real run for their money. Can't say about other disciplines, but trust me, if a course is pointless, it doesn't matter where it is.
ReplyDeleteBut, remember, that some of the most ridiculous sounding courses can be great for jobs. Sports 'science'? Seems like a crock of shite to me, but most of them get jobs as personal trainers. HND in Golf Studies? Have you seen how many management jobs there are on golf courses?
Jeremy Vine once featured a girl moaning about lack of support from Exeter University.
ReplyDeleteHer problem was that at school she had been little Miss Perfect Princess, Netball Captain, A*s all round, Head Girl but at Uni she was little miss average since all the other students were as clever as her.
Hi Anon, I agree with you regarding the Polys and Engineering. The problem was/is they stepped beyond their expertise and became 'all things to all men' institutions rather than becoming specialist universities which would have put them way above any of the redbricks.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what is said, the moment universities gave up the search for excellence and started using 'quotas, equality, and all the other rubbish that is supposed to make up for a higher than average IQ but doesn't' to dictate who should attend the downward slide in tertiary began and is still accelerating today.
I don't see sports science or golf studies to be ridiculous to be honest. They are qualifications that generally lead to fairly lucrative employment which after all is the whole point. Sports science leads to things like the two hour marathon and a guy doing the Ironman in seven and a half hours. There are thousands of ordinary athletes who just want to improve their PBs and are willing to pay someone to help them do it.
ReplyDelete@Stonyground, I only said they 'sounded' ridiculous, not that they were. IN both of the cited cases they were really useful. Many people can't see this. Indeed, Private Eye being full of twats likes to lampoon such things. They once mentioned a study of 'pogoing' in sports stadiums, but this is where music fans jump up and down in unison, and this sometimes leads to collapse if the dynamics match the natural frequencies of the structure to the beat of the music. There must be more examples than I cited, although I can't possibly know them all.
ReplyDelete@Ivan, I can assure you from experience that the engineering departments didn't step beyond their experience, even if the 'management' did. The management tends to be the people who can't teach, can't research, and also can't do.
@Usedtobebanned, this is one facet of the problem. In your case, she was still capable. The problem with child stars is that they have no experience of failure. Sometimes, the 6 A* A-levels person experiences failure, say in a driving test, and it destroys them. These include the sorts of people who easily get into Cambridge, then get a Third (which is a consolation prize there). Later in life - if they haven't topped themselves - they meet someone who got a better degree from a 'lesser' place, and they devote themselves to trying to prove that their Third is better than someone else's First (from a Poly Eng dept, maybe). It isn't, and they are twats, as I well know from experience.
Thank you, she got Zero support from those who rang into Jeremy's show.
Delete@Anonymous, I agree with you about management but they are the people that set the 'tone' of the institution and who shall be admitted.
ReplyDeleteIt is obvious to me that there have been radical changes from my time at the Imperial College of Science and Technology in the 50s (even the name has changed now, is that because of the long words?).
Unfortunately there will be little change until we get away from the idea that all shall have prises and realise that not everyone is suitable to be at university, after all you don't need a degree for burger flipping (yet) though that is what a lot of the degrees are worth.
My pet peeve with uni engineering departments is that so few of the professors and lecturers actually get out and work in industry to keep up with modern trends and processes. If I was given a quid for every time some new engineer came out with claptrap and the excuse that it is what they were taught at university, I would be well on the way to being a millionaire now.
"This is very sad. It's always a shame a loss of life so young."
ReplyDeleteI'm not doubting it's sad. But not everyone can be saved. So blaming others is a bit pointless.
"To have 11 suicides in four years seems to be about in line with the national average?"
There you go, with those pesky facts!
"...but at Uni she was little miss average since all the other students were as clever as her."
Hmmm, you may be onto something these.
" The problem with child stars is that they have no experience of failure. "
And why is that, hmm?
"If I was given a quid for every time some new engineer came out with claptrap and the excuse that it is what they were taught at university, I would be well on the way to being a millionaire now."
That explains a lot!