I sympathise with the parents of Natasha Abrahart, who took her own life, as they question how her case was handled (“Epidemic of anxiety means more students like Natasha could die”, News, last week). But I wonder if their demand that universities be given a legal duty of care for their students goes too far.
Individuals in a free society need to take responsibility for themselves. Entry to university is the point at which undergraduates, no longer minors, leave home and begin to form relationships and lifestyles of their own choosing. A university is a place of learning, not a mental health facility.
As a nation we are taking the wrong course by delegating duty of care. Academics should not be responsible for such a role — just as the Border Force should not be responsible for the welfare of those opting to travel in unsuitable boats, the medical profession for the obese or the emergency services for those who are voluntarily drunk.
Tony Jones, London SW7
Society’s problem
Your report quotes a study finding that “one in three students suffer from social anxiety or generalised anxiety disorder severe enough to require treatment”. This suggests we are looking through the wrong end of the telescope. The problem may not be the absence of a duty of care, but that such a high proportion of students are so poorly equipped to deal with life.
Why should we expect universities to solve problems that upbringing and society created in students before their entry?
Finlay Scott, Liverpool
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Responsible authority
If universities are to be given a legal duty of care, they will also need greater authority over their supposed charges. I wonder how that would be received. I suspect it would be seen as infringing on the students’ human rights.
Lawrence Kies, Chichester
Nurturing environment
Employers owe a duty of care towards employees of all ages. Why not universities towards young adults? Or is it just a case of take the money and look the other way?
Tutors should know their students and the struggles they may be experiencing. But the truth is that many universities are now barren, cold places focused on earning fees, rather than communities of learning.
Aisling Worley, Bristol
Difference a year makes
I feel for the parents in this nightmarish situation. I taught in higher education for 15 years. We turned students down if they weren’t mature, confident or resilient enough to cope with the intensity of the programme; but we also encouraged them to take a year out, get a job, work on being more independent, try new experiences and reapply when they felt more in control of their lives.
It worked: some returned as very different people, thanked us for the advice and went on to great success. I suggest that this might be a better solution than universities taking on the role of parent.
Jo Ann Pickering, Derby
