University duty of care

Motion Text

That this House calls for higher education institutions to have a statutory duty of care for their students; deeply regrets the tragic consequences of past failures to recognise when students have experienced significant challenges to their mental health and the subsequent impacts on their family and friends; particularly regrets instances where universities have failed to inform families of students’ struggles, including acts of self harm, even when given express consent to share that information; recognises that, although students are paying for higher education institutions, they are not simply customers of their services; highlights that many students are young people with little experience of independent living, higher exposure to the challenging aspects of social media usage, and who continue to face the ongoing negative impacts of the covid-19 pandemic, cost of living crisis, and climate crisis, putting them at higher risk of experiencing mental health issues; and urges the Government to encourage higher education institutions to make student wellbeing a strategic priority.