The Student Room Group

Can I be kicked out of college for mental health?

Is it legal for a college to kick you out when you’re under 18 because your attendance is low due to mental health?
If your attendance is low then it is grounds for them to kick you out, irrespective of anything else.

The decision is down to whoever is in charge at the individual college and it is assumed that they will take these mitigating factors under consideration.
Reply 2
Original post by Hello19
Is it legal for a college to kick you out when you’re under 18 because your attendance is low due to mental health?
I'm going to assume "mental health" here is acting as a euphamism for "depression" - FFS stop using euphamisms. We've all got mental health, by virtue of having brains.

And no, you can't. Unless, that is, it affects your behaviour or performance such that you fail.

(Equality Act, 2010)
Reply 3
Are you getting help for your mental illness? Is it well documented? Is your college aware of it?
they cant if its medical absence but you would not doctor notes etc
Reply 5
Original post by Tootles
I'm going to assume "mental health" here is acting as a euphamism for "depression" - FFS stop using euphamisms. We've all got mental health, by virtue of having brains.

And no, you can't. Unless, that is, it affects your behaviour or performance such that you fail.

(Equality Act, 2010)


Sorry, 6 months late 😭 no I was not talking about depression, I was talking about anxiety/panic disorder & slight agoraphobia. My college ended up never technically kicking me out, but pushed me out and encouraged me to drop out whilst providing me with no help or support
Reply 6
The term “Mental Health” is NOT a euphemism! Such a large word for someone who didn’t bother to look up the definition before using it. It’s a broad, all encompassing term used so that people with these types of disorders do not have to disclose specifics in the interest of a little thing called privacy. It also gives less ammo to people like “Tootles” to shame us by making us feel like it’s our fault that we have a chemical imbalance. We realize that there are consequences for our actions even though they may be out of our control. We are not looking for special treatment. We are looking for ways to cope with said consequences because we are human and do not always have all the answers. What an apathetic and judgmental response to someone reaching out for help and advice. Truly spoken like someone steeped in the bureaucratic policy designed to focus solely on the bottom line and ignore the human beings that are drowning beneath it. Expressing empathy is NOT coddling, it is offering others the same respect, dignity and understanding that you expect from them. People with mental illnesses (yes, it is also an acceptable term) are NOT second class citizens. As a matter of fact it is so common that I could speculate that you know and love someone with a mental illness. You may not be aware of it because they just might be afraid to discuss it with you for fear of being judged. I’m not saying this is an absolute truth, but you might be surprised if you asked the right people the right questions. I’ve spoken up because this person didn’t speak up for him/her self. Everyone deserves to have a voice. Even if they don’t have the ability to do it on their own at the moment.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Chones
The term “Mental Health” is NOT a euphemism! Such a large word for someone who didn’t bother to look up the definition before using it. It’s a broad, all encompassing term used so that people with these types of disorders do not have to disclose specifics in the interest of a little thing called privacy. It also gives less ammo to people like “Tootles” to shame us by making us feel like it’s our fault that we have a chemical imbalance. We realize that there are consequences for our actions even though they may be out of our control. We are not looking for special treatment. We are looking for ways to cope with said consequences because we are human and do not always have all the answers. What an apathetic and judgmental response to someone reaching out for help and advice. Truly spoken like someone steeped in the bureaucratic policy designed to focus solely on the bottom line and ignore the human beings that are drowning beneath it. Expressing empathy is NOT coddling, it is offering others the same respect, dignity and understanding that you expect from them. People with mental illnesses (yes, it is also an acceptable term) are NOT second class citizens. As a matter of fact it is so common that I could speculate that you know and love someone with a mental illness. You may not be aware of it because they just might be afraid to discuss it with you for fear of being judged. I’m not saying this is an absolute truth, but you might be surprised if you asked the right people the right questions. I’ve spoken up because this person didn’t speak up for him/her self. Everyone deserves to have a voice. Even if they don’t have the ability to do it on their own at the moment.

If you want a rant, I'll give you a rant back.
Firstly the post is a year old. So there's a good chance the thread starter doesn't use their account any more.
Secondly, there is some clusmey wording, however people who responded where just telling the truth.
Thirdly, do you really want to reduce suffering to mere chemical imbalance, when, there is much evidence that there are multiple causes, and some evidence goes as far as to suggest that chemical imbalance is a myth.
The idea that everything is out of your control and you cannot change things for yourself to an extent is very harmful. What does it feel like to have all of your agency take away?

And yes everyone does deserve a voice.
Reply 8
I don’t feel robbed of anything, I’m aware that it doesn’t just boil down to chemical imbalance. My reference to it being out of a person’s control is simply a description of how it feels in that particular moment of failure. I am also aware that this post is a year old. It does not make the topic less important. My “rant” was because of a failing/failed student reaching out to a community and then another person simply being a jerk and correcting an unimportant detail to knock that person down even further for the sole purpose of feeling the need to be “correct” no matter how it made the aforementioned person feel.You, random person on the internet, could never take my agency away regardless of what you say because I don’t know you. The fact that you are defending someone who had the sole purpose of tearing down another individual in a difficult time says all I need to know about you. Also, “just telling the truth” doesn’t give anyone license to treat people like they are less intelligent or unimportant. “Just telling the truth” is always just an excuse for people that feel justified in belittling others. Open your eyes and look within yourself to see how you would like it if someone did this to you on a regular basis. I’m fully aware that now you will be itching to argue semantics.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Chones
I don’t feel robbed of anything, I’m aware that it doesn’t just boil down to chemical imbalance. My reference to it being out of a person’s control is simply a description of how it feels in that particular moment of failure. I am also aware that this post is a year old. It does not make the topic less important. My “rant” was because of a failing/failed student reaching out to a community and then another person simply being a jerk and correcting an unimportant detail to knock that person down even further for the sole purpose of feeling the need to be “correct” no matter how it made the aforementioned person feel.You, random person on the internet, could never take my agency away regardless of what you say because I don’t know you. The fact that you are defending someone who had the sole purpose of tearing down another individual in a difficult time says all I need to know about you. Also, “just telling the truth” doesn’t give anyone license to treat people like they are less intelligent or unimportant. “Just telling the truth” is always just an excuse for people that feel justified in belittling others. Open your eyes and look within yourself to see how you would like it if someone did this to you on a regular basis. I’m fully aware that now you will be itching to argue semantics.

No, I would prefer people answer me completely honestly - no fake 'pitty'. Personally, if this was me I would find it useful if I was provided with links to some form of advicate service.
All answers, answered the question. So there for they weren't unimportant.
I never tried to take your agency away??? I was mearly asking you to reflect on the psychological implications of taking someone's agancey away.
Its very important that a person makes their own decisions instead of being forced apon them by an external source.
For example if someone was depressed they could say to them selves:
'my mood is very low and I struggle to concentrate, therefor I don't feel that at the moment it's fessable for me to attend college, therefore I choose to take a year out.'
This helps promote psychological health in the long run as it reduces self pity.
Think like this at least in the long run, isn't a failure on any level. And depending on how the person is, they might even be able to see this straight away.
So therefor it's actually harmful for anyone to suggest with out clearly clarifying that you are referring to a mere feeling and not a reality.
I may sound harsh. I know I do, but there is no point in anyone compounding there situations by how they think about things. Especially when how they are thinking about things could be changed.
I am also sorry if you have had a tough experience because it absolutely can be hell.
I left school with no qualifications and only attended part time, so please don't think that I haven't experienced any of these things.
Reply 10
It took me waaaay too long to realize this is a gigantic waste of time. LOL!!! What the **** am I doing?

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