A petition to introduce a legal duty of care from universities and colleges towards their students will be debated by MPs on Monday afternoon.

The debate was called after signatures on the petition, started by 25 families whose children killed themselves while at university, exceeded 100,000.

They want the existing duty of care for staff to also cover adult students.

But both the government and the higher education sector say further legislation would be disproportionate.

Among those travelling to London for the debate are Bob and Maggie Abrahart, whose daughter Natasha took her own life at the University of Bristol, in 2018, on the day she was due to give a presentation in a large lecture theatre.

Natasha had a social anxiety-disorder that made public speaking hard - and after her death, her parents sued the university over its failure to make adjustments.

EdCentral Logo