Petition
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Petition Title:
Save the Social Work Degree at SERC Newtownards
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Location:
Newtownards,
United Kingdom
Created on
10/17/2009
We are opposed to the removal of the BSc (Hons) Social Work Degree course from SERC Newtownards by the University of Ulster.
We feel that this action directly contravenes section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act which states that public authorities must not discriminate against anyone on grounds of age, gender, marital status or having dependants.
Over 70% of Social Work students are over 21. Most are female with children or other caring duties which would prevent them from being able to travel to Belfast or Londonderry to take up the course at the proposed sites.
We also feel that this is detrimental to the local economy and the local community in terms of future Social work provision and choices of study.
We appeal to the University of Ulster, to cease and desist from following this action and to enable students to be able to apply to study BSc (Hons) Social Work at SERC Newtownards via UCAS as soon as possible as the closing date is fast approaching.
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In searching around the UU website looking for a course i wished to do (law ironically), I noticed that they have a clause in their admissions policy relating to dependants. I realise that not all students will have dependants, but this is still valid.
I quote:
"selection is based primarily on academic criteria and therefore no candidate should be excluded from entry to a programme by reason of religious belief, political opinion, racial group, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or responsibility for dependants"
My logic here is that you could potentially argue that they are excluding students based on responsibility for dependants.
My thought goes like this: a parent cannot travel to say, Magee campus to study, when they live in Ards - for purely financial reasons. Alternativly they cannot simply up-root and move up there as they can and probably do have comitments here. Therefore they are excluding a student access to a course, not only with your proposed gender descrimination but with descrimination over parental responsibility PLUS economic descrimination.