A New Galloway woman has had her dreams of attending college in the region knocked back for a second time.
Dakota Jardine hoped to secure a placement at Dumfries and Galloway College’s Stranraer campus at interview last Thursday.
The Life Skills 2 course her family feels suits her abilities had been withdrawn at Dumfries, leaving Stranraer as her last option.
But Dakota, 18, who has Down’s syndrome, was turned down because assessors felt she did not meet the minimum requirements.
Now her father Hugh feels the family’s 90-mile round trio was in vain – and has condemned what he regards as the death of local learning opportunities for less able students.
He said: “At the interview they asked Dakota about why she would like to go to college.
“Dakota answered every single question and did quite well.
“But within five minutes they said the course was actually Level 2/3 and was for kids with a higher degree of learning.
“They said they were really sorry but didn’t have a placement they felt my daughter was eligible for.
“Dakota had been so excited after answering the questions but when she heard that she just sunk her head and started up a wee tear.
“I just jumped up and said ‘come on Dakota, let’s go home’.
“She is now at the point where she feels it’s her fault because she has not met what they required.
“She says she’s really sad she did not get into college and wants to go back and apologise.”
Mr Jardine has made local MSP Finlay Carson aware of Dakota’s situation and is demanding action.
He said: “This area really needs a proper life skills course for kids like Dakota.
“The college course is advertised as level 2 with things like planning and preparing healthy food, home cooking, independent living skills, how to work with money and shopping, using a credit card and taking public transport.
“But the course they are running seems more geared towards pushing kids into employment.
“Kids with development skills such as Dakota’s are never going to be employed.
“There is nothing in Dumfries and Galloway they can arrange for kids with these sorts of learning disabilities.
“It’s absolutely shocking.”
A Dumfries and Galloway College spokesperson said: “During the next academic year, the college is offering a combined Lifeskills (NQ) @ SCQF Level 2 and Level 3 course at our Stranraer Campus — a bi-level delivery course pathway which is common in all branches of education.
“As stated on our website, students applying for Lifeskills (NQ) @ SCQF Level 2 ‘will have already attained some SQA level 2 qualifications and demonstrated ability to work consistently at this level’.
“Furthermore, a key aspect of the application process — interview session requirements — is an appointment with our professionally trained additional support need (ASN) staff to assess that the course is suitable to enable a young person to succeed.
“This is standard practice in all cases.
“Dumfries and Galloway College remains committed to offering and facilitating ASN provision in the south of Scotland.”
