A defiant mum claims her 10-week-old son is the 'UK's youngest student' - as she is ignoring her university's 'ban' on her baby and takes him along to every lecture. Janine Adamson fell pregnant while applying for university, but she's been determined not to let her commitments impact her studies or tiny Tommy Adamson's bond with her.
The 34-year-old planned to return to Solent University, Southampton, with Tommy just two weeks after giving birth in January but senior staff sought to block the move by branding it 'inappropriate'. However, resilient Janine has disregarded their warning and brings her baby to lectures in a chest sling so she can learn while strengthening the maternal relationship with her newborn.
One tutor did ask the class if anyone objected to her being there - nobody did, and she's since settled back into studying without intervention from disapproving staff. Janine says she felt intimidated by suggestions she should defer her course and 'spend time looking after her baby' and felt her uni was trying to 'kick her out'.
Solent University has since claimed they do 'permit babies and children on campus' but requests are granted on a 'case-by-case basis' and are subject to a risk assessment. However in Janine's case, a lecturer emailed her to say they had 'reconsidered' her request to bring Tommy to class but said they were 'sorry they were not able to agree' to her request, as they deemed it 'inappropriate'.
However the mum remains determined and even plans to buy the tot a cap and gown so he can 'graduate' with her. The mum-of-three had ditched her watch-fixing job in 2020's lockdown to return to college ahead of studying criminal investigation with forensic psychology.
She posted a TikTok of her and Tommy in Uni the day after her returning on February 10 and it's gone viral with users clamouring to praise the mum's resilience and commitment to achieving her dream. Janine, from Bitterne, Southampton, said: "It's more about our attachment than a financial decision.
"He's my baby and I want him close. I didn't want to jeopardise my son's bond with his mum just because I wanted an education. I started college because my kids were older, then I found I was pregnant, so I wasn't going to let that affect myself achieving what I set out to do.
"I think it's an amazing experience for him. He's got to be the youngest person to go to university and that's so overwhelming. When I felt like I wasn't accepted there, I felt like any noise he made would get me kicked off the course.
"By week eight he started to be awake a lot more during lessons but because I've been going long enough to feel comfortable. I feel at ease that he's awake now. I do feel very isolated from when I was there before. My friends aren't the same anymore and I sit alone a lot of the time and do my own thing because my priority is Tommy now and I'm okay with that.
"He'll be three when I graduate and I'll get a graduation cap and gown and gown made. He'll graduate with me."
Janine, who also lives with kids Bradley, 16, and Maizie, 11, [BOTH ADAMSON] and partner Owen Roundell-Prince, 25, says being on furlough in lockdown gave her time to 're-evaluate her life'. She joined a college access course in social science and humanities during 2020 before starting university for two days per week in October 2021 while she was pregnant.
The mum-of-three has described Solent University's reluctance to allow her to bring Tommy into uni as 'more stressful' than balancing motherhood and studying. An email sent from a senior member of staff to Janine said: "Having spoken with the criminology team and taken advice from the university more widely, including the Student Hub, I am afraid that our decision remains the same.
"It is not appropriate for students to bring a baby to class on a regular basis. I appreciate that this is not the outcome you wanted and I am sorry that I'm not able to agree to your request."
However, she does add that most lecturers 'haven't batted an eyelid' since she's returned and she now feels more accepted on campus than she did in February. Janine said: "Being told I wasn't allowed to return has been more stressful than my studies. I felt like uni wanted to kick me out and they didn't want me there, but there is no policy in place on it, so I just went anyway because I'm paying for my education.
"I had asked my lecturers if they didn't mind and they said it was fine. One of them wanted to confirm with [other senior staff], but then I got an email telling me I can't return with my baby. They palmed me off by saying it wasn't fair on other students. When my lecturer told me I just broke down in tears and thought everything I've worked hard for has gone to waste.
"I didn't want to ask for uni to support me in any other way apart from me just getting on with it. I didn't want anything from anyone. Just to put my baby in a sling and carry on. They told me that most students defer for a year, but I'm not most students. I've already deferred my whole life and I don't want that fact that I've got a baby to put me back again.
"They kept telling me to focus on my recovery even though I only wanted two weeks off, so I just stopped communicating with them and went. I felt really intimidated and worried about getting turned away. One lecturer asked if anyone objected to me being there while I was in the class, but nobody did so I was allowed to stay.
"They're supporting me now but I feel like it's short term and I feel like I'll have to find childcare, but I'm hoping something changes by then. I take each day as it comes. Since my post went viral, I've got a lot of attention within the university itself and it's changed a few opinions and most of my lectures haven't even batted an eyelid."
Janine hopes sharing her story can encourage universities to implement supportive policies for mums who would like to bring children to uni. Her TikTok introducing her experience has been liked more than 1.5million times and has been liked almost 200,000 times with users full of admiration for the mum.
One user said: "Wow. Amazing mama!!! You are unbelievably strong. I'm going back to uni after having my twins too." A second added: "Such a beautiful thing. Would be such a special memory to have gone through uni with your little one!"
A third said: "You're an amazing mum who wants to progress and make the best life." However, some users appeared to back Solent University's initial reluctance to accept Janine bringing Tommy with her to uni.
One user said: "I'm not sure how I feel about this. Is it good for the baby to be squished up all day and when he cries, which he will? And that distracts the whole class." Another called Erika added: "Pretty sure it's just in case the baby cries and causes a distraction that they don't want kids in there."
A third added: "I support you going back and it looks like the baby was lovely, quiet and asleep but what happens when he isn't? Those other students are also paying to be there."
A spokesperson for Solent University said: "The university is committed to supporting all students who are parents and permits babies and children on campus. However, the primary function and design of our campus is to provide teaching, learning and support for students. "Babies are currently permitted in class if the student has pre-arranged this and has an agreement from the course team. A risk assessment, that includes health and safety considerations and an understanding of any potential disruptions to learning, is part of the process.
"Babies being on campus is currently managed on a case-by-case basis following discussions between the student (with baby) and course team. Students are encouraged to consider suspension of studies if they have a baby during the academic year. This is in line with maternity policies within the workplace and recognises the demands on new mothers and academic study.
"Should a student with a new-born not wish to suspend their studies, a discussion between them and the course team is necessary to establish how this will take place. This has always worked well in the past and we are looking to introduce a policy that will formalise our approach."
