A student at one of the world’s top art schools has been told she cannot bring her newborn baby to campus and breastfeed her during lectures.
Jasmijn Toffano was due to return to her graphic communication design course at Central Saint Martins this new academic year, after giving birth over the summer.
The 29-year-old informed the prestigious university in January that she was pregnant, discussing the matter again in May, and was of the understanding that there would not be a problem with her bringing her newborn to the higher education institution.
According to The Times, the college reversed the decision just days before she was due to return, leaving her struggling to find childcare and meet her academic obligations.
In an attempt to meet her class commitments, Toffano’s husband travelled to London with her from St Albans, where he would spend the day in a cafe with their baby while Toffano would join him in between lectures to breastfeed.
Now, the second-year student has accused the institution, which is ranked number two in the world for art and design, of discrimination.
Toffano has submitted a formal complaint into the handling of her case and has started a campaign urging the university to change its policies, something she intends to extend to other institutions.
The new mother has also created a petition calling on universities to allow new parents to bring their children to lectures while breastfeeding.
“What I would like to see in the future is that students who have children do not have to drop out of university because of the lack of support … I believe we can make a change, and it’s not impossible,” she said.
Central Saint Martins, is part of the University of the Arts London (UAL), and counts Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and John Gallianio as former students.
A spokesperson for UAL told The Independent: “Our campuses are filled with specialist equipment and machinery, which create a potentially dangerous environment for children and babies.
“Currently our health and safety policy and insurances do not allow infants or children on campus except for short exceptional visits. This means that the University isn’t able to facilitate access for children and babies on a regular basis or for extended periods.
“The policy does not constitute a ban on breastfeeding, nor does it ban children and babies from site. The current policy is primarily about ensuring the health and safety of parents, carers and children, however we recognise that in this particular case, it has not worked as it should have. As a result, UAL will be carrying out a full review, which is supported by Ms Toffano.”
UAL added that it has since apologised to Ms Toffano for the “conflicting information” she received and the time it took for her to gain clarity on the matter: “This shouldn’t have happened and we are sorry for the distress this has caused. We recognise there is more that we can do to provide better facilities for caregivers and this is something that we are actively engaged in improving.
“We have offered Ms Toffano access to a private room and fridge to allow her to express milk or to feed her baby and we are working with her to ensure it is suitable for her needs. We have come to a mutual agreement on the way forward with Ms Toffano, which will support her to complete her course and balance her caring responsibilities.”
The news follows findings that one fifth of breastfeeding mothers have been harassed while feeding their children in public.
The 2021 study found that more than half of those polled (52 per cent) reported strangers staring at them while they breastfed, while a quarter (24 per cent) were told by strangers to cover up.
