Because there is nowhere else to send him!
He has not had a permanent education place for 2 years due to poor mental health causing the breakdown of the last one and the council not being able to find one that meets his needs. He has ASD and a mild learning disability (top of range).
They now want him to travel 20 miles every day into a big unfamiliar city independently (London) with multiple bus and underground changes to attend a college for students with moderate to severe learning disabilities. It is clear that the students are much less able than DS and the curriculum is below his current ability. They also do not offer the type of course he wants to study nor can support his mental health needs.
It is that or nothing, sitting at home isolated worsening his already poor mental health.
DS is desperate to to college but is refusing to go to this one. He was in a similar provision before which impacted his mental health as he struggled with being in a higher needs peer group who were much less independent than him and the work was below his level. This led to self harming which started when he started there and stopped when he left there.
Bastards at the council just emailed me on a goddam Saturday afternoon telling me DS will have to go there.
AIBU in thinking this is not acceptable?
An out of area residential college will not be considered by the council.
I had found him a great residential college which suited all his needs (ASD, social, emotional and mental health), a more able, independent, peer group similar to him and a course he could do but they decided that due to his learning disability, him being there would impact the education of other students despite him already attaining their minimum academic levels. Council fought against it on cost initially then fought against it on ability together with the college. Their admissions policy stated they can take students with learning difficulties! They can discriminate with no consequences apparently. I have appealed and lost.