Can I ask for refund of college course fee over an undisclosed requirement?

arielsmelody

I've signed up for a part time art course in a local college. I've just had an email letting me know materials to bring to the first class and with a 'health and safety sheet' attached. When I read the sheet, it was a page of Covid era rules, about social distancing and hand sanitising. The problem is that it is 'recommended' to wear a face mask. I absolutely hate face masks to the point of panic attacks when wearing one and a large part of signing up to the course was to get out and about and meet new people after all the disruption of lockdown.

I am 100% relaxed about the tutor wearing a mask and asking the course attendees to wear a mask if that is what they feel they need to do, but I feel that should have been made clear when booking so that I could make a decision whether to enroll under those conditions. I've checked the main college website and there are no Covid related rules published anywhere. 

I know that I could go along and refuse to wear a mask, but then I'll be surrounded by other classmates and the teacher all wearing a mask and that brings back memories of an unpleasant and stressful time that I'm trying to put behind me.

Am I entitled to cancel and ask for a refund since the 'recommendation' to wear a face mask has been sprung on me at the last moment?

sheramber

Have you checked that these requirements are still current?

They may be using stock letters and not updated them.

user1977

Are you sure that recommendation still applies? Lots of COVID-related stuff seems to have been relaxed in practice but still lingers on in people’s smallprint. I doubt everybody (or possibly anybody) else will in fact be wearing a mask if it’s merely recommended rather than mandatory.

Sarahspangles

If it’s only recommended, and not mandatory then you have the option of not wearing one, so I doubt you’ll get a refund - unless they have a waiting list.

Is this more about feeling anxious about starting the course? If you’re concerned you’ll ’stand out’ why not ask to be put in touch with the tutor so you can query if any/some/most people do wear one?

arielsmelody

The sheet was emailed to me by the course tutor and the email asked us to read it so I have to assume this is coming from the tutor. The class has already been split over two dates because of the number of students (about 20 total) - it was so we can get more one-to-one attention, but I'm now thinking it was really because of social distancing within the studio, they just didn't want to say that. I've emailed the tutor to ask for confirmation.

This is an adult evening course, so I'm old enough and ugly enough to cope with being the only person not wearing a mask but it was meant to be fun and relaxing, not making me feel unwelcome and germ-ridden.

pinkshoes

arielsmelody said:

The sheet was emailed to me by the course tutor and the email asked us to read it so I have to assume this is coming from the tutor. The class has already been split over two dates because of the number of students (about 20 total) - it was so we can get more one-to-one attention, but I'm now thinking it was really because of social distancing within the studio, they just didn't want to say that. I've emailed the tutor to ask for confirmation.

This is an adult evening course, so I'm old enough and ugly enough to cope with being the only person not wearing a mask but it was meant to be fun and relaxing, not making me feel unwelcome and germ-ridden.

Was it one specific sheet sent purely about facemasks? Or was the facemask bit somewhere within a long list of requirements?

If it was within some other T&Cs stuff then chances are they perhaps just haven't bothered removing it.

I don't mind wearing a facemask, but I hate other people wearing a mask, as I have sensitive hearing where I pick up sound from all directions, so rely on lip reading to follow a person speaking. I found it so tough when everyone had masks on!

arielsmelody

The sheet was half a side of A4, with about 10 items all related to Covid type social distancing, hand sanitation, etc, no other content at all, so this was very clearly current and coming directly from the tutor.

TadleyBaggie

arielsmelody said:

The sheet was half a side of A4, with about 10 items all related to Covid type social distancing, hand sanitation, etc, no other content at all, so this was very clearly current and coming directly from the tutor.

Or...they printed a few hundred copies 3 years ago and are still sending them out with out of date info. I had this with an info sheet recently from a hospital with COVID instructions, when I turned up they had no COVID restrictions in place.

LightFlare

If its only recommended - then you have a choice to wear a mask or not

Either way, you cant dictate what other people do or are likely to do - although it could be argued that a "recommendation" instills a bit of social compliance

Without that sentence/clause - you could still turn up to a room full of people wearing masks

user1977

arielsmelody said:

The sheet was half a side of A4, with about 10 items all related to Covid type social distancing, hand sanitation, etc, no other content at all, so this was very clearly current and coming directly from the tutor.

Yes, but have you asked them whether people are actually wearing masks?

Torry_Quine

I agree that you need to contact the college to find out the actual current situation. It's not unusual to get info which still talks of COVID restrictions which are no longer applicable