Forward ME welcomes the explicit recognition of children and young people with ME/CFS, at all levels of illness severity, in the draft consultation on supporting children and young people with medical conditions and allergy. ME/CFS, alongside Long Covid, is the leading cause of medically‑related persistent and prolonged school absence, and a major driver of long‑term educational loss for children and young people.
For too long, children and young people with ME/CFS have faced systemic barriers that have compounded their illness and deepened their educational disadvantage. Recognising these harms is a critical first step. The next must be ensuring that national policy, local practice, and multi‑agency decision‑making reflect current evidence, uphold children’s rights, and provide safe, flexible, and individually tailored educational support for children and young people living with ME/CFS, including protecting the life chances of those who are too severely affected to participate in education.
