A Whickham student, who has epilepsy, attended a Question Time-style event at the Houses of Parliament last week. Stephanie Carr, aged 17, was invited to the event by national charity, Epilepsy Action.
The event was organised by an alliance of more than 30 health charities¹. Over 40 school children and young people with different health conditions were given the chance to put their questions about health support at school to a panel of politicians. Currently, support for many health conditions at school is a postcode lottery.
BBC newscaster and The Politics Show presenter, Jon Sopel, chaired the panel. Others on the panel were the Shadow Ministers for Children, Schools and Families, Tim Loughton MP and Annette Brooke MP and Dr Sheila Shribman, National Clinical Director for Children, Young People and Maternity Services. Jim Cunningham MP, who put forward the Schools (Health Support) Bill as his Private Members’ Bill in May this year, was also on the panel.
There are at least a million children of school age in England who have a health condition. Many struggle at school as the support they need to manage their condition is not in place. The alliance of charities is calling for support at school to be a statutory duty. Some schools provide good support for children. However, the current voluntary approach means that the lack of support for those with health conditions is seriously impacting on their health and education.
Stephanie, who was diagnosed with epilepsy in January 2008, said: “I’ve had epilepsy for almost two years. I had seizures during my GCSE exams and no special consideration was made for this at my school, although teachers did let me take mornings off when I needed to. I think people need to understand that epilepsy is more than just having the odd seizure and it affects people in many different ways.
“It was very important to me to be at this event. It gave me the chance to let the people in power know what must happen to improve the lives of young people with health conditions. My MP, David Anderson, has agreed to meet with me back in Whickham and I had the opportunity to ask a question about epilepsy to the panel.”
Leanne Creighton, education policy and campaigns officer at Epilepsy Action, said: “It is vital that young people with epilepsy receive support at school so that their health and education are not put at risk. MPs must understand that the current voluntary approach for schools to provide support for children and young people with health conditions is not working."