Rejected petition: Officially recognise Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA) as a diagnosis.
Rejected on
We want the UK Government to officially recognise Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA) as a distinct medical and mental health diagnosis.
Because EBSA is not classified as an official medical diagnosis, families face a postcode lottery for support. Parents are frequently threatened with fines, prosecution, or child protection investigations instead of receiving empathy. Formally diagnosing EBSA will ensure schools must provide legal attendance adjustments, protect families from punitive fines, and unlock vital NHS mental health funding for early intervention.
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s about something that the UK Government or Parliament is not directly responsible for.
We can only accept petitions seeking action on matters which are the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament. It is not the UK Government or Parliament’s responsibility to recognise medical conditions. We are therefore not able to accept this petition.
You could start a new petition requiring schools to take account of children experiencing EBSA.
You may also be interested in signing this open petition:
'Create national "Low Demand School Hubs" for students with EBSA, ODD, and PDA'
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/767347We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.