Action for M.E.

Distance or open learning is the opportunity to study academic or general interest courses somewhere other than the centre that sets the work, so you can study at home, in hospital or wherever you are based. For many young people with M.E. the advantages of distance or open learning are:

You can study at home, at your own pace and at a suitable time
You can take breaks when you need them
It can help you feel as though you have structure to your day and give you a confidence boost when you progress though the course
If you have a relapse or just have a rough phase, you can put the course aside and concentrate on getting back on top of your illness

There are a wide variety of courses available for all different ages and abilities. It may be that you are school age and you want to tackle some school work, a GCSE or two or an 'A' level. However you may have left school without any qualifications, because you were too poorly to sit any exams. Or it may simply be that as a young adult you want to take a course that will help you move towards looking for employment.

It is important that you consider the duration, cost, flexibility and level of support the course will offer. Check out the type of qualification you will obtain and who monitors the quality of the course (accreditation).

Organisations who can offer advice: For more information and advice about all these issues contact:

Educate: This website is packed with information about school age learning courses
Hobson's: Guide to distance learning and useful information to consider
Open and Distance Learning Quality Council (ODLQC) -
Contact for free list of approved colleges and their courses
Try your local career service or adult education guidance - get their contact details from the phone book or your local library
Skill: National Bureau for students with disabilities - Promoting opportunities for young people and adults with any kind of disability in post-16 education, training and employment across the UK
Learndirect - Free national helpline giving advice to adults interested in learning

Organisations offering distance or open learning courses: There are many organisations that offer such courses, here are a selection, but do ask advice from the organisations above to see if they can find a course that suits you.

Schoolfriend is the first, web-based, interactive bespoke learning course for children aged between 4 - 13
Satellite School - NAESC host the exciting web-based school, which can offer full time education, following the National Curriculum, up to 'A' level
The Open University (OU) - You can study for short courses, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Cost depends on the course, but you may be able to apply for financial support from the OU Financial Awards Fund. Disabled Students Services Section - they can advise you on courses, financial allowances and support for your studies. Email: [email protected]
The National Extension College - You can study GCSEs, A Levels, accounting, marketing, IT skills, small business courses and counselling skills
The Open College of the Arts - Linked to the OU it runs courses such as art history, garden design and creative writing.

Information produced February 2004