The increasing prevalence of diabetes in younger people means that as a teacher it is highly likely that you will have a student with diabetes in your class at sometime.
A student with diabetes can do everything their peers do, but, because of their diabetes, they may need:
- special consideration
- extra supervision
- extra toilet privileges
- to eat at additional times, especially with sport
- extra consideration if unwell
- special provisions for privacy if testing blood glucose levels and injecting insulin at school is necessary.
Duty of Care
Schools have a legal responsibility to provide:
- a safe environment
- adequate supervision.
When the school knows that certain students have diabetes, staff (including relief staff) need to know enough about diabetes to ensure the safety of those students (especially in regard to hypoglycaemia and safety in sport). Parents/guardians have a responsibility to advise the school of their child’s medical condition and the particular requirements for the management of their child’s diabetes. For children with special requirements, a written individual management plan incorporating medical recommendations should be developed with the school in collaboration with the parents/guardians and doctor. This should be attached to the student’s records.
Diabetes Information Flipchart for School Teachers
The ‘diabetes INFORMATION’ flipchart for teachers and staff is a result of an initiative of the International Diabetes Federation’s Consultative Section on Childhood and Adolescent Diabetes, all member organisations of Diabetes Australia and endorsed by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Australia. The flipchart provides useful information on diabetes management and treatment.
All teachers with students with diabetes are encouraged to obtain a copy to keep on hand. Contact your local Diabetes Australia office for more information.
Download: Diabetes Information for Teachers and Staff