Parents call for urgent overall of national $6m Diabetes in Schools scheme

Kids lives are at risk if a national diabetes in school scheme isn’t urgently overhauled, parents say.

Children’s lives are at risk due to poorly trained teachers managing students’ diabetes in schools, doctors and parents say.

They are calling for the $6 million national Diabetes in Schools scheme, which sees teachers injecting lifesaving drugs to children with type 1 diabetes with no accreditation or qualifications, to be urgently overhauled.

The program was rolled out nationally after the death of Victorian schoolboy Lachlan Cook, who had type 1 diabetes, on a school trip to Vietnam in 2020.

Type 1 diabetes is a life-threatening illness affecting around 11,000 children nationally.

Dr Peter Goss from The Australian Paediatric Society said despite the dedication of teachers, “many students are still left unsupported, putting them at risk of short term and long term costly and dangerous medical complications and shortened life span”.

“The existing Diabetes in Schools program unfortunately fails to address the real issues so remains a risk for children, teaching staff and doctors. While giving an illusion of a training program, its fundamental design may lead many school staff to a state of ignorance about a serious medical condition,” he said.

Parents’ support group Type 1 Voice said that while “schools are obliged to care for our kids with type 1 diabetes, they are also obliged to care for their teachers”.

Ange Liston-McCaughley and her daughter Lila with her T-Slim insulin pump. Picture: Jake Nowakowski.

“Even with the death of a student, the systemic issues have not been addressed and Diabetes Australia continued with their non-compliant program,” their spokeswoman said.

Cases of concern include one instance where a teacher was told not to give an emergency injection to a child with diabetes but to rub gel on their gums.

In another example, a school cleaner, and not a teacher, was charged with administering drugs to a five-year-old student as part of the program.

Parents say they have no confidence in the program and have to give up work, or reduce working hours, to go to school to give their children treatment.

WorkSafe Victoria is investigating matters raised by Type 1 Voice. A WorkSafe spokesman said the organisation “has accepted a request to investigate an alleged contravention of the Occupational Health and Safety Act”.

Belmont mother Ange Liston-McCaughley said she now felt safe to speak up because her daughter Lila, who has type 1 diabetes, has now finished year 12.

“As families we are faced with the fear of sending our kids to school and being cared by teachers who have no qualifications to undertake the medical care needed for type 1 diabetes,” she said.

A statement from Diabetes Australia said the voluntary program “was developed following exhaustive consultation across every state and territory with diabetes experts, clinicians, educators, and families of children with type 1 diabetes”.

“Diabetes in Schools has received significant positive feedback from teachers and parents across the country. Evaluation of the program shows participants welcome the opportunity for training to build knowledge, skills and confidence to support their students,” they said.