The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed the Director of General Education (DGE) to take steps for children with illnesses, including those with Type 1 diabetes, to study till Plus Two in a school near their house under the single-window admission process. Steps should also be taken to set up sick rooms in all schools in the State for students to take rest during emergencies and take insulin injections.
A Bench of commission chairperson K.V. Manoj Kumar and members B. Babitha and P.P. Shyamaladevi issued the directive on a slew of petitions, including from the Type 1 Diabetes Foundation and the Type 1 Diabetic Welfare Society Kerala.
It directed the DGE and the General Education Principal Secretary to take steps for maintaining ‘health file’ on the health of students with illnesses in every school in the State and for training at least two teachers in every school on how to manage such students, including those with Type 1 diabetes, through doctors from the primary and family health centres in the State.
The petitioners had contended that since the children with Type 1 diabetes spent more time at school than home, they should receive good care, safety, and privacy there. Services of nurses should be provided to children having Type 1 diabetes in schools, health files for such students should be made compulsory in every school, insulin or sick rooms should be arranged for them, and identity cards for diabetics should be made mandatory for such students from the hospitals treating them.
The petitioners sought that such children get admission to schools near their house under the Plus One higher secondary single-window admission process, teachers be made aware of Type 1 diabetes and given training on how to take care of students with such a condition with the support of the Health department, and that content on Type 1 diabetes be included in the school curriculum.
They also alleged that a recent circular issued by the DGE that a child thought to be in need of medical treatment should be taken to the nearest health centre was impractical. Instead, if trained teachers were available in schools, admissions to hospital casualty could be avoided.
The commission that sought reports from the DGE, General Education Principal Secretary, and the Health Secretary observed that providing children with illnesses, including those with Type 1 diabetes, facilities for education near their residence would improve their safety. It would enable their parents to take better care of them, reducing the stress experienced by both the children and the parents. It was also important for schools to have facilities required by such children and teachers to get training in providing immediate help to them so that they did not end up in life-threatening situations. Maintaining records of the children’s health condition in a file will be very helpful while doctors attend to them, it observed.
