Declan Marshall was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at just five years old and wears an insulin pump and glucose monitor constantly.
asserted
Marshall → diagnose → pump
He said managing the condition could be hard, but he struggled more while sitting in class at Capel Primary School.
uncertain
he → say → School
“It’s so busy at school, and the teachers don’t know as much about it as my mum and dad,” Declan said.
asserted
Declan → ’ → mum
“Sometimes I have to stop playing and sit out because my blood sugar is low and that’s really frustrating.
asserted
that → have → ?
I can still do everything, like play footy and ride my bike, but I have to check my levels first.”
asserted
I → do → levels
His mother, Alana Marshall, said management of the condition was “a constant balancing act”.
asserted
management → say → condition
“Too much insulin can cause severe hypoglycaemia, resulting in confusion, loss of consciousness, seizures and, if not treated promptly, can be fatal.
asserted
insulin → cause → consciousness
Too little insulin can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening medical emergency,” she said.
asserted
she → lead → ketoacidosis
In school, the importance of managing the condition effectively is recognised through Individual Disability Allocation funding which can be used by the school to better resource classrooms including by hiring an education assistant.
asserted
which → manage → assistant
“It takes extra time for education staff to perform the clinical tasks necessary to keep Declan safe at school,” Alana said.
asserted
Alana → take → school
The funding is automatically given until year 2 when it is cut off.
asserted
it → give → year
Parents and schools then have to apply to keep it running on a case-by-case basis under the assumption students can now manage their own condition adequately.
asserted
students → have → condition
“The impact on Declan is reduced participation in learning and school activities, more erratic blood glucose levels which affect his cognition, attention and mood, and without consistent trained support it is difficult for him to feel safe at school,” Alana said.
asserted
Alana → reduce → school
“Expecting an eight-year-old to shoulder that responsibility alone, particularly while in a busy school environment full of demands and distractions, is simply not safe, fair or reasonable.”
asserted
old → expect → demands
She said while staff at the school had been exceptional, it also created additional pressure and workload for teachers.
asserted
it → say → teachers
“I found out through word-of-mouth that schools could apply for a funding extension – many schools aren’t aware, which points to the inequity of the funding model,” Alana said.
uncertain
Alana → find → model
“It then took four weeks for me to obtain the required letter from an endocrinologist to support the school’s application.
asserted
me → take → application
This process is not only frustrating for parents, it is time-consuming for health and education staff.
asserted
it → consume → staff
“The deputy principal at our small primary school spent time researching, completing and submitting the application, and I spent weeks calling, emailing and following up with the diabetes team at Perth Children’s Hospital.
asserted
I → spend → Hospital
“Consultants at the Department of Education then reviewed our application to approve or deny the claim.”
uncertain
Consultants → review → claim
Alana said they had been approved for the year, but the funding policy was based on clinical guidance from Princess Margaret Hospital given more than 10 years ago and was outdated.
Opposition Education Minister Liam Staltari said type 1 diabetes “doesn’t get easier to manage between year 2 and year 3 – it’s lifelong and incurable”.
asserted
it → say → year
“The fact is that continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps have transformed how this condition is managed.
asserted
condition → transform → ?
The Education Department’s rules haven’t caught up and it’s time for that to change,” he said.
asserted
he → catch → ?
“In the wealthiest state in the nation, no child should be left to manage a life-threatening condition alone in class.”
asserted
child → leave → class
He said he was working with Alana to launch a petition calling for the state government to “scrap this unfair age cut-off”.
asserted
government → say → off
Alana said she wanted to point out the stress the current model was placing on parents and school communities.
asserted
model → say → parents
“This targeted support funding is not a large amount of money.
asserted
funding → target → money
It won’t improve type 1 management at school overnight,” she said.
asserted
It → improve → school
“But I hope this petition encourages the government to review an outdated policy creating inequity for families and schools.”
asserted
petition → hope → families
Education Minister Sabine Winton said she had asked the Department of Education to provide her with further advice on what the extension process involves, and how schools support families throughout this process.
asserted
schools → say → process
“Every child deserves to feel safe and supported at school, including children managing health conditions like type 1 diabetes,” she said.
asserted
she → deserve → diabetes
“Managing type 1 diabetes can be complex, particularly for younger children who may need additional support to manage their condition at school.
uncertain
who → manage → school
“While Individual Disability Allocation funding for diabetes is generally provided until the end of Year 2, that support does not stop if a child still needs it.”
asserted
child → provide → it
Staltari also raised the issue with Winton in parliament, but was met with frustration from the minister who suggested he was using the issue as a “political stunt”.
uncertain
he → raise → stunt
“I make myself available to many stakeholders, many parents and many particular organisations,” she said.
asserted
she → make → stakeholders
“The correct process through which that happens is not as part of a stunt in the public gallery.”
asserted
that → happen → gallery
The Aporia
