By Charles Lefebvre

Alberta education unveils guide for schools and Type 1 diabetes

Feb 12, 2019 | 4:31 PM

ST. ALBERT, AB — The province has released new guidelines to help schools develop plans for students with Type 1 diabetes.

Education Minister announced the Guide for Supporting Students with Type 1 Diabetes in School Tuesday morning in St. Albert. The guide, developed along with Diabetes Canada, allows schools to begin developing their own policies for the students.

“My expectation is that these guidelines will help to ensure greater consistency in how students with this disease are supported in Alberta schools,” Eggen said during the announcement. “It is an important part of helping them manage their condition and staying healthy, so they can focus on learning.”

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas stops making insulin. It requires regular management of blood sugar and insulin injections for treatment. Eggen says approximately 2,300 school age children in Alberta have Type 1 diabetes.

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The guidelines includes information for school staff to consider for students to help them remain part of the classroom activities, as well as determine how teachers and other school staff can respond if students are in need of emergency care.

However, Eggen noted the guide is not mandatory for school boards to comply with.

“I think we are looking for direction, and we are looking for people to learn, and for school board authorities to develop policy,” he said. “We thought we needed to move forward, and we’re doing so in an organic sort of way to see what needs to be done, and what we can do moving forward. Thhese guidelines are a good first step, I believe, and as we see implementation from the school boards across the various school boards in our province, then we can move from there.”

The guide can be viewed here.