Study: one in five children with diabetes cannot get additional education
It is not easy for children with diabetes to get into sports and other institutions of additional education. There are a number of barriers that hinder the development and socialization of such children," the results of a study by the Higher School of Economics (in St. Petersburg) and the Geropharm company showed. The data on the situation were discussed by the Council under the Russian government on guardianship in the social sphere, which is headed by Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova. They were also passed on to the Russian Ministry of Education for action.
Today in Russia there are more than 45 thousand children with type 1 diabetes. Now the assistance of endocrinologists to their patients has reached such a level that the disease can be kept under control - the diagnosis is no longer a reason to refuse to lead a normal life, exercise and other activities. But children with diabetes and their families often face limitations, including in obtaining additional education.
A survey of 740 parents of such children from different regions of the country showed that there are problems. From 18% to 50% of respondents indicated that there are difficulties in attending additional education institutions, ranging from conflicts with peers to reduced ability to pay for attendance at clubs and related expenses due to the child's diabetes. Every 5th family was refused enrollment in circles, sections, children's studios because of the diagnosis.
Teachers are not ready to take into account the peculiarities of such children and help them, to take responsibility. Therefore, parents are often forced to attend classes personally or to educate teachers themselves to ensure the safety of the child. More than 35% of respondents assess the awareness of the staff of institutions about diabetes mellitus as low, and more than 38% note their low willingness to even make contact and meet with such families.
Some parents decide to hide the diagnosis - but this can turn into a direct threat to the child's health and life due to the ignorance of the educator. "It is important to note that the answers to open-ended questions show that the situation in budget institutions can be worse than in private ones," say the authors of the survey.
The results of the survey were presented to the Council under the Russian Government on guardianship in the social sphere. At the moment, the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation together with regional authorities are working on the issue of raising the qualifications of teachers to work with children with diabetes.
"Our research is only the first step towards overcoming the barriers faced by children with diabetes and their families. Thanks to it we managed to attract the attention of public authorities to a difficult medical and social problem. A lot of work lies ahead to develop and implement the measures necessary to ensure all opportunities for children's development and socialization," Petr Rodionov, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Government's Council for Social Care and CEO of Geropharm, explained to Rossiyskaya Gazeta.