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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ‘EDUCATE’ this teacher?

342 replies

Misinformation · 05/09/2023 16:03

DS has Type 1 diabetes. He has to put up with stupid comments like ‘did you eat too much sugar’ regularly.

At school today, a boy asked him this. Teacher nearby started telling him what Type 1 is and he asked if anyone could get it and could you get it randomly.

Teacher said No which DS was quite pissed of about as it seems to imply he’s done something to get it or it’s in his genes (it’s not). He’s not the type to correct a teacher so I think I should?

Quite annoyed as if you’re going to educate someone, do it correctly!

OP posts:
CurlyhairedAssassin · 05/09/2023 19:29

Baconisdelicious · 05/09/2023 19:21

In the case of a T1 diabetic, most older students manage their diabetes themselves but the schools know how to respond if there is an issue or the student needs help or medical attention

and the lawsuit that will follow when a child who is hypo is killed because a teacher puts insulin in? Honestly, in my house we have a fridge note of shame where we keep a tally of the number of times a teacher has tried to get my son to take insulin when hypo. It’s shocking. Type 1 is a named condition in equality legislation. You can’t just shrug your shoulders and say ‘not my problem’.

I teach. I see an appalling lack of fucks given about most health conditions by many of my colleagues. It is very disturbing.

That sounds more like a lack of training as opposed to lack of fucks. It's just a lack of knowledge. I hope you have followed up with the head each and every time.

I work in a school office so know a bit about first aid and some health conditions. But i haven't come across a child with Type I diabetes either. If one started, we would all have training on it. It's appalling if there is a basic lack of knowledge over your child's treatment plan.

Callyem · 05/09/2023 19:29

JellyBabiesSaveLives · 05/09/2023 19:17

https://jdrf.org.uk/knowledge-support/about-type-1-diabetes/causes-of-type-1-diabetes/
another nice clear explanation
Note that 90 per cent of people who develop type 1 diabetes have no family connection with the condition. I think it is important that that is the fact that people remember, because otherwise people ignore symptoms, convinced they can't have it because no one else in the family does.

The truth is that no one actually knows what causes Type 1 diabetes (certainly not the GCSE exam boards). The scientists have some hypotheses but that's still all they are.

The answer to "can anyone get it?" Is very much "yes".

Is 'no family connection' the same as not having a combination of genes?

Genuinely trying to interpret what I have read correctly, not being facetious.

My interpretation was that there are a selection of genes that particular combinations of will make you one of those who MAY develop Type 1 diabetes when triggered by unknown or unconfirmed environmental factors. Therefore I inferred that there are many people who do not have those combinations of genes and therefore cannot develop Type 1 diabetes.

BackToOklahoma · 05/09/2023 19:30

The teacher was actually right and if she made your son feel uncomfortable by stating facts then perhaps you need to help him cope with his emotions better.

Or perhaps the teacher shouldn’t allow a child’s medical condition to be discussed by classmates. OP has said the boy started this to wind her son up. The teacher should have shut the conversation down. If there is to be a conversation about OPs son and his medical condition, it should be planned with OPs sons permission.

Imagine being OPs child, sitting in a class with a boy asking questions about this to wind him up and the teacher entertaining it in any way.

Sirzy · 05/09/2023 19:30

Baconisdelicious · 05/09/2023 19:26

you don’t need to know the ins and outs to manage it daily

whilst I don’t disagree that an in-depth understanding of the condition is necessary for teaching staff, you do need to understand the ins and outs of type 1 to effectively support a child who is in crisis in a given moment. Otherwise, you’re just another one shouting ‘give yourself more insulin!’.

Not the the degree of knowing the cause though.

of course staff should understand the presentation of issues for the children in their care, or at least when to phone for the expert in the school.

in fact getting too bogged down in the irrelevant bits could mean the key bits for day to day are missed.

the best thing we have for ds in school is a flow chart for each of his conditions which makes it very clear what to do when certain symptoms show. It is simple and to the point so no room for confusion.

cansu · 05/09/2023 19:30

It is not about saying not my problem. If a child is ill or needs medical attention then the school gets it. I would not be injecting anyone with insulin or anything else unless I was authorised to do so and was 100% confident that I was doing the right thing. If a child needed urgent life saving treatment, it would be 999. Are you suggesting that all teachers must have the competence of a paramedic?? The other issue is that unless you are regularly using your training you simply will not be confident to make these decisions. Teachers are not medics.

D1nopawus · 05/09/2023 19:33

This sounds to me like a teen boy being a dick and winding the OP's son up. It also sounds to me like the teacher was onto dick boy and closed the conversation down.

In years to come I'm sure we will know more about genetic links to t1D and other autoimmune conditions. In the meantime, a teenager, relatively recently diagnosed with diabetes and trying to learn about the condition really doesn't need other pupils believing T1D is a contagious disease.

I'm glad the teacher had your DS' back OP.

Sidslaw · 05/09/2023 19:34

A lot of people with diabetes in the family don't know they have diabetes in the family.

We have diabetes in the family - the first diagnosed case was my Aunt - both her parents were surprised as neither was aware of anyone else with it.

However, over the following decades, as more came out about the family tree, we found many cases of sudden death in teens, including a sister of my gran, and a brother of my grandpa. And among cousins, and after my aunt was diagnosed, it was determined that her first son, a cot death, was most likely a diabetic death too.

In previous generations, sudden deaths among children and teens were often not diagnosed.

It is likely that my aunt, far from being the first known or suspected diabetic in the family was actually the 7th or 8th, and there would most likely have been hundreds more in previous generations, where the records are lost.

Since her diagnosis ( she was 19 when diagnosed, and lived to be 40) another dozen or so younger relatives have been diagnosed, including a grandchild and a great grandchild of hers. Neither of them have parents with the disease.

PumpkinBum3 · 05/09/2023 19:35

SemperIdem · 05/09/2023 18:14

You are being ridiculous.

Absolutely. The type to lie in wait ready to find either offence or reason to kick off.

The Teacher isn’t there to teach about your son’s condition. If it was insinuated that ‘anybody can get it’ by another student the teacher was probably trying to say it’s not like catching cold to avoid escalating conversations around it. If they don’t know enough about Diabetes then they stop the conversation there and then to avoid any further issues. Then teach the actual lesson.

TawnyLarue · 05/09/2023 19:37

Absolutely. The type to lie in wait ready to find either offence or reason to kick off

or struggling with a recent diagnosis in her child…

Wisenotboring · 05/09/2023 19:38

Misinformation · 05/09/2023 17:05

It is something that you can basically ‘catch’ and anyone can get it. They haven’t separated a gene that contributes to T1 if there is one so anyone can get it as they wouldn’t know they have a gene.

DS is 14 and he knows what he heard. He would not challenge a teacher unfortunately.

It is not known exactly what causes Type 1 but likely to do with the body’s reaction to a virus. Big increase in T1s since Covid according to DS’s diabetic team.

The teachers response did make DS feel
’othered’.

It is not inherited in the case of DS or any of the other DC in our local T1 group but go ahead stating it is.

This boy started the discussion by deliberately trying to wind up DS for his medical condition.

Why should the teacher protect his feelings by giving incorrect information and by doing so upsetting DSs, if that’s what she was doing?

It sounds like the teacher was reassuring the boy that it wasn't an infectious disease and that your son wouldn't pass it to him. T1 is a autoimmune dressed with a genetic component though. As you rightly point point out, viral infection has also been linked with onset. It sounds like this has distressed your son and for that reason alone, it might be worth having a friendly chat with the teacher and head of year to as that staff are mindful of the wording they use when explaining T1. I wonder if you also feel some frustration about lack of understanding...it would be offensive to think people misguidedly assume it had developed because you hadn't fed your son a healthy diet etc. It might be worth pondering the impact the diagnosis has had on you also?

backoffbuster · 05/09/2023 19:40

I am a teacher who has made mistakes with information before. I have had a parent gently correct me about a similar issue and the child and I were able to have a very positive conversation, followed by me having a talk with the class. I think definitely tell the teacher, but try not to approach the matter in a CAPITAL LETTER WAY.

Lucinda7 · 05/09/2023 19:43

Everyone's an expert when it comes to diabetes! I'm type 2 and once when my medication had to be increased the dr said you always seem to feel guilty when the medication is increased. I said it is stated in the media that type 1 is not the person's fault but type 2 is and people in general seem to think that. So ignorant. I refuse to discuss my medical condition with anyone who asks except medical staff of course. It is a good idea for people at work or school to know about your condition in case of emergency but other than that it is not up for discussion. It isn't you or your son's job to educate people OP. As you can tell this annoys me very much! I'm angry on his behalf. I've been diabetic for 24 years now so have plenty of experience. Diabetes is a disability by the way. Google diabetes - the Diversity Act.

Hercisback · 05/09/2023 19:43

@Sirzy I agree re flow charts and a clear place to find out what to do for medical situations with students is much better than training all staff on something they will likely forget. Not because we don't care but teachers really do have 101 things going on at once. It's not my place to reccomend diabetes treatment, I should call first aid and they do that. Or I check the medical info for a child and find out what to do (if non life threatening at least in the moment).

TawnyLarue · 05/09/2023 19:43

Equality Act

CaptainMyCaptain · 05/09/2023 19:44

BackToOklahoma · 05/09/2023 19:30

The teacher was actually right and if she made your son feel uncomfortable by stating facts then perhaps you need to help him cope with his emotions better.

Or perhaps the teacher shouldn’t allow a child’s medical condition to be discussed by classmates. OP has said the boy started this to wind her son up. The teacher should have shut the conversation down. If there is to be a conversation about OPs son and his medical condition, it should be planned with OPs sons permission.

Imagine being OPs child, sitting in a class with a boy asking questions about this to wind him up and the teacher entertaining it in any way.

Surely saying 'No you won't catch it' is shutting it down. The teacher has a lesson to get on with.

Lucinda7 · 05/09/2023 19:45

Sorry Backoffbuster it looks as though my remarks were addressed to you personally. They weren't!

almostoverthehill · 05/09/2023 19:45

Sounds like the OP needs educating

Againstmachine · 05/09/2023 19:48

Not very helpful, it seems op wants to make her kid a pariah.

Mumof118 · 05/09/2023 19:50

Misinformation · 05/09/2023 18:26

Good god. Are you a teacher?

Can you add up the years between primary school age and age 14 considering that thread is dated 12th Feb this year?

Show quote history

What are you implying by your sentence ‘Good God. Are you a teacher?’

Teriyakieverything · 05/09/2023 19:50

Yabu. Your overall tone sounds awful.

PurpleFlower1983 · 05/09/2023 19:50

OP I think you’re going to have to accept you are wrong on this one, I understand this must be very difficult for both you and your son but I don’t think the teacher did anything to provoke this extreme reaction especially given the evidence of the several scientists on this thread.

Zaaarrr · 05/09/2023 19:51

There is no way you would have been satisfied with an 'I don't know'. You would complain the teacher should have known.

QuillBill · 05/09/2023 19:53

Surely saying 'No you won't catch it' is shutting it down. The teacher has a lesson to get on with.

Exactly. As is saying 'no'.

nobodysdaughternow · 05/09/2023 19:57

My ds wouldn't have been fazed by this. He would have joined in the discussion and put forward what he believed to be true. If others disagreed, he would have probably concluded they knew less than he did and move to on.

Encourage your ds to talk to the teacher and ask her what she meant. Being able to discuss and debate in a friendly manner is a life skill.

Nikee20 · 05/09/2023 20:02

Bookish88 · 05/09/2023 16:51

You're obviously very sensitive about this, but it seems pretty obvious the teacher was responding to a question about whether it was something they could catch.

This.

YABU - leave the teacher alone.