At the start of a busy school year, when thoughts are dominated by issues such as classroom programming and finalising new enrolments, student health is another topic demanding schools’ attention.
Not least because the return to school period coincides with a spike in asthma-related hospital admissions among children.
Since 1993, NSW Department of Health data reveals a correlation between children returning to school in February and a peak in hospital emergency visits and admissions.
While the cause is not known, the chief executive officer of the Asthma Foundation NSW, Greg Smith, says “stress, the change of environment, or picking up cold and flu viruses could all act as triggers”.
Asthma, which is the most common medical condition affecting Australian school children, is estimated to contribute to the loss of one million school days each year.
But it is just one of a myriad of health conditions requiring school support.
Student health coordinator in the education department’s student welfare directorate, Kate Lovelace, says although parents and carers have the prime responsibility for the health of their child, departmental staff have a general duty of care to take reasonable steps to keep students safe while they attend school.
“The role of the department’s student welfare directorate in relation to student health is to provide a broad range of policy and program support for student health matters,” Ms Lovelace says.
For severe asthma, type 1 diabetes, epilepsy and anaphylaxis, schools must develop an individual health care plan in consultation with relevant staff and the parent or carer.
Students at risk of an emergency reaction, or who require the administration of health care procedures, are also included in this group and principals have the discretion to develop written plans in other cases “where it will assist the school in supporting the health care needs of that student”.
The plans, which incorporate medical information provided by the student’s doctor, vary to suit the specific health care needs of individual students and describe how the school will meet those needs during the school day, while on excursions and during sport.
Plans include procedures to follow if an emergency arises and risk management processes.
School staff – while not acting beyond their capabilities – are expected to take appropriate action during a medical emergency involving a student.
It is therefore important that staff who could be called upon to administer medication or health care procedures are appropriately trained.
In an emergency a staff member administers prescribed medication or health care procedures to a student in accordance with his or her training and agreements documented in the emergency care section of the student’s individual health care plan.
“It may be that the appropriate emergency response is to call triple 0,” Ms Lovelace says.
In the case of a student with anaphylaxis, the course of action in an emergency may include staff administering an EpiPen if this is part of the emergency response plan.
Wendy Alford, the leader of student welfare, says specialist anaphylaxis training is required in schools “where there is a student diagnosed at risk of anaphylaxis”.
Nurse educators are available to provide training to schools that request it through the NSW health department’s anaphylaxis training program.
Ms Alford says it is especially important at the start of the school year for principals to check each student’s enrolment form – particularly new enrolments – to see if parents or carers have identified health conditions or allergies.
It is also a good idea for schools to remind parents and carers to notify the school of any new health conditions or changes to existing conditions.
Schools can also register to become part of the Asthma Foundations of Australia Asthma Friendly Schools program.
To be recognised as “asthma friendly” a school must fulfil eight essential criteria which include providing asthma education to all staff and running asthma awareness lessons in the classroom.
About 83 per cent of Australian schools have registered with the program and 46 per cent are recognised as asthma friendly, according to Asthma Foundations of Australia.
In a 2007 survey of 300 asthma friendly schools in NSW, 96 per cent reported increased confidence in dealing with asthma, 30 per cent reported reduced absenteeism and more than half reported a reduction in asthma emergencies and increased participation in sport.
Schools can also support student health by promoting a healthy active lifestyle.
Elizabeth Callister, manager of the student wellbeing unit in the department’s student welfare directorate, says a significant body of research suggests that good health improves education outcomes and achievements.
“And a child who arrives at school having had a good healthy breakfast and a good night’s sleep is always better off,” she says.
The NSW health department recommends parents and carers take their child to their general practitioner or family health nurse for a health assessment before Kindergarten and again before they start high school.
Ms Callister says classroom teachers can be the first to notice the existence of a health condition, such as an eyesight problem, where it impacts on a child’s ability to learn.
The education department, in conjunction with the Kidsafe unit at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, has also developed helpful hints on how to manage backpack weights and encourage good spinal health.
The load of a student’s school bag should not exceed more than 10 per cent of their body weight, according to the recommendations.
Students should be encouraged to carry their backpack on both shoulders and, where possible, use a backpack with a waist strap to keep the load in place.
• Translated Documents 
• Site Map • Help • Accessibility • Privacy • Terms & Conditions • Copyright
