SCHOOL WON’T TEACH MY DIABETIC DAUGHTER
She claims officials suggested home-schooling
A MUM has hit back at school bosses who she claims asked if she would consider home-schooling her diabetic daughter.
Brenda Cook, 51, was shocked to discover that Brooke Cormack-Cook, 12, would not be allowed to return to school after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
She started S1 at Stanecastle additional special needs school in Irvine in August but fell ill after just nine days.
When doctors diagnosed her diabetes, Brooke, who has Down’s Syndrome, took a few days to recover and was cleared to return to school on September 9.
Staff were given training on how to assist a child with diabetes but Brenda says she was told shortages meant there weren’t enough personnel to deal with her daughter’s needs.
Brooke requires a staff member to help with one injection during the school day and also to check her blood.
Brenda was also told that the taxi company contracted to drive Brooke from her home in Skelmorlie, Ayrshire, to school each day – accompanied by a chaperone – would no longer be able to take her as their insurance didn’t cover them to deal with a medical emergency.
Last month, Brenda attended a meeting at the school, run by North Ayrshire Council, and claims the home-schooling suggestion was made then.
She said: “I’m a single parent. I work as a college lecturer and also run my own small business. I couldn’t home-school Brooke even if I wanted to as I need to provide for my family.”
Brenda feels Brooke is being denied education due to a manageable health condition and that a mainstream pupil would not face these problems.
She added: “I’ve spoken to other parents who have kids with type 1 diabetes and they haven’t had any problems with them going to school.
“Any child of that age needs support when they are newly diagnosed.”
Brenda also claims North Ayrshire Council refused to consider placing Brooke into a special needs school in neighbouring Inverclyde, which is closer to Skelmorlie.
She said: “North Ayrshire said they won’t fund sending her to a school in any other area.”
A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We have been actively pursuing a trained escort to travel with Brooke and we are close now to finalising this arrangement.
“We will be redeploying someone at the school to help meet Brooke’s situation.
“We are all looking forward to welcoming her back at school.”