Durham school board introduces health condition policy for students

The Durham District School Board has developed a health policy for students with medical conditions.

Earlier this fall, the DDSB decided to have individual care for students with asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and risk of anaphylaxis to keep them safe while in the classroom.

The board has informally been dealing with cases for years — so now schools will finally have firm rules.

Across 133 schools and learning centres, the DDSB says at least one student in each institution has one of the health conditions, and in some cases there are more.

“We want students to feel safe and comfortable at school, we want the environment to support them, we want them to be able to reach their potential. So we don’t want students worrying, am I safe here, is something going to go wrong. We train our staff. We have the best interest of students at heart,” said Mark Fisher, DDSB academic services associate director.

Principals are in the midst of ongoing training and should be fully qualified in the coming weeks.

The board also wants to help students become more independent so they can manage their own care.