In Hungary, an education training programme – DiabMentor – was initiated in 2022 to prepare preschool and primary school teachers to welcome and support children with diabetes at school.
The initiative was developed and implemented by the NGO Egy Csepp Figyelem Alapítvány (One Drop Attention Foundation) at the request of the National Education Authority. A legislative amendment adopted in 2021 obliges preschools and primary schools in Hungary to provide diabetes care (testing blood glucose, administering insulin, providing healthy food options) to children with type 1 diabetes during school hours.
The training consists of two modules informed by the KiDS educational resources, adapted by Egy Csepp Figyelem Alapítvány into Hungarian. A theoretical module provides an overview of diabetes and healthy nutrition, while a practical module teaches the safe and correct use of diabetes treatment tools. The training sessions also involve one-on-one consultations with a diabetologist, dietician and diabetes educator to address specific questions from participants. DiabMentor aims to provide teachers not only with the knowledge to support a child’s treatment, but also with the tools to communicate regularly with parents and healthcare professionals and improve awareness and understanding of diabetes among other teachers and school staff.
Around 400 teachers in hundreds of preschools and primary schools have benefitted from the DiabMentor training to date. Participants have appreciated the format and found the presentations informative and accessible. DiabMentor is ongoing and will be implemented in more preschools and primary schools in 2022-23.
