Needle Scare at Catholic Primary School

[Furore]

Needle scare at Dapto Primary
BY KATELIN MCINERNEY
5/07/2008 4:00:00 AM
Eleven students from a Dapto primary school have been tested for HIV/AIDS after a teacher pricked them with a used diabetic testing needle.

The St John's Parish Primary School teacher at the centre of the health scare was suspended for several days, but resumed work at the school earlier this week.

One irate parent who contacted the Mercury called for a major investigation.

"I was horrified and shocked when a parent told me what happened," said the mother, who did not want to be identified.

"I was worried my child (aged six) may have been condemned to a life of HIV/AIDS so I took (the child) to our family doctor."

The mother said the school had not clearly explained why the incident had occurred.

"This should never have happened ... the teacher involved is very experienced. I just don't know what made her do such a silly and dangerous thing. Catholic education authorities must ensure this type of incident never happens again."

A spokesperson for South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Area Health confirmed blood tests for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis A, B and C were carried out on 11 children aged between six and seven at the school and had revealed no infections.

Yesterday, the Catholic Education Office (CEO) confirmed the incident occurred on June 25, describing it as an "error in judgment" on behalf of the teacher. It said no further action would be taken against the teacher.

It is understood the teacher carried out a routine blood monitoring check on a diabetic student, then used the same needle to prick the fingers of 11 other students.

The Mercury has been told the teacher did not want the diabetic student to feel different from the rest of the class, and so pricked the fingers of 11 others, several of whom were reluctant to take part and cried.

CEO Director of Schools Peter Turner said the incident had been "thoroughly investigated" and the actions were "completely outside the teacher's normal character".

"The welfare and safety of our students is of the highest priority," he said.

As seen at Needle scare at Dapto Primary - Local News - News - General - Illawarra Mercury

I originally heard about this through talking to a mate who read about it in one of the papers, but regardless...
It's the primary school I went to when I was little, and I don't recall anything like this happening (apart from the occasional psycho nurse come immunisation days).

I get the feeling the teacher did what he did trying to help the diabetic kid out, but it was still a very stupid thing to do with law and school policy as it is here. And if as the article stated, kids were reluctant, the event most likely traumatised them...

What are your thoughts on this article?

[T.G. Oskar]

Well, it's a mix of stupidity and genious. This is another example of this point: what may sound like a genious idea may be actually the most stupid thing ever. Why would a teacher seek to give their students an "exemplary punishment" by risking the lives and safety of its students, not mentioning their mental sanity. The fact this leaked to the police and made a small fuzz out of it can affect the students' lives, if only a little bit.

Diabetes isn't a condition to be taken lightly. Few people know of the true extent of diabetes, and that it ain't the condition many people think it is. Lack of glucose in blood can end in coma or even death, diabetics lose some of the proper functions of the body and can end up with renal disability, loss of liver and pancreas, loss of extremities and loss of sight. Furthermore, their blood flow is compromised, and so their bodies' ability to coagulate properly. Watching a diet carefully and getting pricked with IV shots of insulin every certain time isn't something to be laughed at.

However, isn't there more graphical ways of showing this? I mean, just go to a hospital and ask a doctor to show you diabetes' patients with the more severe results. Gangrene isn't something funny to see, and much less when you lose it by diabetes. Surely, it's more disgusting than pricking with a needle used by who knows whom (though I believe the teacher perhaps used a needle from the student, I leave that to further deliberation), and gives the message in a faster and more gruesome way.

It does not remove from the ingenious idea behind it, but the teacher could have been smarter. The teacher could have asked for the parents to allow their children and youth to experience what's the daily routine of diabetics, without making it so sudden and risky. It's another good tool, but the teacher screwed it by making it impromptu, without the consent of the students. So,despite it being a rather ingenious move, the lack of consideration for them made the move a stupid one.

Also...isn't the move done a bit more childish than the very act? It was stupid to make that move, teacher, sure. But the parents outdid the stupidity. Aren't there supposed to be medical records, stating the particular conditions of the students? The parents could have acted a bit more responsibly and taken this with a calm demeanor, after passing through the outrage of course (you can't tell them to take this calmly at first stance, let them scream and cry and afterwards tell them to calm down) Being worried is one thing, making a fuzz out of it is another.

[Chez Daja]

It is understood the teacher carried out a routine blood monitoring check on a diabetic student, then used the same needle to prick the fingers of 11 other students.

If I put my kid into a school, I would want a nurse to be the one pricking my childs' finger, not some stupid teacher. It may be a routine check, but still. When I was in school, I NEEEVER had a teacher do anything like that. We always had a nurse come in.

the teacher did not want the diabetic student to feel different from the rest of the class.

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

[Dimi]

the teacher did not want the diabetic student to feel different from the rest of the class.

I agree with Chez. This sounds like complete bullshit. So some teacher's going to prick the other students and put them at risk for HIV/STD's when one student has diabeties? This teacher's got issues.

I know many people that have diabeties including my mom. I don't see my dad pricking my finger. Diabeties is a deadly disease and if someone has it, they should try their best to take care of it and not let it lead on to worse symptoms and become really serious.

And I don't blame the parents for acting that way. When you're dropping a child off at school where you're not around, you're basically trusting that they'll be alright and nothing will happen to them. And if I had a child that was in the same situation as this, you're damn right I'd be pissed. Both of these illnesses is not a pleasant thing to get.

[dongs.]

Uh, that's a lawsuit waiting to happen. I certainly don't want some school nurse OR teacher for that matter pricking my kid's anything. They aren't certified for ANY of that. Diabetic devices are meant for only the person/child using it. The nurses don't even pick the person's finger, they do it themselves and check their blood sugar. The nurse just records it for reference and to see whether they're too high above or below normal levels. I doubt that they'd be allowed to even inject the kid with insulin. That's just my opinion, though.

Yeah, keep your needles away from my kids unless you want your body found in the desert or, you know, legal action that involves taking your teaching license away (Also known as the sensible way). That's outrageous. Honestly, I don't want someone who lacks that much common sense to be around more or less teaching children. So there.

How's that for an out of the blue post?

[Toxic Seahorse]

Would anyone care to explain to me why this teacher is not in jail? Despite her intentions, she effectively forced trauma and bodily harm with a potentially septic, disease ridden tool on small children.

Any parent who sends their children back to this class had no right to pass on their genetic information.

[Jesus Christ]

Those catholics and their needles.