I Am a Education Professional
As a teacher, it can be difficult to know how to support a child or young person who has or had cancer in your classroom. When a child or young person is in treatment, the effects can be obvious – hair loss, nausea, fatigue or feeding tubes. However, there are also long term and late effects which can impact students long after treatment has ended.
You can read more about those in the I am a Parent and I am a Young Person With Cancer sections.
Education Professional
As a teacher, it can be difficult to know how to support a child or young person who has or had cancer in your classroom. When a child or young person is in treatment, the effects can be obvious – hair loss, nausea, fatigue or feeding tubes. However, there are also long term and late effects which can impact students long after treatment has ended.
You can read more about those in the I am a Parent and I am a Young Person With Cancer sections. [LINK]
Education Supports
Childhood Cancer Ireland has a number of supports for young people who have / had cancer, including career guidance and access to Institute of Education grinds.
We are also happy to support teachers who may have a child or young person with cancer in their class so please reach out [LINK to Contact Us] if you’re not sure where to start.
Podcast
You may be interested in finding out more about the experiences of parents and young people through our podcast – Gold Ribbon Conversations.
Annual Conference
If you are interested in learning more about this topic, consider attending our annual CAYAS conference – Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult cancers & Survivorship.
Barretstown
Barretstown runs a school education programme, which can help your child or sibling’s classmates to better understand childhood cancer. Whether primary or secondary school, remember to ask the principal to send a letter to all parents asking them to advise the school if any family member is affected by measles or chickenpox, as your child will need to remain out of school for a period of time in this case.
Education Research
Improving Education for Children and Young People with Cancer: An International Collaboration
Childhood Cancer Ireland is proud to support a new research project that aims to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of children, adolescents and young adults who have or had cancer.
Led by Dr Margaret Flood (Maynooth University, Ireland) and Dr Lisa Carey (Johns Hopkins University, USA), this project focuses on understanding the challenges faced by students and their families during and after cancer treatment. It also looks at how we can remove barriers to education for young people with cancer. The two-year project is grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an approach that helps create more inclusive learning environments.
Through focus groups, surveys and collaborative workshops, the research team will design clear, practical guides to help families and schools navigate the return to education.
The goal is to ensure every child or young person has the opportunity to thrive at school, no matter their health journey. This is an exciting step towards creating lasting, positive change.