The government has effectively stopped young children with cancer being able to continue with their studies, writes Correio da Manhã today.
Two hospitals – Coimbra Pediatric Hospital and Porto’s São João – used to have what are called “teachers in mobility” for primary school age children. These teachers ensured that children confined to hospitals for treatment were still able to keep learning (at what is a crucial stage in their educational development).
But this year, everything changed. The usual two teachers allocated to Coimbra for the youngest age groups were whittled down to one, and this one then took ‘leave of absence’ due to the fact that she too was ill.
According to Acreditar – the association of families and friends of children with cancer – the Ministry of Education has done nothing to try and arrange replacements. In fact, it has gone the other way: it has reduced by 169 the number of teachers allocated to ‘services in mobility’, says CM – citing a similar situation at Hospital de São João, in Porto.
Acreditar director-general, Margarida Cruz, tells the paper that the IPO (cancer hospitals) in Lisbon and Porto also suffered cuts to teachers for the youngest age-groups “but they talked with MECI (initials for the full title of the ministry: Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation), and the situation was sorted”.
MECI meantime has not fully answered CM’s queries. It is not clear whether the ministry means to reinstate the missing teachers or not. An official source simply confirmed which teachers had been placed this year, and for what academic levels.
Elsewhere, other media outlets are following this story, which appears ahead of International Day of Children with Cancer (on Sunday).
Rádio Portuense stresses that what Acreditar wants is for “European Standards of Care (to) serve as a reference in Portugal”.
The association wants the “translation of these standards to facilitate access and public debate on the rights of children and young people with cancer.” It wants state entities to show much more in the way of empathy and care.
Source material: Correio da Manhã/ Facebook
