A mother from Western Australia is calling for changes to school funding rules that limit additional classroom support for primary school children with type 1 diabetes. Alana Marshall, from Capel, south of Perth, wants the state government to remove the age-based cut-off that generally ends individual disability allocation funding after Year 2. Her eight-year-old son, Declan, has type 1 diabetes and requires ongoing monitoring and treatment throughout the school day.

Marshall says managing the condition is a continuous responsibility for her family. Type 1 diabetes affects the body's ability to regulate blood glucose, meaning people living with the condition need insulin and regular monitoring to maintain safe glucose levels. For children, this can involve additional supervision during lessons, physical education, lunchtime and other school activities.

Declan uses a glucose-monitoring sensor in his arm that records readings every five minutes and sends information to his phone. His parents monitor his levels through their watches, and his teacher also has access to readings. This helps the adults around him recognise changes and respond when his glucose levels fall or rise.

Low blood glucose can become dangerous if it is not treated promptly. Severe hypoglycaemia can cause confusion, unconsciousness or seizures and may require urgent assistance. Marshall argues that expecting an eight-year-old to manage every aspect of the condition independently places an unreasonable burden on a young child.

Under Western Australia's current arrangements, individual disability allocation funding for students with type 1 diabetes is generally available until the end of Year 2. Schools can request extensions, but these are assessed individually using medical evidence and the student's circumstances.

Declan received approval for additional support in Year 3, but his school must apply again each year to continue receiving funding. Marshall says the repeated application process creates unnecessary uncertainty for families who are already managing a demanding, lifelong medical condition.

She has started a petition asking the WA Parliament to remove the Year 2 cut-off and extend funding eligibility throughout primary school. The petition had attracted more than 800 signatures when ABC News reported the story on 24 October 2026.

Western Australia's Shadow Education Minister, Liam Staltari, has supported calls to reconsider the policy, arguing that developments in diabetes technology have changed how children manage the condition. Modern insulin pumps and continuous glucose-monitoring systems can automate parts of treatment, but they do not eliminate the need for adult supervision and assistance.

Dr Craig Taplin, the diabetes clinical lead at Perth Children's Hospital, said diabetes management still requires many decisions throughout the day. Children and their caregivers need to consider food, carbohydrate intake, insulin, exercise and changing glucose levels. Technology can reduce some of this workload, but it cannot remove every risk or responsibility.

According to Taplin, approximately 1,300 children and adolescents in Western Australia live with type 1 diabetes, with an average of three to four new diagnoses each week. These figures highlight the importance of ensuring that schools understand the condition and have appropriate arrangements to support affected students.

WA Education Minister Sabine Winton said funding could be extended beyond Year 2 through individual applications supported by medical evidence. She had asked the Department of Education for further advice about how extensions are handled and how schools support families during the process. The minister also confirmed that the relevant policy was due for review in the near future.

The debate centres on balancing available education funding with children's safety and ability to participate fully in school life. Families seeking changes argue that support should reflect a child's medical needs rather than depend primarily on age or year level.