Knowledge and attitudes of high school teachers towards pupils suffering from chronic diseases

Fifty-eight high school teachers participated in a study about their knowledge and attitudes concerning chronic disease in children and adolescents. The level of knowledge of the 58 teachers was 62%. The head teachers did not have a higher score for their knowledge (63.3%) as compared with vocational teachers (60.3%). The presence of chronic diseases among children of staff teachers correlated with higher knowledge. Head teachers did not show a more tolerant attitude toward pupils with chronic diseases than the vocational teachers (14.9% vs. 13.7%). Ninety percent of teachers are ready and willing to spend extra time teaching their chronically ill pupils. The head teachers meet more frequently with chronically ill pupils, as well as with their parents, than do vocational teachers. All teachers believe and expect that they should know details about the pupil's chronic condition; more head teachers than vocational think it is important and beneficial if other pupils in class would know about the chronic condition and handicaps of the specific pupils in their class. Three quarters of the teachers consider it important and mandatory to increase awareness of chronic disease and disability in the school setting.