Back On Track
Helping Young Cancer Patients Get Back On Track
Each year approximately 800 children in Australia are diagnosed with cancer. Children often require a long recovery period as a result of demanding treatment such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy or a bone marrow transplant. A child with leukaemia, recovering from a bone marrow transplant for example, may be away from school for up to two years.
Possible effects of prolonged absence from school may include:
A sense of exclusion from school life
Losing touch with daily school routines
Feeling alienated from teachers
Experiencing a sense of loss of self-esteem
Feeling lonely or depressed as the social support provided by daily contact with classmates and peers becomes eroded through limited contact.
To ensure young individuals with cancer stay on track with their schooling, the Fight Cancer Founation has developed the Back On Track Program.
Developed in conjunction with the Royal Children’s Hospital Education Institute (Vic), the Back on Track Program works with the student’s school and teachers to formulate an education plan. The program also uses technology, such as the virtual classroom, to help keep students connected with their teachers and peers.
Having access to specialised programs addressing the individual needs of young individuals with cancer can make returning to school easier.
Meaningful support for young people with cancer requires a multidisciplinary approach from the patient’s school, family, friends and medical team. The Back On Track Program assists young cancer patients to stay connected, making their transition back to school more successful.
Back On Track Goals:
To empower young people to continue their studies during their treatment and support their transition back to school.
To empower schools to provide appropriate support to students while they are absent from school and upon their return to school.
To use ICT (Information and Communication Technology) to increase communication between the student, their peers, their families and their teachers.
To provide students with educational and social support.
To act as an educational advocate for families, and coordinate a range of educational support services.
Referral Process
Students can be referred to the Back On Track Program if they have been diagnosed with cancer and their stay in hospital, and recuperation at home, is going to be three months or longer.
Referrals can be made by education professionals, health professionals or families.
Priority will be given to students enrolled in year VCE/HSC, making the transition from primary school to secondary school, or from pre-school to primary school.
School Participation
Collaboration between the student’s school and the Back On Track Program Education Coordinator is essential. The success of the student’s involvement in the program relies on the school’s participation in keeping the student up to date with classroom activities and social events.
Length of the Program
The student will remain on the program until they return to school on a regular basis. The student, the family, and the school must feel confident that the needs of the student are met, and the student has the capacity to cope with the challenges ahead of them.
The Back On Track Program provides students with learning and education tools, and communication strategies supported by the patient’s school, family, friends and medical team to get the student Back on Track.