threadworm at school - should the class teacher send home a notice for parents?

[mumwithtwo]

Hi there, I would be interested to get some feedback on this topic. My son has had recurrent threadworms in his first two years at school, so far about four times a year. Every time we treat it with tablets from the pharmacy, and our whole family is treated. I asked his school if they could send home a notice to parents in his class, so they could be aware and treat their children if they had symptoms of threadworm (worms are very contagious between children). The school said they would not do this. I was very surprised, as if there is a case of head lice, a notice is sent home to inform parents. My feeling is that if there are untreated children with threadworm at the school, the problem will persist. What are people's thoughts on this? Thanks!

[ProbableScam]

Schools don't care about thread worms. Many schools won't even send letters home about head lice now.

[wagtailred]

We send out a letter about threadworms, same as a nit note. We also do a little chat and talk about handwashing (although thats a big topic anyway now).

[LatteLover12]

As a school we do. It's very common between young children sharing toilets and with poor hand hygiene.

Our protocol is parent informs the office then the office sends an email out. It's nothing to do with the teachers really.

Have you spoken to any other parents about it? With a little pressure you could get their policy changed?

[Ringsender2]

Where are you OP? I thought schools had been closed for the last however many months in most places? Does that indicate your DS is picking up worms from.somewhere else? Do you have pets?

[Stuckforthefourthtime]

I'm with you. I was really annoyed when we had a pain of a time trying to get rid of threadworms with ds2 and I mentioned to the mum of ds2's best friend, in case she wanted to check if hers had it without symptoms as my DS3 did, and she laughed and said how her son had had it early in the term, a few weeks before my DS got it. Why wouldn't you say?!?

[Flaxmeadow]

Schools don't care about thread worms. Many schools won't even send letters home about head lice now

True. They don't even bother to provide nail brushes anymore at the sinks and teach children to use them. Nail brushes are really important in preventing worms. Its pitiful what's happened to hygiene in schools

[BillywilliamV]

Ugh! Communal nailbrushes..

[Flaxmeadow]

Ugh! Communal nailbrushes

Nail brushes work, they destroy the eggs under the nails, oh and not as Ugh as worms

[Bitchinkitchen]

@Flaxmeadow

Ugh! Communal nailbrushes

Nail brushes work, they destroy the eggs under the nails, oh and not as Ugh as worms

Yeah but in a primary school bathroom where you absolutely cannot trust that kids are rinsing then after etc, they are tiny shareable cesspools of dirt and germs.

[Flaxmeadow]

Yeah but in a primary school bathroom where you absolutely cannot trust that kids are rinsing then after etc, they are tiny shareable cesspools of dirt and germs

No they are not, it's a tried and tested old school (pardon the pun) way of dealing with it. Like nitty nora was, but I give up anyway.

I honestly don't understand how people put up with all this in schools anymore. It didn't used to be like this

[SayakaMurata]

Why on Earth is it the teacher's job to teach children how to use a nail brush?

Surely that comes under parental responsibility?

[solidaritea]

Who did you ask in school? Maybe try asking a different person? I work in a school and sometimes things like this that are uncommon do depend on who you talk to.

In September, hand hygiene should be so good that hopefully it will have the side effect of reducing other diseases like this.

[Flaxmeadow]

Why on Earth is it the teacher's job to teach children how to use a nail brush?

Surely that comes under parental responsibility?

But schools wont allow parents into school to do it will they or give a child a nail brush (I've asked)

Our teachers used to surpervise us and help when I was at school, but they dont now

[Flaxmeadow]

How many teachers here have nail brushes in their schools? Just out of curiosity

[Bananabread8]

I think maybe they don’t want to alarm the parents or can’t be bothered to send the letters out. My DS hasn’t been at school that long but so far I’ve had a letter about head lice (several) and scabies!!

I was shocked about the scabies.

[Flamingolingo]

Honestly - I just put it on the class WhatsApp. ‘Hi All, DC has come home with threadworms so they’re obviously doing the rounds again - keep an eye out!’ Nothing to be embarrassed about, and at least they can’t say I’m not the idiot letting it spread.

I tend to treat mine in the holidays anyway, any time they stop going to school for long enough to help. After the great wormgate of a couple of Christmases ago when we had to tell all of DH’s family we found worms a few days after they left. There was much uproar amongst the in laws, and carrying on for weeks (even though I don’t think it’s that likely they would have caught them - I didn’t!)

[Flamingolingo]

*Can’t say I’m the idiot (when from that sentence clearly I am )

[trinity0097]

@Flaxmeadow

How many teachers here have nail brushes in their schools? Just out of curiosity

I’ve never seen then in a school, as a child or a teacher.

[Bitchinkitchen]

@Flaxmeadow

Yeah but in a primary school bathroom where you absolutely cannot trust that kids are rinsing then after etc, they are tiny shareable cesspools of dirt and germs

No they are not, it's a tried and tested old school (pardon the pun) way of dealing with it. Like nitty nora was, but I give up anyway.

I honestly don't understand how people put up with all this in schools anymore. It didn't used to be like this

How oldschool are we talking? I was at primary decades ago and we didn't have them then.

[Newnamenewopenme]

I have one in my classroom but I teach food, it’s been taken away currently however as they aren’t allowed to share it.

I agree it’s not my job to teach kids to wash their hands, it should be taught from an early age before they start school.

[stayingaliveisawayoflife]

I have nail brushes in my classroom because I have children who like to dig with their hands at playtimes. They are miltoned at the end of each day if they have been used.

[Flaxmeadow]

How oldschool are we talking? I was at primary decades ago and we didn't have them then.

I'm a Grandmother now so...I remember using them, they were on every sink, and we were made to use them. The nail brushes were wooden, an oblong shape, with white bristles

[Flaxmeadow]

We were also given vitamins, by the teachers, milk by the teachers, alerts of care. They were great but that's back when teaching was a vocation

[Flaxmeadow]

*alsorts not alerts

[KatherineOfGaunt]

@Flaxmeadow

We were also given vitamins, by the teachers, milk by the teachers, alerts of care. They were great but that's back when teaching was a vocation

Yes, and before the National Curriculum and compulsory tests and Ofsted and having to mark work in a certain colour pen and performance-related pay.

I often wish I were a teacher pre-80s - seems much more pleasurable!