To think that school children should have easy access to drinking water?

[Schnullerbacke]

I'm sure this has been done before so apologies.

My DD (7) has just had a new teacher who changed the routines around a bit. They are now only allowed to drink water at lunch and are not allowed to quickly grab their bottles whilst going down / coming back up from break time or assembly. This is apparently done so they won't have to go to the toilet too often (which is just outside their door).

I think its a bit out of order but before I have a word I wanted to check whether IABU. I know its important to stay hydrated and I don't think this is achieved by drinking before school start and only then drinking again some 3 hours later.

The children at my sons school have ikea cups and can get a drink when they want I believe...

I went to school in the 70's and do remember leaving lessons to go to the drinking fountain as I was thirsty..whether this was a hot summer day or not I don't remember ...

I do think OP needs to find out if they can get a drink at break..

Employment law says that all employees have access to drinking water. If you do not your employer is breaking the law.
Why should our children not have the same basic right?

Does employment law say that employees should have constant access to drinking water at all times?

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/3004/contents/made
number 22.
Yes it should be readily accessible.

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/3004/contents/made
Sorry hyperlink not there. Try again!

750 ml would be taken in in two glasses! Dies not need to drink outside breaks fir that amount

Excuse typos. On phone :)

The law re access to water, doesn't mean you can drink while on the job, it means they have to be able to access during their breaks

I guess some people are a glass at a time drinkers and some are sippers though. It's only a drink of water, so long as kids aren't faffing around. I'm a sipper, and I have kidney problems, so have to carry something with me all the time to make sure I hit my daily quota. I'd hate to be left thirsty when I am trying to concentrate, it's very distracting.

I love the idea that teachers have drinks when they want! They are lucky to have time. If a TA doesn't bring out tea or coffee on playground duty they miss even that!

I wonder how many of those parents parents who claim their DC will dehydrate if they are not constantly sipping during the school day also apply the same rules when they are at home.

And YY, fan, for using the word "thirsty" rather than "dehydrated".

Tamer - absolutely! We're not allowed to take drinks out of the staff room - H&S - so today, when I have break duty plus 5/5 lessons to teach, I won't have the chance of a drink until lunchtime. Perhaps this is a good thing, though, since teachers can't go to the loo whenever they want either.

Another problem for teachers that the pupils don't face, EvilTwins.

The bottled water industry is absolutely bloody amazing. It has, in the space of about 10 years managed to convince us that the fantastic clean fresh water that comes out of our taps whenever we want it is not fit to drink AND that our wonderful incredibly efficient bodies are completely useless at telling us when we're thirsty, so we have to drink all the time to avoid dehydration. And oh, look! Here's an expensive product that'll solve both the issues! It's water, Jim, but not as you know it. Water, packaged in environment destroying plastic. And meanwhile, on the other side of the world.....

tamer, maybe you should introduce travel mugs as we did at our school, to comply with H&S legislation. At least if the mug is covered and you drop it, you won't scald a child.

And it means you can have a hot drink when you're on playground duty.

" ... our wonderful incredibly efficient bodies are completely useless at telling us when we're thirsty, so we have to drink all the time to avoid dehydration."

^ This ^

Afternoon break?! None of the FIVE Primary schools my DC's have been at have had an afternoon break. And I have had one with bladder issues that needed to drink lots during the day, to try to encourage bladder capacity (on medical advice), and another of mine has severe, medicated constipation, and without regular access to drinks throughout the day, would end up being face ally impacted very rapidly without a high water intake.

Children should have access to water when they need it, not just at break or lunch.

"Regular access to drinks throughout the day" is not the same as constant sipping, though, is it couthy?

If there are medical reasons to need to drink more often, then of course that should happen. The same goes for medical reasons for doing anything else - eating, sitting quietly away from the bustle of the classroom.....

Just because one child is diabetic doesn't mean that all children should be allowed to eat biscuits in class.......

Access means when you are thirsty. If you are refusing someone the right to a drink if water when they are thirsty then they do not have access and you are breaking the law.

drummer, if you read the thread you'll see that no-one is proposing denying water to thirsty children.

However, being thirsty is not a constant state of being. So there is no need to be sipping constantly throughout the day.

If this was a medical necessity for all human beings to be constantly sipping, we would all dehydrate to a powder overnight

"Access means when you are thirsty."

Do you think children should have access to food whenever they we hungry too? I have a 12 year old ds who would love to be nibbling all day......

I am always shocked at these threads fussing over water. It sounds so indulgent. I think we have forgotten to be grateful.

Easy access to water?

I do think they should. In workplaces we have.