AUBU to think that the teacher shouldn't have only put sun block on the white children in the class?

[IfOnlyIKnewThen]

Just that really. DD8 had sports day yesterday. This morning she asked DH if there is some sun block that is only for white children. When DH asked why, dd explained that one of the teachers called forward the white children in her class and applied sun block half way through the event. When some of the black children stepped forward and asked for it he said that they "didn't need it". Apparently one black child insisted and he relented. DH said that he is going to have a quiet word with the Head when he does the school run to check policy. Seriously hoping dd has the wrong end of the stick.

I have 2 dcs. I have never come across this before. Would others raise it with the school? Not sure it makes any difference but dd attends a very diverse school in London.

The teacher was a bit ignorant and just needs information. It wasn’t malicious I’m sure.

YANBU but I think a lot of people are quite misinformed about that stuff. I wouldn't automatically jump to the conclusion that he's deliberately leaving out the black kids - he may genuinely just think they don't need to wear sunscreen.

A quiet word to him might be enough, rather than going straight to the head.

My black African SIL burns as easily as my mixed med/Irish skin.

Plus uva does not cause burn but does cause damage and good spf protects against both

I'd be very surprised at any teacher applying sun cream to children, especially at the age of 8. Children usually bring their own sun cream, and apply it themselves. I would have a chat with the class teacher, not the head, to check what happened, because it does seem like your daughter has got the wrong end of the stick here.

I would absolutely raise my concerns on this.

If the teacher did in fact "call forward the white children" and told "black children they don't need it" then it is discrimination based on skin colour.

There's no excuse for that, skin is skin, we all need protection from UV rays. If they don't/can't understand that then I'd question their ability to take charge of a class of children.

At best, it's stupidity at worst it's racism. Either of which need to be addressed.

Thanks for your replies so far.

Yes I'm sure it wasn't malicious too. Me and DH thought going to the Head was best aa we thought the teacher might be defensive or embarrassed if approached directly.

The Head is always in the playground in the mornings and parents go up with queries all the time so no need to appear like a formal complaint is being made by booking a meeting with her. She seems really good so hopefully she will just do a general reminder to all teachers or puĺl the teacher concerned to one side and explain without it having to be a big deal.

I thought teachers were not allowed to put suncream on anyone anyway!

Parents are asked to put on all-day suncream in the morning, kids have bottles in their bags and are reminded to top up, but teachers "allowed" to touch the kids to apply it in these days and age, and at 8 years old?! (I assume that's what DD8 means)

It's VERY hard to believe, when even cuddles and comforting a child are discouraged in any safety induction you go through.

I don't buy it.

Ice, in my Ds nursery the nursery supply the sun block but parents can opt to supply their own. He's attended that nursery since he was 18 mths, so its not the case that the schools and nurseries would never provide it. In his previous nursery and dds previous school the situation you describe is the case - parents supply their own.

She just started this school this year and there was no sun block policy so we put ample amounts on in the morning. To my knowledge it doesn't get applied to children during play time. Hopefully the Head will clarify one way or another.

At our school teachers/TAs spray the cream on and expect the kids to rub it in themselves.

At DC v diverse primary school they are in the minority (white) yet the whole class gets cream. It is amazing how many people don't understand about uva damage not being about getting burnt, but likely that was the teachers reasoning. I suspect ignorance rather than malice

Teachers wouldn't have time to apply sunscreen to multiple kids at events like sportsday even if they were allowed to which is unlikely with all the allergy concerns around. This didn't happen.

What don't "you buy" that25? Are you suggesting that my 8 year old dd is making it up or me?

IfOnly I didn't mention nurseries of course many nurseries have policies about applying sun cream, as the children are too young to adequately apply it. However, your daughter is at school. Schools don't tend to have communal sun cream, as many children have allergies / reactions to it, let alone apply it to the children. Hence me thinking that your daughter must have misunderstood what happened.

The only thought I might have is that the teacher had a pot of sunscreens that kids had brought from home and he was reminding those particular children to reapply. He may have not been doing it himself, just supervising (most schools I have worked at have had a kids do it themselves policy, but one I have been required to help). If that was the case any child that hadn't brought it in would have been refused as we have to be really careful not to let them share, as there are so many alllergies etc about. I hope it was just that, but worth having a chat to the teacher to clear things up.

This is disgusting. Definitely complain, I’d also be informing other parents in the class so they make sure their DC have suncream of their own.

IfOnlyIKnewThen
I don't buy the fact that teachers would apply suncream on a class of 8 years old.

Even in reception they are not allowed, and 8 years old are perfectly able to do it themselves by then. They are not taking their top off are they? They don't even need a top up on their back.

So no, I don't buy it at all.

You only have to watch Love Island to see that black people can tan! I remember years ago a very dark skinned Nigerian friend of mine admiring her tan when we were sitting in a park in the sunshine.

Last week i went round an entire year group of 6 and 7 year olds while they were sat in a circle (about fifty children) while my colleague led a game and sprayed any child who needed or wanted it. They rubbed it in after. It was a trip that had been rescheduled due to bad weather and many parents lost track of when it was happening so hardly any had sun protection. Teachers aren't supposed to apply the cream, no, but I'd rather be seen in a public place innocently doing that, than willfully letting them burn.

Never heard of a teacher applying suncream to an eight year old. They are old enough to do this themselves. Teacher touching kids may be misconstrued,

However, fortunately I know that all skin types can be damaged so I approached all of the children!

When dd was at school teachers were not allowed to apply sunblock as very time consuming allergies etc

and another thing that I don't buy:

aren't there any parent on sports day?

It's VERY hard to believe, when even cuddles and comforting a child are discouraged in any safety induction you go through

Seriously, I must live in a parallel universe to Mumsnet, I’d remove my children from a school where teachers weren’t allowed to comfort primary aged children much less help them apply suncream if needed.

Oh dear. Def a quiet word with the head. Yikes

Well, if that25 doesn't buy it , it obviously isn't true!

I find it very hard to believe that a teacher would apply sunblock to any 8 year old. Id wager that your dd has got the wrong end of the stick / not understood fully what was happening. He was probably giving certain kids their own sunscreen from home to apply and they are not allowed to share. Parents are supposed to send it in with their child and an 8 year old is more than capable of applying it themselves.