To say denying kids water is neglect

[YeahWhatevver]

www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/18649619.children-left-without-water-school-rules-confusion/

Kids back at school in Scotland. Local Authorities have left a lot of the COVID19 arrangements to individual schools.

Many pupils across the country describing how they weren't allowed to refill water bottles despite 20+ degree heat on the basis of some sort of concern over contamination. An arrangement that hasn't been communicated to parents!

Our DD7 took her usual 500ml bottle to school, drunk by midday, sat all afternoon thirsty, explicitly told by staff that no water was available and to bring 2 bottles tomorrow. She said there were a few who drank their water by break time.

Looks like its been sorted with a clarification from the LA to schools but AIBU to think that the kind of adult who thinks this is OK shouldn't be in charge of kids.

We were told by the school that the water fountains were off and that pupils should be sent in with water for the day, my seven year has been in since Wed and coped just fine. I know it's been a bit warm, but I don't really feel its that big of a deal.

@YeahWhatevver

Don’t be ridiculous. This is comparing something that multiple people have said had no impact on them, not something clearly detrimental that causes physical pain and injury.

Plus - you said this was one day and is now resolved. If your child is ill because of one afternoon with no water on hand then I would suggest something else is afoot.

@Burton94 if your username indicates your year of birth, you’re only 12 years younger than me. I’m hardly ancient. Better now doesn’t automatically translate to completely terrible then. It just means ‘better’. There was no epidemic of children fainting or being hospitalised after school in the 80s and 90s because they didn’t constantly have a bottle of water on the go.

Also - I feel for any child that felt uncomfortable because of this issue. But it was an oversight in unprecedented times, and has been resolved now. No I don’t agree that because of that the person that made the rules should not be in charge of kids. Else I’d probably agree that includes OP who ‘only’ provided 500mls of water on a hot day...

Due to having common sense and thinking about covid and the heat I would give my child extra water to take to school with them. Dd has 2 bottle a of water with her rather than the usual one

To all the older posters talking/boasting about how little they drank... life and our understanding of the body has moved on because we now understand more. Why do you find that so hard to grasp?

We knew about hydration in the 70s/ 80s when I was at school. We also knew school bullies could use a bottle as a highly effective weapon and that the chance of accidental and deliberate spillages was high, so teachers decided that on balance we were better off just drinking in our breaks.

I'm aware that we know more about how the body works now than we did then. I'm aware that things like concentration are improved if you are properly hydrated. I think many people are mentioning the fact that we got by in the 80s not as in 'it was fantastic and right and lovely and it should never have changed' but as in 'we went through our entire school careers like that, you can manage one day'.

@Mistressiggi

Imagine an outbreak traced back to the water fountain used by every pupil in a school.. There are parents who will never be satisfied while any mitigation exists at all. I believe use of hand sanitiser is next in the firing line.

This.

The fuss over this is ridiculous. Our school (secondary) changed at the last minute and allowed use of the cooler but prior to this I had told my own two boys that they should take two filled water bottles with them.

A certain back to school campaign group is completely unwilling for there to be any give and take in schools at all. If people are that bothered they could give their kid a 2l bottle of water every day and that should ensure they have plenty.

At risk of sounding 100 when I was at primary school all you got to drink in class was the manky warm milk sat next to the radiator. In secondary there was nothing. You had to wait for breaks. OK I know times change but no one died from not having a bottle of water in class.

I actually laughed at the body moving on like it is evolution and us "older posters" no nothing about any thing agiest bollocks !

It'll be us old codgers who were at school prior to the 1990s who did the flipping research to move knowledge on, FFS.

@MilerVino

It'll be us old codgers who were at school prior to the 1990s who did the flipping research to move knowledge on, FFS.

And when we were children at school it's not as if we made the rules up ourselves anyway.

What irritates me is the adults who are constantly clasping water bottles or cups of coffee. On the TV News you often see politicians on the way to a meeting carrying drinks, and I think 'Why?'. They are going from one building to another, and I'm sure both buildings have running water; they are not in the Sahara.

Anyone with an ounce of sense would guess that any sort of communal drink/bottle filler would be switched off. Send in whatever your child needs and stop whining.

To these parents I say why are you not giving them enough water to drink at home? Now that is neglect.