School refusing to give antibiotics

[Slayerofmyth]

My daughter has warts on her arm that have become infected. She has been prescribed antibiotics four times a day in liquid form that have to be kept in fridge. She has one dose upon wakening but needs 2 more doses throughout school day. I work so can't get to school to give it, theres no one else. School are refusing to give it, I've said I'll keep her off then so I can administer ( taking time off work,), they say I'll get a fine for absence. What the heck am I supposed to do? Please advise.

We are constantly told that teachers care so much about children and their education, yet some aren't prepared to give a spoonful of medication

The teachers don’t get to make these decisions.

@restlessinthenorth

For a teacher to administer the medication, they would either have to abandon the class for the duration or take all thirty children with them...

Don't blame teachers for something that's nothing to do with them. It cannot be the teacher who does this.

To the posters splitting heirs about whether it's a TA or teacher or otherwise who is giving medication....the general point applies (and my sons teacher has certainly given him medicine before!).

And to the poster who said "teachers" don't make the decision....someone in the school has made that ultimate decision via their policy, and so yes, a teacher somewhere has made the decision. Plenty of other posters have said that staff chose to refuse give meds, so yes, teachers do make the decision

@Solidaritea a senior teacher somewhere within that school, via policy, has contributed to the decision that staff can't administer meds.

@IcyPenguin101
and if someone else ate that banana?
not a good plan

[quote Restlessinthenorth]@Solidaritea a senior teacher somewhere within that school, via policy, has contributed to the decision that staff can't administer meds. [/quote]
Why do you think that? There are plenty of senior staff and members of leaderhsip teams who aren't teachers, especially in academies. The decision could easily have been made without the imput of teaching staff.

@Restlessinthenorth

OP whilst the most practical thing to do would be to see if you can get an altered prescription, my goodness this thread enrages me. We are constantly told that teachers care so much about children and their education, yet some aren't prepared to give a spoonful of medication either because it is a) too much effort or b) are worried they might get it wrong. Outrageous. In either scenario we should be considering if these people are morally appropriate(too much effort) or cognitively competent (worried about getting it wrong) to be in charge of small children.

Thank god so many of you say it would happen in your school without a fuss. Surely the bottom line is keeping all kids in school in a healthy state (and DEFINITELY not) being repeatedly woke in the night! The world has gone mad

You do realise it's not teachers (or other school staff) that make these policies and regardless if they agree or not, they have to enforce them.

I had no say when we were giving medicine. I had no say when things changed and now we're not. Hell I didn't even know about it until a parent came in to do it.

[quote Restlessinthenorth]@Solidaritea a senior teacher somewhere within that school, via policy, has contributed to the decision that staff can't administer meds. [/quote]
Sure. Doesn't mean the child's teacher doesn't care about them, which is what you implied in your first post.

@Solidaritea I implied that a school (which largely consists of teachers) which has a blanket ban on giving medication to otherwise healthy children to keep them in class isn't prioritising the needs of the children in their care. It is prioritising the system. This is further highlighted by the fact that many schools get on and make it happen (as I also mentioned in my post).

To the poster who mentioned policy being written without input from teaching staff, I'm a governor at a primary and we would never let policy come into place that hadn't had teacher input. Wouldn't presume to make decisions that impact educators without their input. The "no can do" attitude of the head in this scenario is extremely telling.

Actually in our school the Business Manager makes the decision

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut

Way to completely miss my point.

I'll ask again then. Who administers other medication? Diabetic pupils, those with asthma or allergies? Someone in that school must be qualified, you cannot seriously be saying that a school would refuse to give an asthma inhaler for example? The kid could be dead by the time a parent arrives. Lots of children are on regular medication. So who gives it? If they are able to give an epi pen, they can give antibiotics.

They're dealing with those important/urgent children, not running around after a kid with some manky warts.

To the poster who mentioned policy being written without input from teaching staff, I'm a governor at a primary and we would never let policy come into place that hadn't had teacher input. Wouldn't presume to make decisions that impact educators without their input.

Policies are made without imput from teaching staff all the time, especially if it doesn't affect them. The administering of medication isn't usually done by teaching staff, so I can easily see them being left out of any decision making in this area.

input

@restlessinthenorth

Well I wholeheartedly disagree. The school have offered a solution - someone can come in to administer it for the child. The solution is rubbish for the OP, totally. It would be better if the school could develop a system and change the policy. They will have decided it, rightly or wrongly, based on a number of factors.

But it doesn't mean that the school are neglecting the welfare of their students, and that is a serious accusation to make.

Your comment is a bit unnecessary moon cup. Manky warts, as if her daughter chose to have them. OP I utterly sympathise (and over the ST bin, get that sorted asap). Primary schools are just not set up to deal with the scenario of both parents/lone parents being at work for a full 8 hour working day, with a long commute. And it's clear that a lot of people on this thread don't understand that either.

Well I am even more shocked to hear that policy is made in some places without at least some input from teaching staff. It's disgraceful as of course it relates to teaching in that it impacts on the health and well-being of their pupils and ultimately whether or not the pupil will be in class!

And to the poster who says "it's just manky warts".....do you have any idea how sick an untreated infection can make a child? Great idea to let a treatable condition deteriorate to potential hospitalisation!

When my dd was a similar age the school would store the antibiotics in the fridge but not administer it to her. She had to go to reception when she was due a dose. They would get the meds for her and she would take a spoonful herself.
Worked absolutely fine at that age. She was perfectly capable of remembering she needed a spoonful at lunch time or whenever and pouring some out to take.

@Solidaritea you tell me how the school are protecting the welfare of that child then. They won't administer the medication. The OP cannot reasonably do what they are asking (without potential serious impact on her ability to provide for her child...you know keep her job, pay her bills, that kind of thing), and have told her she will be fined if she keeps her home to administer the meds (which is also nonsense). So tell me again how they are working with the parent in that child's best interests?

I haven't read all of this but honestly op if the school know your circumstances, I really would have thought they would be a bit more helpful and supportive.

I hope you get through this OK and life gets easier for you.

The bottom line is you would have thought in 2021 schools would realise that there isn't a parent say at home at all times in case they are needed in the school day.

I work in a school and it wouldn't cross our minds to refuse medication that is for something simple and allows the child to get their education.

[quote Restlessinthenorth]@Solidaritea you tell me how the school are protecting the welfare of that child then. They won't administer the medication. The OP cannot reasonably do what they are asking (without potential serious impact on her ability to provide for her child...you know keep her job, pay her bills, that kind of thing), and have told her she will be fined if she keeps her home to administer the meds (which is also nonsense). So tell me again how they are working with the parent in that child's best interests? [/quote]
You're basing this of the OP, which mentions a single phone call to the school. Many, many schools would say no in the initial phone call. Because they are balancing the welfare needs of lots of children, not one. As I said, in my school, first aid and as hoc medication needs have to be sorted by SEN TAs, which removes support from these children, harming their welfare.

Many parents could find a solution, perhaps with a friend coming to school to administer. The hope is that the parents who really can't would call back, although I'm sure this is often not the case .

@Sbk28 yes. I am basing it on the OP's situation. Never said anything otherwise. She shouldn't have to call and fight for this. Should have been taken seriously first time. If a member of staff rang the OP with a concern about her child, would it be ok for them to have to call her a number of times before she took action? Of course not.

Routine meds are par for the course with primary aged children. If schools can't facilitate this in order to keep otherwise well children in the classroom then they seriously aren't fit for purpose

I think the best option is to speak to the gp initially.

Giving a dose through the night, whilst not ideal, probably won't be as bad as you think as lots of people get up in the night for various reasons and care needs for children, is only for a few days.

I'm concerned about leaving a child with a parent with dementia. Either, you don't feel the Dementia impacts her ability to care for your child, in which case, why are you making a point of it, or out does make her unreliable to care for your child in which case, why are you even considering it as an option?

[quote AbsolutelyPatsy]@IcyPenguin101
and if someone else ate that banana?
not a good plan[/quote]
One would assume common sense would prevail and the teachers would be made aware. If someone is stealing another person’s lunch, clearly there are bigger problems in the school.

I agree that the school are being extremely unhelpful with a prescribed, labelled medication.

Can your daugter not self administer as she is 10?
Otherwise you will just have to give it twice a day or speak to the GP about an alternative.

I defiitely wouldn't take time off