School illness rules

[Bazingaaa]

My children's school have changed the rules regarding illnesses, are these now the normal rules for all schools now?

"The 48-hour rule, which required children to stay off from school for 48 hours after symptoms of vomiting or diarrhea has stopped, will no longer be in place."

"Please be reminded that if your child has a high temperature and is well they should still attend school"

Alot of people are now worried about it causing a rise in illnesses in the school.

Aibu for thinking that the rules are absolutely ridiculous especially getting rid of the 48hour rule

Yes, now you mention it, I think all children should be paid a full time working wage for attending school and they also should be teaching the lower years by Y3....😂

When it comes to spreading illnesses, I don't think the rules are usually vastly different for adults and children though. However, whether you SHOULD send your kid into school is up to parents. I just don't think a 48 hr absolute rule for any instances of sickness is necessary. Most parents have some common sense, although after being on Mumsnet for as long as i have, I am beginning to question that a bit 🤔

So many times I had to keep DC off for 2 days when they were absolutely fine and their virus had already likely got to the other kids too (if they are indeed as contagious as often stated).

Secondary school definitely seem a lot less bothered about parents who dont keep them off 2 days. One of the teachers on the absence line encouraged me a few times to send them back after just a day as long as they were better, which they usually were.

With 3-9 year olds I’d imagine this policy will last until local public health inspectors shut them down for deep cleaning. The first child with noro will take most of the children and staff out.

My son's secondary school doesn't have the 48 hour rule, for sickness/diarrhoea - they changed it to 24 hours. However, they do still say if a student has a temperature, then they should stay home until they are better. Personally, I ignore the 24 hour rule, and stick to the 48 hour rule, and I just make that plain when I email the absence staff member! My son's school have never pulled me up on it!

Thankyou everyone for your thoughts and opinions, I now know that it's something that we need to try get changed but unfortunately I don't see it being changed as they're adamant alot of schools no longer authorise time off for hight temperatures.

I understand that some parents find it frustrating having the 48hour rule in place but I'd rather have 24-48hours of my child being at home after they've been sick rather then sending them in school a few hours later just incase them being sick once turns out to be a bug.

Also we will be continuing to keep her off if she has a high temperature as it doesn't seem fair to send her in and everyone knows how fast a high temperature can turn into something serious if not properly monitored.

It existed in my child’s secondary school.

I agree with you. I kept my youngest off school for a few days recently with an extremely high temperature. Awful, painful sore throat, she couldn’t eat. She is 4 years old, not even statutory school age. Her GP agreed and said I needed to monitor her breathing, temperature and fluid intake very closely, I can do this far better 1:1 in the comfort of our own home.

The school previously made a mistake and under dosed my eldest with a medicine needed to be given in school, so that’s made me even more distrustful that these things are not done properly.

My friend who teaches in another school told me the office stopped her calling a mum about her child being ill because of attendance, told her to leave the child on the beanbag all day. My friend is a very experienced teacher and mum herself, she doesn’t call home lightly, and was completely overridden by the office. I would be extremely unhappy if one of my DCs teachers was prevented from communicating with me about their health. I’d remove them actually.

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I think the blanket rule was ridiculous particularly when kids can puke for lots of reasons car sickness, too much junk at a party and having them stay for 2 days as a given was nuts. I think parents should be the judge and absolutely in the main don't believe most parents would send genuinely unwell kids to school and if they do, they weren't the type to obey the 48 hour rule anyway.

Both schools my children attend still have the 48 hour rule.