Teacher eating peanuts

[Trillian]

In DS2s class there is a child with a sever nut allergy. The class teacher is off sick so they have had stand in teachers.
Yesterday the teacher they had decided to sit in the class and eat a pack of peanuts we are a nut free school so surley someone should have told the teacher this before letting her lose on a class of children including one who could die from just the dust off of a peanut

Because you are crossing the line between home and school. School rules are fine, but they should not cross my threshold. My home, my life, my rules.

Just as I don't live by college or work rules at my home. It's my space where I can do what I like, for the most part.

Besides schools in my experience seem to be rather fond of telling parents that if their child is bullied outside of school, even if just outside the gate, that it isn't their problem because it doesn't occur during school hours.

Even my aunt with the severely nut allergic child doesn't think it's a reasonable request.

I never realised what a serious condition this is so, my apologies. My misgiving stems from a growing proliferation of nut allergy sufferers in recent times, (almost) as if it were on trend. This is a shame as I'm sure there are others out there like me, who have become dubious at the expense of people whose lives evidently are at risk.

What

well it seems that the problem in the case mentioned is that the line between home and school was crossed by the kid who carried significant peanut traces into school by neglecting to clean his teeth .

Sorry, my password didn't go in so I appologise for that comment....sorry.

I had a reaction to 'second-hand' nuts when I was at school (well, sixth form) - reacted after kissing my boyfriend who'd had a nutty Quality Street sweet several hours earlier.

I enjoyed explaining that one to my parents, I can tell you

Agree with those who say of course the school can't tell them not to feed their children nutty cereal. But I think Grimma's point is good - it's reasonable to ask parents if a child at school has such a serious allergy, they are free to ignore it.

I'd have no problem with a letter requesting that they clean their teeth and wash their hands and face afterwards, but asking people not to eat what they like at home is unreasonable.

Oh NancysGarden, I wish I was allergic to nuts because it was trendy. Then I could dispense with it and move on to something more fashionable

Still, I've had it since 1977 so I guess I'm stuck with it.

Its going too far to tell people what they can eat for breakfast, but not unreasonable to ask them to ensure that they have washed their hands and brushed their teeth properly if they have had nuts.

It is very rare for an allergy to be so serious that 'peanut breath' will cause an anaphalactic reaction but it does happen. Unfortunately, the increase in allergies has led to skepticism which has in turn led to the parents of allergic children having to hammer the point home to the eye rollers. This makes the parents look even more precious leading to even more of a ffs attitude from some other people. About 20% of children with a diagnosed peanut allergy will outgrow it. Current thinking is that strict avoidance of all peanut traces will facilitate this which imo is a good reason for primary schools to be peanut free if there is an allergic child, even if the chances of death are minuscule.

Presumably there's an explanation or perhaps several, for the growing number of allergies,though I don't think it's just scaremongering or hysteria on the parent's part.

I did watch a documentary on which a team of scientists had a theory that the near eradication of parasitical worms, such as tapeworms, lead to increased allergies.
As the tapeworm, once present in the body, releases chemicals to damp down the body's immune system in order that it isn't harmed by the body's defence system.
Thus the immune system is less likely to react to allergens such as peanuts.

(I'm not talking about real sufferers cat, honestly )

Clearly the teacher should have had more sense than to be eating AT ALL in class. And of course the school should have informed her about a school policy.

I think schools are different from just walking down the street TBH. The children and teachers get a lot closer to each other than you would to a person on the street.

Actually I wouldn't object to being asked not to give my child something at home if it was dangerous for another child. Bu the school would know they couldn't demand/enforce it.

(BUT Crunchy Nut Cornflakes should be banned for breakfast anyway as they are sugary crap and only suitable as a dessert. Let them eat porridge, I say)

Very true, oodlesofpoodles.

waves paw at Nancy

I know! Hence the smiley thing! Come back, tis interesting.

near eradication like how? Over-exposure to anti-biotics?

Better healthcare for one. The NHS being introduced. Better food hygiene etc.

thunderduck - I've heard that theory about parasites - is it also because the immune system used to focus all its efforts on fighting parasites - and now that there are none to fight it turns on itself - aren;t allergic reactions a form of auto-immune response?

re op - firstly teachers shouldn;t be eating in class at all. secondly I'm not even a teacher (and I don;t know anyone with severe allergies) but I just have a self-imposed no-nut and children/school rule. even if some other adult has messed up, by not telling me, I'm not prepared to take a risk with other people's children. surely most teachers would do this too?

Which adds weight to the old adage of a little dirt not doing you any harm...

That may play a role, but the scientists believed that if we no longer have intestinal worms, then the chemicals they made in order to weaken the immune system slightly are no longer being produced, therefore without the intestinal worms the immune system is at full strength, and much more likely to see potential allergens as a threat,

An auto immune response is when the body attacks itself, a reaction to peanuts is an immune response i.e it is trying to attack the allergen itself in this case peanut proteins.

yes, of course. I guess I was equating "auto-immune" with an over zealous immune system, iyswim. but you're right - it does specifically mean attacking the body

I thought I'd killed the thread for a moment there. I do tend to do that.

I have total sympathy with anyone whose child has an allergy. However, it has been reported this week that 2 years ago bananas were banned at a school because a TEACHER had a severe allergy to them. Comment by a grandmother? 'Banning bananas because a member of staff-NOT EVEN A PUPIL-is allergic is ridiculous. A massive overreaction.' . The ban will be lifted in September when the teacher involved leaves the school. BTW-teachers should NOT eat in class-what sort of example are they setting?

If she has a severe allergy where a reaction can be induced upon contact with a pupil who has handle a banana then I don't believe that is an overreaction.
I'm guessing that she is also allergic to latex,and that appropriate precautions are taken there too.

Staff are entitled to protection too and if this is a contact allergy, meaning that she doesn't have to consume the fruit in order to develop a reaction, then it seems sensible to me as teachers will have a lot of contact with their pupils, including handling objects that the pupils also have touched.

Besides it's far easier to avoid bananas as few products have banana traces in them, when compared with the prevalence of nuts in just about every possible food item.