Can anyone help with school hygiene issue?

[flustered]

My 5 year old has just been issued with her 4th course of antibiotics since April for Strep A infection. She also suffered with the norovirus inbetween. I contacted the head last month to ask for proper soap to be dispensed in the toilets because all they had was a dried out, dirty, cracked bar of soap. (which dd wasn't using) She immediately went out and bought some liquid soap, which has now ran out. I don't want to make a fuss but I was reading about strep A and it stresses the importance of good handwashing! Do I go back to the head as I would like to see liquid soap dispensers a permanent fixture, or is it something I should be taking up with the governing body? Or am I just overreacting, can anyone offer advice?

If it was me tbh I would go to the shop and buy a dizen or so bottles of hand wash. I know you shouldn't have too but it will get your point across better than going to the GB.

dozen

It started in the throat but this time the bacteria is down below

This relates to my first child going to school, maybe I'm a bit naive.

As someone whose children seemingly never stop vomiting I can sympathise. Hand washing at school is never checked IME and with the really little ones you do need to stand over them to make sure it's done. I have asked previously when there has been a breakout of the norovirus type bug whether there could be alcohol rub like you get in hospital at the door of every classroom - I think these are a lot easier for kids to use and the teacher could check that their hands are indeed clean. HOwever the answer (at 2 diff schools) is that parents would complain and/or there are allergy issues . HOwever when at present school I noticed the crusty old bars of soap too big for small hands to manipulate, I raised it with head and now they have permanent handwash dispensers on the walls which is a massive improvement. I think we have to expect the children to pick up whatever bugs are going around as they are in close contact with each other in warm classrooms all day. However attention to small details like clean hands can mitigate the effect.

No . You are not over reacting at all.

This is terrible. Children must have soap to wash their hands with and the bars are no good-it must be liquid soap. In school we are always banging on about washing hands after the toilet but you can't do it properly with only water.

dd recently complained at her school about this and they replaced it. When ever it runs out she is straight round to the office to get it refilled.

I have also given her one of some of that hand soap you can use without water to keep in her school bags.

Of course she is older and confident enough to complain (she is 12.) How confident is your dd? Would she go to the office to ask about it. Reminders from small children about matters of hygeine might shame those reposible into action!
In any case I would definitely say something to the school.

Not sure about the specific infection you mentioned, but to give you an idea, my DS is now YR1. In his school nursery year and in reception he was ill at least every month with a throat/ear/chest infection or a tummy bug, not to mention 3 doses of threadworms and one of head lice in those two years. We got a snotty note in his report about attendance. I was told by my GP it's fairly common.
If however you feel the school is dirty then that's a seperate issue and you need to raise it with the head teacher!

Thankyou for that. My Daughter is 5 and she really wouldn't be confident to go to the office. I just feel I should do it on her behalf. I can't understand why the Head is a female and doesn't automatically do this. We have had impetigo, pneumonia (a boy was in hospital, noro virus, strep throat all this term which is all the strep A virus. I realise that liquid soap won't completely eradicate this as these bugs are part of reception life but if it helps a little then surely it's worth it, especially as next week they plan to open the swimming pool

Thanks willali I'm glad it's not just me. It's good to read that you eventually got the dispensers on the walls. I think I will mention it again, I'm not one to keep quiet when I think something needs doing. It's like with the superbugs in hospitals, people had to die before anything gets done. If no one speaks up then things can't improve.

am i missing soemthing, whats the issue with bars of soap? dd's always use them at their school.

and i do not agree with alcohol rub for school chidlren, regardless of norovirus. handwashing is what they need.

Bar soap can sit in pools of water and become contaminated with many harmful germs.
People are less likely to use bar soap if it is ?messy? from sitting in water.
Contaminated soap may spread germs and may be more harmful than not washing your hands.
Bar soap can dry out ? people are less likely to use it to wash their hands because it is difficult to lather.
Dried out bar soap will develop cracks which can harbour dirt and germs. Again, you may be adding more harmful germs to your hands than you were trying to remove.
It?s fine to use bar soap at home, but it might help to keep it on a soap rack (so it?s not sitting in a pool of water) and change it if it becomes old and cracked.

but if everyone used it, and put it back properly, then it would be fine?

is that right?

Bar soap apparently has more germs on it than a toilet seat. (Aggie and Kim say so!)

At my daughter's nursery (private) all the parents are asked to send a bottle of handwash at the beginning of each term and then it's poured into the dispensers. Not ideal, as IMO the school should be funding it, but better than the alternative, grubby little cakes of soap.....

liquid soap is better, tis true.

but isnt the toilet one of the cleanest places in the house, and has less germs than a chopping board?

I'd rather pay for it then you know it is there to use. I don't think the head would touch the bar that was in my Daughters toilets. I bet there is a dispenser in the staff room toilets

After much complaining ( by parents) at my Dds school, tummy bug after tummy bug, we got soap dispensers in the loos. However, they are often empty!! Drives us mad.

Flustered - the school should be providing suitable handwashing facilites. End of. It needs addressing directly with the head. Obviously young children get sick pretty often but if it's more than the norm maybe the standard of after-school cleaning needs checking on too.

Thanks, I have just sent an e-mail to the head. This thread has been a great help, it's made me realise that I am not being overly obsessive. All the parents are fed up with the illnesses, it's not just me.

I'd look into strengthening immunity so your dd isn't quite so susceptible too, there is a lot you can do to give an extra boost, omega 3, fish oil, vitamin C for a short course and echinacea. They ought to have soap tho that's pretty basic. There are those tubes you can get and put on your hands dry. I took a load to France when I went with my dd she had weakened immunity at the time and handwashing is really important for prevention.

FioFio- I know, and the mad thing is they have a resident cleaner who is obsessed about hygiene, the floors and all the toys (!!!) are sanitised at the end of each day with the alcohol based wash stuff they are using in hospitals, but we have to send soap in!

Yes thanks rebelmum1, I thought of putting one of those in her bag but I worried she might be embarrassed or start becoming obsessed with handwashing. I will look into the immunity thing too. Over half term she was back to her oldself and looked really well for the first time in ages. She has vitamins and I have been sneaking tonic into her orange juice, but I haven't tried the other things you mention.