Changing the rules in schools on Head Lice

[liceassassincardiff]

Hi All,

We are currently trying to change the current guidelines on how head lice is treated in schools. The Welsh Assembly are currently reviewing our proposal.

At present if a child is identified as having head lice a parent cannot be approached instead a generic letter is sent out to inform all parents an infestation in the school is present.

However we are looking to change this !!

We propose if a child is identified as having head lice the parent is informed and the child removed from school to be cleared with immediate effect.As what happens if a child is sick in class.

By doing this it will stop the infestation spreading and contaminating the rest of the children and the infested child will be treated immediately. Therefore the child can return to school with no negative effect on their health or by their peers and parents can return to work.

We are also looking to bring the Nit Nurses back into school and raise awareness on this issue in schools by providing them with better services and more up to date information for parents.

So please if you are a parent please sign our petition.We need as many signatures as possible in order for us to be heard.

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/64466

You can also follow our progress on our Face book page where we will keep our followers up to date with regular updates.

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hairforce-Lice-Assassins-Cardiff/636456816373594

So please sign and lets fight head lice together :)

Yes egg cases harder, but they do come out ( de loused niece last month!). Just a pain.

I would assume any child with eggs still, hadn't been fully treated. I wouldn't send a child out if they hadn't been removed. It's a 2hr in front of TV with choc button bribery job

If you are checking regularly it shouldn't be an issue. I do a weekly check on DD at the end of her bath. Loads of conditioner and a quick comb through to look. So far we have been lucky. If caught early they are much easier to deal with. I shall do DS too now that he has begun mingling.

If you do find egg cases you just do it more frequently with bribery as Artandco has said.

I'm embarrassed for parents that can't manage to keep their kids free of nits and worms.

I do think schools should be able to have a 'quiet word' with parents when a child is seen to be excessively scratching. That just seems to be common sense, and our school certainly does it. It's also helpful to have the generic letter/email, as I use that as an opportunity to go over all of us with the nit comb, just in case.

I also do agree with investing money in the school nursing service, they've been a brilliant source of health advice to me on more than one occasion. But paying a professional to look through your kids hair? Definitely not necessary. You can do that yourself.

Suppose you check your child before school and he/she sits next to a child in class who hasn't been checked and a nit jumps onto your child's head and he is sent home?

Imagine being called home from the work because of this happening. I would be livid. I don't think employers would be very happy, either.

I do agree with the school nurse reinstatement but not the rest of it. It's nits, they are bloody annoying but it's not the bubonic plague and the rest sounds draconian.

a nit jumps onto your child's head

Nits do not jump from head to head, they are unable to. They crawl from head to head so the only way they get passed on is by head to head contact. That's why they are more common in little children as they play more closely together.

Our school rings you if they find lice on your DC, and politely suggest treatment before they return. I suspect the "can't call you" is a misinterpretation along the same lines as "we can't put sun cream on" and "we can't give an upset child a hug". They need to keep it confidential, but they can certainly ring a parent and tell them.

And I'm certainly not signing anything which clearly has a profit motive in for the creator!

Of course a parent can be approached, where does it say otherwise?

Its not nits that bother me. It is worms, no one talks about it, no letters come home. Yet when you treat worms you are told to treat every one who has close contact.

How difficult would be to send a letter home saying

'There has been a case of threadworms in your childs class.
Threadworms are easy to treat but very contagious, please check and treat your child if necessary.
The best way to check is with a torch a couple of hours after your child has gone to bed.
Treatment is a combination of medication and hygiene methods please see your GP or pharmacist for details.'

That I would certainly petition for.

You don't need a nit nurse to identify nits. But sending a letter to all parents is a bit pointless. Some parents won't even bother checking. I think the parents should get a letter. Your child has nits deal with it.

Who says a parent can't be approached? That's how it happens every time here, repeatedly if need be. Your system will mean the children who most need to be in school are away for weeks at a time.

You've done your organisation a lot of damage in my eyes by not declaring your commercial interest BTW. I won't be signing for that reason alone but I don't agree in any case.

Of course a parent can be approached, where does it say otherwise?

That's what my school says. They send a letter out to the whole class but are not allowed (by whom, I have no idea) to tell the invested child's parents. Madness! I have told my school if my children have them I want to be told.

They are a minor irritant, nothing more. I never see why people get their knickers in a twist.

They go away in Y7.