School not dealing with nits

[alisonb123]

A friend of my daughter has had nits constantly for at least the last 3 years. The school are well aware of this as are many of the parents. The child's mother is in complete denial and claims that she checks her hair.

I have had enough of my daughter coming home with them. What is the best way to approach the school. I am planning to see the Head this time. Any advice.

Thanks

I do. 3 children, long hair. Only 1 case of nits in 4+ years.

How do you know this girl keeps reinfecting your DD and nbot the other way round?

lougle that you have noticed.

Nits don't make either of my two (or me) itch particularly.

You spotted the little critters in DD2's fine fair hair, but not in DD1's darker multi shade mane.

Unless you comb really diligently twice a week, it quite possible to have quite a few lice living happily and not notice.

I'm certain this is what happens, parent think they have looked well enough and often enough and haven't or with busy lives and lots of extracurricular stuff haven't looked at all siblings, themselves and DH that carefully.

I happy to confess I didn't always remember to corner my two for a really good look in the chaos of family life.

Also by Y6 DD2 was massively fed up of the whole thing and it really didn't seem worth the row.

I check their hair daily . Both DD1 & DD3 have very fine hair. I separate it as part of the hairstyling and I always check the scalp and shafts for signs of lice. DD2 has thicker hair. I just have to separate it more carefully.

Yes I spray dd's with hairspray. Have done since reception - yr 4 and still nit free.

Also one length long hair that is always plaited back.

My DD previous school (state) did send a child home because their head was crawling with them! They too have had repeated problems with the same children which is just so sad for the kids.

New school (ind) has a nurse who inspects the kids heads, they are sent home if live nits or eggs are found and can't return until head passes inspection. Sounds harsh but it works!

Sounds harsh and unfortunately illegal to exclude child for head lice in state sector. School nurses are unable to inspect hair without parental/child consent or considered assault ... Yes it's an insane world!

moaningminnie must be right. If lice are endemic in whole class it's wrong to point to one little girl as the source. You don't know that her parents aren't trying to get rid as lice as fruitlessly as you are. Also they don't make everyone itch so maybe the real "source" is a non itchy child with thick hair that hides the lice. All the school can do is sent out message saying "we have lice in school please treat them. Here's some guidance on how to do it".

Our private school excludes for head lice. Child isn't allowed back until treated.

I used to work In a Special school and they were endemic. Lots of parents who didn't treat and a school which didn't send home so you were guaranteed regular outbreaks

Surely you don't get lice at private school!!

You do all realise that lots of children don't itch, and it usually takes about 3 months to build up to a proper infestation? So you may not even notice that it's your child who's spreading them!

Not often, because the kids with lice get sent home! Honestly in 4 years we've had maybe 2 or 3 outbreaks.

How do they find out they've got them in the first place?

No idea. I've never had them in my class but I imagine there's some itching, then the teacher checks, then sends the child home if they find anything.

None of that checking-is-assault bollocks here!

I don't think you can send a child home for having nits any more... best way to avoid them is hair up and sprayed with as much hairspray as strictly come dancing

"No idea. I've never had them in my class but I imagine there's some itching, then the teacher checks, then sends the child home if they find anything."

So the 50% of children who don't itch?

Then as soon as someone gets it who itches, the teaches does the checking etc. Or a parent finds them and lets the school know, who then send a letter out to parents.

The thing is bloody Nits are so god dam annoying, but they are hard to get rid of and stay gone for good...... I have tried so many different nit solution and they always come back.. The last time i have just stuck to conditioning and combing through a few times a day, this has seemed to work tho this time and i have seem to keep them away.

I cant see what else you can do to be honest.... The mother is probably doing everything she can to get rid of them, but i know just how hard they are to keep them away for good

Hakuylt, Of course there are fewer outbreaks in independent schools. There is no parental denial there at all

2 or 3 outbreaks in four years...really .

I suspect it's actually because most nits can't pass the entrance exams. A few get in on generous spots related bursaries.......

Sports, not spots........

The ones I've heard about, yes, and we get an email round usually making us aware there are nits in school.

What's with the nit picking?

It's a letter home in book bag here, pretty regular occurrence. Resilient little beggars. You're probably right Hak...only the best can "jump" through the hoops and then they have to face the ultimate...the elite teaching staff search.

longest a school which didn't send home so you were guaranteed regular outbreaks I'm not sure sending home will have that much of an impact as the likelihood is that by the time the nits are noticeable enough for the teacher to see them without actually looking for them in a child's hair (most likely at the adult size or a point where plenty of eggs have been laid or an established infestation results in more than a little itch every now and again) the lice could well have spread to other children.