Anonymous
asks:
Q:
Should schools prohibit certain substances, like sunscreen or nuts, based on the allergies of a minority of students? Is this typical nowadays?
The board of directors for our friend's preschool co-op has prohibited sunscreen due to one student's extreme allergy to it (they are concerned about liability should that student get seriously ill from another student's sunscreen). Parents may apply sunscreen to their children before school, but the preschool does not allow re-application throughout the day. I've heard about schools banning all nuts due to some children's peanut allergy, but was a bit surprised to hear about a school ban on sunscreen too. Is this common at other schools? Is this a trend for schools to ban substances due to the allergies of some students? Is it because these schools have to make accommodations for the students with allergies and would rather just remove the problem altogether? Prohibiting sunscreen seems to be taking things too far in my opinion, particularly since it is proven to help prevent skin cancer (policies against it seem to be solving short-term concerns while potentially causing long-term problems for the children). What do you know or think about this issue?
In Topics:
School and Academics, Working with school administrators, Sun protection
> 60 days ago
Answers (4)
My daughter's preschool just banned hair barrettes because one child lost a few pieces of hair when they were playing it it got pulled out. I think this is just another example of companies reacting to an overly litigious society. We wind up banning common sense. On the other hand, if one student is deathly allergic to something I have no problem restricting my child's use of whatever it is in order to create a safe environment for the student. I think what your board of directors should have done though is to work with the child's parents to figure out which sunscreen brands the child wasn't allergic to and then told parents to buy those brands in order to accommodate the allergic child. That would meet everyone's needs.
> 60 days ago
The nuts I can understand b/c nut allergies can be extremely severe (to the point of being life-threatening). As for sunscreen, it's ridiculous to not allow for reapplication of one's own sunscreen, esp. for pre-schoolers who nap & subsequently rub off most of the sunscreen while lying down. Sunscreens are not meant to be applied once a day for the entire day, they are meant to be reapplied with continued sun exposure, sweating, rubbing, swimming, etc. I for one will have a fit if my child gets sunburned in the afternoon b/c of this rule. I have already complained to the school director & want to complain directly to the State Agency who has made this ruling, if I can ever find it (I'm in PA). My child also had extremely chapped hands during the winter (b/c he doesn't thoroughly dry his hands) & they aren't allowed to apply lotion either, even with my say-so...I would have to get a Dr note.
> 60 days ago
I am having the same issue with a school here in Flagstaff. They will not apply a sunscreen to the pre-k kids during school hours for the same reason. I find that crazy as if a kid has an allergy to sunscreen then why is it allowable to have the kids covered in it when they come to school! Would it not be an allergy issue as well? It is going too far especially if you are having the children play outside and be exposed to harmful UV rays. Most damage is done to people under the age of 20. This is going way too far in my book to protect a few children that are allergic to sunscreen and not protecting the majority out in the sun where they may pay for it in later years with melonoma.
> 60 days ago
