oh lice!

I am with the AAP on this one. "No healthy child should be excluded from or miss school because of head lice, and no nit policies for return to school should be abandoned". (Source:HealthyChildren.org - AAP Offers Updated Guidance on Treating Head Lice)

I think some parents, and some teachers even more so, make a big deal over head lice in schools. Unless kids are spending a lot of their school day head-to-head, they are likely not being transmitted at school. More likely culprits are slumber parties or visits with cousins/other relatives. I think it is time school nurses stand up and advocate for our kids and to get policies changed and keep kids in school!

I totally agree, notify the parent and let them take care of it when the child gets home. Kids have a hard enough time at school, without being ostracized for having lice. It really is time to let go of the stigma and just do what is right for the students.

Lice don't jump and thus aren't communicable in the school setting, so no legitimate reason to exclude.

The only exception (in my mind) is a case where the child is itching so badly as to be unable to concentrate in class. Even then it is a matter of student comfort, not transmission.

Steph has included good references which are based on scientific information rather than myth and tradition.

i am in agreeance - i think the social stigma especially paired with the fact that some of the parents were krass enough to name names speaks for itself!

The debate come in with the idea of requesting treatment and performing a recheck. The district is still requesting those two steps be done and the fear among some is that the parents will not work as hard to ensure their kids are properly treated.

So the next thought process is... do we even require a treatment and a rescreen? Since we are movving away from nit free policies and are getting more comfortable with the idea of choosing academics over eradication of pests - is it even something we need to include in our realm?

My thought on that is to still request a treatment, and if there is significant infestation, to require a parent to be present should teh student be rechecked and still found to have lice. The purpose of having the parent present to is complete the opportunity to educate the parent on how to properly treat. I will always want the parnets to treat - even if it's simply by just combing out the hair. That i will not waver on. But - it can be done after school.