The boy banned from school !?

Question

I was just wondering how many people have read the story about the boy banned from school because of his nut allergy being a heath and safety risk.

Now I understand that it would be discriminative and I did infact answer the users question asking if the health and safety system has gone mad.

Now reading the story I understand why they have done it.

Its not the nut allergy at all but the fact that no - one knows how to use his epi pen. This in its self is bad that there is not one teacher that knows how to work one of these as lots of people have them I have one, but the fact of the matter is no one does know how to use one so the have asked the mother to take him out of school for HIS safety. If he had had a fit or reaction in school no one would have known how to help him and people would have been slating the school just as they are now.

I just hope the school sort out there first aid so the boy can go back to school ASAP.

Please forgive my rubbish grammer !

I completely agree that it is wrong that no teacher has any idea of how to use an epi pen. fact is none of them do and no it would take 2 min to learn how to use one but how do you think his mother would feel if he had a reaction before this was brought to light she would have ended up maybe loosing her son.

Answer 1

I still think that it's ridiculous that the boy had to leave school. Learning how to use an epi pen isn't brain surgery. They could have had a brief training one afternoon. If he had learning or physical disabilities instead of the allergy, there would have been no question of the staff undergoing training to accommodate his needs.

Answer 2

I worked in a school with a boy with a nut allergy. Before the child started school we had a nurse come in and teach EVERY member of staff how to use an epi pen. She came in for free. And this is in a tiny part of Cambridgeshire with less than 200 students and 40 members of staff!!! It's ridiculous to deprive the child of an education because the Head teacher hasn't bothered to give the simple 10 minute epi pen teaching!

Answer 3

In Australia it is law that at least a couple of teachers in the school be trained to use an epi pen. I beleive that if there is a child with a nut allergy in the class then the teacher does the course. I would keep my child home if I was her. Better to be safe than sorry

Answer 4

The have a responsibility to learn. Surely they have a school nurse or some one in charge of distributing the students meds. This needs to be the person who is trained. I mean surely the doctor of the child would be willing to show some one how to use it. How hard can it be. The child deserves an education and social interaction just like any other child.

We can lower test standards and pass out condoms in school but we can't learn how to use an epi pen or either have some one watch to be sure the child gets no food with nuts in it? CRAZY!

Answer 5

The school should have carried out a risk assessment well before this boy started. Most schools ban nut based products now adays because of risk of allergies. They can train willing staff to administer the epipen if needed, which is not difficult to do. I work in a school with a child who needs oxygen administered if he has a epileptic fit, we didn't refuse to take him even though we could of on safety grounds, we decided to ask staff to train to give oxygen if needed, which they did and so far has only been needed once in a year, so the risk to the boy with allergy is probably very slight anyway. We have also had children with nut allergies and other food allerfgies and managed to cope fine by using common sense.The school are just trying it on in case something goes wrong and parents should take it further because school is denying him an education which is his legal right, Parents should also point out to the LEA that if they had pulled this stunt they would be in court by now for refusing to send him to school.

Answer 6

they cant do that. there are several children in my sons school with nut allergies. these kids have to bring their own lunch and are not permitted to share. the teachers are told that the child has the allergy and are made to enforce the no sharing rule

thats bs a nurse would know how to use the epi pen. all school nurses are rns so i dont buy that for a second

Answer 7

This is one reason schools need nurses! Look at it from the teachers' point of view. They are being asked to perform what is ,in fact, a medical procedure. What if something goes wrong? Is the school going to protect them? If a child is a diabetic should they have to give insulin? What about a child with any chronic illness that requires medication? Should they be expected to change catheters? Any medical procedure or medication carries a risk of complications. Teachers have enough to do and to worry about without having to play medical professional. All schools should be required to have a nurse on site.

Answer 8

This is totally crazy! Schools in this day and time actually BAN nuts from schools for this very reason. As for not one teacher, asst. someone not knowing how to use his epi pen is crazy too...just laziness on the school's part if you ask me. He can't be the "only" one in this school with this problem. Poor lil' guy.

Answer 9

I find this ruling quite ridiculous, and another example of Teachers making the excuse of not being able to do anything that they assume is not their job. It is 70 yrs since I was at School, but even then we had a Nurse, who could administer any type of medication, but if she was not available any Teacher always had the knowledge to take over. In today,s climate there is always some obstacle that the Teachers manage to make these excuses about.

Answer 10

The school faculty has a responsibility of learning how to use the epi pen. Every child has a right to education. Now it's time for the faculty to get educated!