Health Checks at School

IrishRose12

mrcow wrote: »

That's not my point.

My point is that we should not be calling parents paranoid and then start hyperventilating about domestic abuse when they don't want to conform to your weight checks.

But the OP was not just talking about a weight check?? They were talking about a general health check height/weight/hearing.

I'll say something else, for you claiming to be a teacher I'm concerned that you think these checks are pointless:eek: And also calling me paranoid for being concerned for the children whom I work with and taking the Child Protection Policy seriously! You of all people should know how important it is to keep an eye on these things from working in a school as a teacher. ESPECIALLY when you hear about children dying and the schools etc didn't follow up on concerns!!

As a Parent AND as a member of the school community that worries me and leaves me in disbelief!! I'd rather my child's teacher be concerned for my child than not give a damn just because they think that something is pointless and don't agree with it!

mrcow

Person_one wrote: »

Apart from paranoia though, what would be a sensible, understandable reason for refusing?

That's no one else's business.

A parent has the right to raise their child as they see fit. They don't have to justify their decisions to you, me or anyone else.

mrcow

IrishRose12 wrote: »

But the OP was not just talking about a weight check?? They were talking about a general health check height/weight/hearing.

I'll say something else, for you claiming to be a teacher I'm concerned that you think these checks are pointless:eek: And also calling me paranoid for being concerned for the children whom I work with and taking the Child Protection Policy seriously! You of all people should know how important it is to keep an eye on these things from working in a school as a teacher. ESPECIALLY when you hear about children dying and the schools etc didn't follow up on concerns!!

As a Parent AND as a member of the school community that worries me and leaves me in disbelief!! I'd rather my child's teacher be concerned for my child than not give a damn just because they think that something is pointless and don't agree with it!

Read my above post for my answer to this.

Person_one

mrcow wrote: »

That's no one else's business.

A parent has the right to raise their child as they see fit. They don't have to justify their decisions to you, me or anyone else.

Well, sometimes they do, and there are definitely limits to 'as they see fit'.

mrcow

Person_one wrote: »

Well, sometimes they do, and there are definitely limits to 'as they see fit'.

I didn't say that there wasn't, but this thread has had a very unnerving feeling to it. (Maybe it's just the way I'm reading it!).

It is not our jobs to bully parents into consenting to unwanted health checks under the unspoken threat that they'll be suspected of abuse if they refuse.

Person_one

mrcow wrote: »

I didn't say that there wasn't, but this thread has had a very unnerving feeling to it. (Maybe it's just the way I'm reading it!).

It is not our jobs to bully parents into consenting to unwanted health checks under the unspoken threat that they'll be suspected of abuse if they refuse.

No, but it is our job (both teachers and health professionals) to explain to parents why the checks are a good idea and encourage them to accept the services offered to them that are there for their child's benefit.

IrishRose12

mrcow wrote: »

Your earlier post implied that refusing a child these checks could lead to a school suspecting abuse.

Yes and it COULD I didn't say it WOULD ESPECIALLY if there were concerns.

You mentioned nothing about any other indicators, which any normal teacher/pastoral supervisor would use to flag a cause for concern.

A parent refusing a health check in isolation tells a school nothing.

No one has to consent to these checks if they feel uncomfortable with them.

No normal teacher will judge them for not consenting to them.

And no normal person would raise an eyebrow or flag it as a potential cause for concern in terms of domestic abuse.

Let's just make that quite clear to all parents reading this thread.

It is not (and never has been) how schools work!

I believe I did list quite a few other indicators actually.

That's not being not being paranoid at all.
This can flash up concerns to a school. Esp if the same parents don't sign homeworks, turn up to meetings, answer phone calls when child is sick, child has too many days off. Child's uniform is clearly not washed, hair isn't done. The list goes on. Which what concerns me and makes me angry when I see on the news about young children dying because of neglect by parents, I always want to know what kind of school that child went to for the teacher etc not to notice things like that!

I'd rather be paranoid and know I was looking out for the children than sit back on my !!!! and do nothing like certain schools and child services seem to have done!!

Just because your school doesn't do that, doesn't mean other school all over the world don't do it. The school I work in does, and the schools my children attend do also. I'd rather know the schools are keeping an eye on it's students than hear on the news of another child dying because schools and other children's services didn't record any concerns or bring them to anyone's attention.

Yo also say it's not your job to bully parents into consenting to them. It's no-one's job to bully anyone.
HOWEVER you can ENCOURAGE that parent and advise them of what will be happening at that check as many parents don't actually know what happens and what the advantages are of those checks.
No unspoken threats as you call it, it's called showing care, compassion and DUTY for the children and their parents.

mrcow

Person_one wrote: »

No, but it is our job (both teachers and health professionals) to explain to parents why the checks are a good idea and encourage them to accept the services offered to them that are there for their child's benefit.

So why are people on this thread not doing just this? Why did the issue of abuse even come up?

Buellguy

Person_one wrote: »

No, but it is our job (both teachers and health professionals) to explain to parents why the checks are a good idea and encourage them to accept the services offered to them that are there for their child's benefit.

And there we have it, in a nutshell, a lot of the time things like this AREN'T explained to parents, just a form from school saying 'do you consent yes/no' so no real surprise when parents go 'no'

jellyhead

My child has had the checks, but his friend's mum refused. I think it's fine for mrcow to refuse, and the refusal of a health check in isolation shouldn't raise any flags if there are no other worrying signs.

A few parents in my son's class might refuse when their child is in year 6, especially those with perfectly healthy children who were told that they were overweight.

My child is more than overweight, they don't call it morbidly obese, but it's hinted at on the letter. So they wanted to weigh him again the following year, which I consented to. He knows he is heavier than his friends, and I don't think that being weighed in year 6 will be an issue for him. He will still be obese, but the check won't upset him.

Once a child is identified as being very overweight, there are things that can be done to help. Referral to a gym or exercise programme, for example. Nothing would happen if a child was just deemed 'overweight' though, only if their BMI was huge.