Posted on 02/15/2007 5:52:31 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
With all the crises that need to be addressed in Chicago's public schools, add this one to the list: germy little hands.
The Illinois House is expected to vote next week on a proposal that would require all Chicago schoolchildren to wash their hands "with antiseptic soap" before eating, and for the district to upgrade their hand-washing facilities to "nationally accepted standards."
Rep. Mary Flowers, a Chicago Democrat who first sponsored the bill in 2005 and brought it back this session, said she believes the law could save lives, or at least reduce absenteeism in city schools.
Flowers said she is limiting the proposal to apply only to Chicago schools as a starting point and is willing to expand it statewide.
Flowers said this health issue is an important priority for the legislature, which has yet to tackle the thorny issues of school-funding reform or high school dropouts.
"I've had to walk in some of these buildings and I've seen the bathrooms, and I tell you, I wouldn't want my children there," said Flowers, who said her first stab at this legislation died in committee, but it had no organized opposition. "I'm not trying to be a health fanatic. But if I couldn't wash my hands all day, I don't know what I would do. This is a medical crisis ... that needs to be addressed."
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Perhaps they're in private schools.
I wouldn't want my children to go into a school bathroom, either ... but more expensive soap isn't going to address the real problems!
It'll make little difference when the kids haven't been taught by parents to wash after usng the facilities (at school or at home).
For me this one makes a little sense. Children should be taught Hygiene. Washing hands before eating is pretty much accepted as a good practice. You cant argue with that. Also many health benefits such as preventing colds start with washing the hands frequently. Kids should also be taught to wash their hands after potty. Something about half the adults in this world havent learned.
According to her official biography, Rep. Flowers is in her 50's and has one daughter. "Her children" that she doesn't want using cheap soap in the school bathrooms are strictly hypothetical.
Quite so.
Additionally, if the bathrooms are dirty and lack soap and towels, no law is going to make a difference. The union is far more powerful than the legislature.
I challenge anyone to approach any school kid today and ask 'im what 'rithmetic is ....
I had to explain it to my kids.
Gazinta's took a little longer.
Do we really need a state legislation to make school kids wash their hands? How about requiring them to wear mitten during winter, or look to the left and right before crossing the street? Hey, I bet those legislations will save lives too!
I just returned from the men's rm here, and one of the guys completely skipped washing his hands or fluching, and he's in his mid 20's at least.
Geez, Louise. Don't these kids have parents to teach them basic hygeine?
So it should be up to the goverment to legislate that he must wash his hands??
We have gone beyond ludicrous!
Its about time!!
Those grubby anklebiters are like rats....cleanse them!!!
Why do you need to wash your hands all day? Do you need a potty break every hour?
Ugh.
It used to be a common practice to wash up before dinner. Why we stopped doing this, I don't know, because people will touch germy things all day long, but until they put their fingers in their mouth, they are protected by their skin. It just makes sense to wash your hands before you eat.
You are being ludicrous. Did I say the government should legislate it? No. I said parents should teach it to their children.
I probably was my hands 25 times per day on average. I work in IT at a hospital and occasionally I may have to handle someone's mouse or keyboard. Handling such things seems like a biohazard. Of course even at home I probably wash my hands 15 times per day. I've heard such behavior could indicate mental problems lol.
Yes, it makes sense to wash your hands before you eat. But since when is it the governments job to mandate it???
Who gets to be the "wiping" monitor inside the stall?
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