Some children do ‘av ‘em

I was listening to some mums today chatting about how unhappy they were with school.  There were two topics I overheard: allergy policy and the teaching of evolution.  These were both subjects that had caused one of the mums to complain to school staff.

Allergy Policy

The school in question has at least one child that suffers from a peanut allergy and has asked that parents who are providing their children with a packed lunch, please exclude peanuts from the food that is brought into school.

The Mums’ view: That’s disgusting.  Why can’t the child with the allergy eat somewhere different of something.  It’s not the same these days that schools have to be “inclusive.”  What would they say if my child was allergic to milk?  Would they ban everyone from drinking milk?

My view: Any nut allergy can be serious, even fatal.  A child doesn’t necessarily have to eat a nut to suffer the allergic reaction.  The school attended by my children has banned all nuts, not just peanuts, because of staff and pupil allergies.  I think this is a sensible precaution.  It’s sometimes a difficult rule to remember, but I do my best to comply.  To suffer from a milk allergy reaction I think you normally have to drink milk and I think, but don’t know, that the reaction is less likely to be serious. 

The teaching of evolution

The school in question has been teaching primary school children the subject of evolution, as Darwin defined it.

The Mums’ view: That’s disgusting.  Telling the children we all came from fish and seaweed and stuff isn’t right, is it?  I mean is is a Christian school after all.

My view: I would have though that the subject of evolution might be a challenging one for Primary School children, but perhaps it isn’t.  Hannah and Ethan understand the basic concepts as explained by us, and maybe the school, and we’ve reinforced that with a Tree of Life poster (BBC) that shows evolution pictorially that hangs in Hannah’s room.  I admire the school for teaching science in a way that children can understand it.

What’s your view?  I think I can guess.