Schools around the US have a lot to say about the kids who attend public schools. They dictate what kids need to eat, they push standardized testing, some schools have done BMI testing on kids, and the list goes on. Have we allowed the government to become a “Super Nanny State?”
That is exactly what some parents in the UK are saying regarding a proposal that schools begin requiring kids to brush their teeth at school. The Telegraph reported that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) wants teachers to help students, between the ages of three and 11-years-old, to brush their teeth. NICE stated that many parents do not realize that kids need to brush their teeth.
One woman had this to say about the proposal: “What will they suggest next, that parents can drop their children off at school naked and unwashed, and leave the state to step in and do the rest?” Professor Mike Kelly, the director of the center for public health at Nice, said: “They [kids] eat too much sugar and don’t clean their teeth with fluoride toothpaste. As a society we should help parents and carers give their children the best start in life and act now to stop the rot before it starts.”
Is this really helping parents? Do teachers need one more thing to add to their list of things to teach children? Kids could definitely benefit from a special lesson, taught by a dentist, and free dental care items, once every few months. However, everyday toothbrushing sessions just don’t seem appropriate for school.
