Schools Flunking out on Skin Cancer

Recent studies found that American schools are letting down our children when it comes to protecting the students from the ultraviolet rays that cause skin cancer. Not only are the schools failing to help, they actually discourage students who attempt to protect themselves. It seems that its time to educate our teachers and principles instead of just our students.

A Study on American Schools

A couple of years ago a study was conducted on American schools across the country to see what schools were doing to encourage students to take precautions in the sun. The answers were that they were doing nothing. Only just over three percent of schools actually had any guidelines on sun protection that they made available to their students. These guidelines included making outdoor activities available during off peak sunlight hours, or preferring students to wear hats, sleeves and sunscreen during activities that took place during peak hours.

Frighteningly more that sixty six percent of schools did not allow teachers to put sunscreen on students unless the request was accompanied by a doctor’s prescription. On top of that less than five percent of schools provide sunscreen to students who request it. As well, most schools did not allow the wearing of hats because of fears of head lice spreading by kids who exchanged hats with friends. Wearing sunglasses was also not allowed at most schools. And to make it worse less than twenty percent of outside school areas had any shaded areas at all.

To make matters worse nearly seventy percent of school principles felt that it was a waste of time and resources to worry about what students were doing when they were outside. Some had no idea that students spending a lot of time in the direct sunlight of a schoolyard could have an increased risk of skin cancer. This after admitting, by eighty four percent of principles, that students often spent a lot of the peak hours of sunlight out in the sun.

Suggestions to Schools

It has been suggested to schools the country over that they begin to make some changes. Trees should be added to the school grounds to make some shaded areas. As well, structures should be added throughout school grounds to add shaded areas. As well there should be wider overhangs to all buildings. This alone can offer many students protection from the sun. Schools should make every effort to schedule as much of the outdoor activities as possible after peak sunlight hours. The use of sunscreen should be permitted for all the students. No doctor’s letter should be needed. Sunglasses and hats should also be allowed for students. Health classes should explain the dangers of the sun’s ultraviolet light and risks of skin cancer.

Sometimes it’s difficult to make children and teenagers understand that what they do now can affect them thirty years after the fact. Still these are things that they need to be taught. School is a good place to start. Remember as parents, teachers and principals it is our job and our duty.