Hello
We have some pupils (mainly boys) who have little idea about personal hygene. One boy in particular nearly knocks me over with bad breath each day (I work one to one on literacy). When I asked a couple of weeks ago when he last cleaned his teeth he said he couldn't remember so I told him he really should take care of his teeth and clean them before going to bed and in the morning preferably after breakfast. He promised he would, didn't, promised again, didn't and so on so by the end of the week I referred him to my line manager. She gave him a stern talking to and he promised he would remember in future.... following week He hadn't cleaned his teeth but promised he would, didn't and so on Friday I took him into my line manager again and he told her he hadn't cleaned his teeth, washed his hands (including after using the toilet) or had a bath or shower in the two weeks since he last spoke to her!!!!! She sent him then and there to wash his hands and face in the loos and phoned his mother and asked her to watch over him as she said she'd been asking him and he'd said he had done so. I have my doubts whether he'll be clean when I go in tomorrow.......Oh, did I mention he turns 15 in a few days?

Any suggestions?

does he have the faclilties at home to wash? if not then maybe the PE teachers could encourage the boys to shower after PE?

Was going to say something similar> Before coming down hard on him ensure that he is able to fend for himself at home. Remember some of these kids hardly know where the next decent meal is coming from let alone a bar of soap or tube of toothpaste!


May be he needs guidance not condemnation, mind you I don't envy you working closely with him!

yep I thought of playing the girlfriend card

Today he said he had cleaned his teeth.... I think they need a good scrape as his breath still smelled. Apparantly he still hasn't had a bath/shower . My line manager had already used the girlfriend card on a previous occasion but I suppose it's worth reiterating the fact.

Thanks for all your replies and sympathy.

Could you get him to try the disclosure tablets for teeth. It might give him a visable show of the much muck is on his teeth.

I personally am stunned.

I've asked my daughter, and a couple of other young people at other local schools and it seems to be the norm for there to be no showers ???

All through secondary school I can remember we showered regularly. Though the day did start with a 45 minute run. During one term I think we must have upset the staff as we had the morning run, pe before dinner and then sports in the afternoon. The only other thing I can remember about it was how cold the water was at times. The few who couldn't run for various reasons were given other exercises and were still expected to shower.

The other thing which shocked me when we were looking for a secondary school for dd was none did regular cooking lessons or other skills - like ironing or sewing. Was the school I went to so different from mainstream schools of the time? Or are we realy so focused on exam results or are we realy producing young people unequiped for real life??

the boys showered in our school... and did cooking and sewing.....although on a carousel along with other technology subjects

did have a few with problems, but also had the lynx effect in some classes, not sure which was worse

in the summer we had the windows open, in the winter too in some classes

LOL personally I think of Lynx as the modern sandlewood - an aroma my father regularly provided me with when I was a teenager and could not stand. Slightly more subtle in attracting the attention of the opposite sex then a sledgehammer

What a good idea. Wish I'd thought of it.

The children at our school don't have showers. I remember having to have showers when I was at school. It wasn't pleasant but at least children not doing so at home were being made to at school.

Cookery is just one hour per two weeks and they tend to write the recipe in one lesson and do the cooking the following lesson so really only one hour cooking in 4 weeks! There is no sewing but there is texiles (this seems to be tie-dying, batik etc) I think that especially some of hte sen children would benefit from more of these subjects but ours is not to question why....

Thanks for all your replies. Have I opened a hornets nest?

"I think that especially some of hte sen children would benefit from more of these subjects but ours is not to question why...."

I hope that doesn't become the norm. The one big advantage of special education is they get away from the targets and concentrate on life skills, something mainstream does not seem to have the time for. It is probably more essential for some of the kids then exam results. It may be mainstream will never cater for this aspect, but it definately won't if people don't keep questioning it.

OK for my opinion...sorry

I would be worried about teachers/TA intervening in personal hygiene issues.....they are after all personal....if the mother had taken offence with the phone call....I fear there could have been some awful repercussions....now I don't agree that children should not bath etc. ....I just think that in cases like this you have to tread very carefully. For instance we have children that come in in dirty clothes, headlice etc....we are NOT allowed to comment on these issues due to victimisation of a pupil (which it seems it could be construed as)...we have to discreetly either add this into a PSHCE lesson for the whole class to be a part off, or send letters home to ALL parents to avoid it looking personal....now as I said I don't agree with this view but I think it is a valid point

so if a child is absoloutly crawling in lice you cant even mention it?

we send them home to be treated. If the problem is not resolved then the child will be victimised by the other children not the adults also a young child who is not washed or left untreated for lice can be constued as abuse