The food and water debate

Whatever happened to common sense? I heard about this the other day and thought it was ludicrous:

"A pregnant teacher was sent to the emergency room for dehydration and hooked up to intravenous bags on the first day of Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy's bottled beverage ban in schools, according to a teachers union official. Students and teachers have not been able to carry in any drinks or coffees this week — even clear water bottles — after an underage drinking scandal on the International High School campus prompted the superintendent to lay down the law on outside drinks at all the city's schools."

I realize that the motivation for this draconian measure was obviously well-intended, but food and water are basic human needs, and not easily confined to industrial efficiency schedules. When you're pregnant, for example, you have to drink TONS and TONS of water, and you're supposed to snack all the time. And there's a lot of health conditions require increased food and water intake...

Maybe I'm just more perceptive than average, but how can you not know if a kid has been drinking at school? Alcoholic beverages, especially the varieties that are available to the underage crowd, tend to have a distinct odor that can't easily be masked by sodas or other beverages. Kids, especially teens, tend to do really stupid things. If for some reason it does happen, you deal with it, and move on.

I don't see how banning water bottles is going to compensate for the fact that the faculty at the school in question is either blind or not dealing with what's going on in their school. "In one instance, a 16-year-old girl drank rum from an apple juice bottle in a classroom and later was brought to the hospital when she did not stop vomiting. In another, a student brought a half gallon of rum to a party in the school cafeteria." Excuse me folks, but how do you miss something like that? Honestly?

"Parents last night said school leaders should punish the offenders who brought alcohol into the high school, not the entire school system...[a parent] called Laboy's move 'inhumane'." That's what bothers me. Food, water, air--these are basic human needs. I know more than a few kids that come to school hungry most days. But I'm not just talking about the kids here, as much as I sympathize with them. Aside from sweatshop employees, I can hardly think of another occupation where you are more likely to work for 8 hours straight with hardly a break. Sure teachers have the 30 minute lunch...but forget breaks. As a teacher, if you can get to a restroom more than once per day you're doing REALLY good. After all, it's not like you can just waltz out of class any time you need to go--you gotta supervise 30+ kids--usually by yourself. And talking ALL DAY LONG makes ya really thirsty, folks. It's a vicious combo. I haven't even mentioned the legions of folks who can barely make it through the day without some caffeine or a snack...These of course, are considered "rights" in most employment contexts.

My suggestion to everyone involved is deal with the real issue (the inadequate supervision that resulted in teens being able to get away with drinking at school), and move on.

Article Source: "Pregnant teacher ill on first day; School Committee suggests change", By Crystal Bozek, eagletribune.com

http://www.eagletribune.com/punews/local_story_086010229.html