A range of new measures this year will help schools update existing head lice policies and provide more information to parents.
Government schools will receive updated administrative forms and a new, one-step parental consent form for head lice inspections.
Schools organising head lice inspections need to get written parental consent before carrying out checks on students.
Parents will be asked to sign the new parental consent form at the time of their child’s enrolment. Schools will keep the form on file for the duration of the child’s schooling and will no longer have to ask parents to re-sign the form at the beginning of each year.
The Department of Education & Training is sending an information kit, Scratching for Answers, to all government schools in Victoria. Schools will receive the kit, developed by the Department of Human Services, during Term One. The kit provides practical advice on detecting and treating head lice.
As any parent knows, head lice - or Pediculosis, to give it its medical name - can be a tricky condition to deal with. Head lice infections are a nuisance but it is important to remember that head lice do not transmit any infectious disease.
Head lice can be a particularly difficult problem to manage in schools. The responsibility for detecting and treating head lice rests primarily with parents but it is important for them to be given practical advice and support.