More Dubious Health Claims

As you may recall from a previous entry, kids frequently complain that the classroom is too cold. There's a reason we set the temperature the way we do. First, it's what we like. Second, it keeps the students awake. Third, little kids stink and air circulation is a must. I remember that in winter, I had a half day and arrived two hours into the first class. The stench as I walked in was overpowering. Elementary school B.O. mixed with fried squid and crab-flavored potato chips is an atrocity I would only wish on my worst enemies.

We were recently informed by our staff that some parents had complained that the temperature of the rooms was causing kids to get sick. Obviously, this is bull****. Cold weather doesn't make you sick, so a cool classroom won't do it either. The kids are getting sick because their parents make them go to school even if they are vomiting, as my colleague Jacob found out the hard way this week. The kids seem absolutely convinced, however, that it's the air conditioning and not bad parenting that makes them ill. I've given this lecture to various classes and none of them believe me. And just to totally blow their mind, I also drop the bomb than "fan death" is totally ridiculous.