Why don’t Hong Kong schools perform head checks for lice?

My daughter has contracted head lice and I’ve been asked to keep her at home for the time being, which is very frustrating because she’s missing out so early in the term. She usually ties up her hair but other girls don’t always do so. There are no strict rules about girls tying up their hair even for PE and the nurse on site doesn’t do head checks. Why don’t schools have nit nurses any more?

The “nit” nurse who dealt with head lice was a regular part of school life for generations of children in some countries. What some parents and students saw as humiliating or embarrassing hair examinations had been phased out by the 1990s. Health officials believed the mass head checks were ineffective and wasted precious resources. Therefore, parents had to master the art of nit detection themselves.

Most international schools have a nurse on site, who is available if a teacher spots something suspicious moving in a child’s hair; but unlike in the past, these health professionals don’t generally do spot checks. You would not be alone in wanting the nit nurse back. One recent online survey reported that more than 80 per cent of parents were in favour. Recently, hundreds of parents in a small British town signed a petition urging the return of the nit nurse. However, perhaps surprisingly, the incidence of head lice has not significantly increased since nit nurses were axed.

Nits, the egg cases that stick to the hair, are often the first visible sign of a head lice infestation. Contrary to what some believe, head lice cannot jump or fly. They pass on from one person to another during head-to-head contact by moving along strands of hair.

Younger children tend not to respect each other’s personal space, which is why head lice are so common in schools. Loose, long hair in particular can be a breeding ground as pupils work together in close proximity or play games, which are ideal opportunities for lice to travel from one head to the next. They are then passed on to other family members as they enjoy a cuddle at home.