First IT post and child with medical problem

Post Reply
Quijanotango
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 2:08 pm

First IT post and child with medical problem

Post by Quijanotango »

Hi,
I have been offered my first IT post starting in August. My 8 year old daughter suffers from ezcema. At times it is barely noticeable but sometimes it looks pretty awful, especially on her hands and face.
The state schools she has attended in the UK have always been incredibly supportive and understanding. Knowing that international schools have a much more bussiness aproach to things, I am a little bit concerned that the school might, at some point, ask us to not take her to school because some paying parents raise concerns about the way she looks.
I have discussed the matter with many people and they all think I am being ridicolous: eczema is not contagious and banning a child from attending school because of a 'red face' would simply be cruel. I agree, but what do the directors of international schools think? Any advice or first hand experience would be highly appreciated.
By the way, we have visited this country in the past and her eczema magicaly went away. We are under no illusion that this will be the case but we can certainly dream!
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

It very likely wont be a problem, but it may be a problem. It depends little on senior admin but on the influence of parents and ownership. If some parent has an issue and that parent has influence something could happen. It may also become a social issue with your daughter. Asia can be a very superficial region, and deformities can be seen very negatively. I would not change your plans or intentions, there is no way to predict what will happen, and its a very minor probability of becoming a problem.
bludgeoned again
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2014 6:02 am

Re: First IT post and child with medical problem

Post by bludgeoned again »

My son had exzema on his wrists, backs of knees and a few other small areas. It's very common among children from 3 to 10 years old. One thing I read about and practiced was putting a cup of bleach in a full bath for my sons bathing time. I think it helped a lot. Another thing that helped a lot was moving. In another city, it disappeared. 4 years later, in yet another location, it hasn't returned. Maybe moving will do the trick. We've been living in Asia for the past 15 yrs.
sid
Posts: 1392
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:44 am

Re: First IT post and child with medical problem

Post by sid »

This should not be an issue. I can't imagine the school that would make this a thing.
It's possible your daughter may face some social exclusion from her peers, but this can be mitigated with a good teacher and supportive admin. I don't think this would be worse in any particular culture, rather depend on the school itself and how they handle bullying.
Short answer, if you're in any sort of a decent school, nothing to worry about.
Monkey
Posts: 74
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2013 2:59 am

Re: First IT post and child with medical problem

Post by Monkey »

Not even at my somewhat shady, for-profit ME school would this have been an issue. Especially if the child looks Western. Those kinds of schools love to promote those kids because they lack international students. The bottom line is that if you think the school you're going to is such a bottom feeder, then it's not the place to take your child. If you've gotten a good vibe from them, especially when you visited, then you'll probably be fine.
Quijanotango
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 2:08 pm

Re: First IT post and child with medical problem

Post by Quijanotango »

Thank you for all your comments. It really helped me to put my mind at rest. My daughter is already facing some 'social exclusion' due to her medical problem in the UK. Children can sometimes be very cruel...let's hope that they new climate and lifestyle will make her condition improve. We know for sure that the UK cold weather is an absolute killer for her.
Post Reply