The preschool teacher told the student's mother that if anything happened to him at school it was the parents' responsibility, not hers.
By RACHEL WOLFA CLASSROOM(photo credit: REUTERS)
An Israeli preschooler who is allergic to eggs was asked to leave his school after the class' "helper" resigned, and his teacher refused to take responsibility for him because of his food allergy, Channel 12 reported.Eggs, according to the FDA, is one of the top eight most common food allergens.The child's mother Naomi (a pseudonym provided by Channel 12) said that the helper sent a message to announce her departure, then the preschool teacher called her moments later to say that she was not prepared to take responsibility for the child if something were to happen to him because of his food allergy, Channel 12 reported."When I got to the preschool the teacher went outside to speak on the phone and returned with the administrator. She then went inside the school and wrote a letter saying that [my son] could stay at the school, but the responsibility for him wasn't hers, it was the parents. And if something happened to him, it was [our] responsibility," Naomi told Channel 12.Channel 12 reached out to the preschool teacher who declined to comment.In the end, Naomi decided to pull her son out of the school, telling Channel 12, "I'm afraid of losing my child."While food allergies are not common in Israel, they are a growing phenomenon worldwide. Israel's Ministry of Health said on its website that the estimated growth rate of food allergies among toddlers and preschoolers was 3-5% and in school-aged children 1-2%.The ministry also said "the most common allergic illnesses in Israel are allergic rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis and allergic sensitivity to foods, drugs and insect venom," and that 25-40% of Israelis suffer from an allergic condition.In July 2018, the Knesset passed a law that required educational institutions have epinephrine injections for children with allergies in case of emergency.Oren Oppenheim contributed to this report.
