Do our teachers need lessons on the importance of being hydrated?

‘Just ask any alien in the kidnapping game, for teachers and aliens well they all look the same!’

This is the last stanza in a poem titled, ‘An Alien Education’. When I hear some of the stories about some teachers in our schools these days, I am convinced that they don’t just look like aliens but they may be behaving like them too!

The latest complaint is that some teachers do not allow students to drink water or go to the toilet except during the interval. Children are in school for about six hours during weekdays. In a warm country like ours drinking water is essential. It is not only a basic human right but also a medical necessity. It is essential for our health. It is also very natural to want to go to the toilet and pee after drinking water.

Our bodies are made up of sixty to seventy per cent water. Fluid loss takes place continuously from skin evaporation, breathing and other bodily functions such as urinating and passing stools. These losses must be replaced daily for good health.

Drinking adequate water helps us to maintain the balance of body fluids. Bodily fluids help in the proper functioning of digestion, absorption and transportation of nutrients, circulation, and maintenance of body temperature.

When one’s water intake does not equal the output, it results in dehydration. When muscles do not have adequate fluids, their performance can suffer. Lack of water results in poor performance of the kidney’s functions. Kidneys cleanse the body of toxins and when the body does not have enough water, urine concentration, colour and odour increase. When this happens for a long time, it could result in kidney stones. It can also result in constipation as the body pulls water from stools to maintain hydration in the body.

Water is known to be the best and most natural hydrating liquid. The body produces urine as a way to get rid of waste and any excess water. When one drinks water, it is natural to want to urinate. Holding too long before going to the toilet is not good for the urinary tract and could result in urinary tract infections and other long term complications.

So why is it that some teachers do not allow students to drink water when they are thirsty? Do they not know that the brain sends a message and tells children when their bodies need more water? Do they not know that children need to drink water to get rid of their thirst? Do they not know the benefits of drinking water and the side effects of not drinking water? Do they not know that it is a very natural thing to want to urinate after drinking water? Is this why students are not allowed to drink water and go to the toilet when they feel the need to do so?

Worried parent Via email