When a police officer enters a property that poses a possible threat, they wear protective gear, correct? A fire fighter rarely races into a burning building without an extinguisher, and if a doctor arrived to perform surgery without a mask, gown and gloves, I’m guessing you’d be horrified.  

Why then do we accept that most schools in the Hunter allow our children to be outdoors in the hottest part of the day without sun protection? 

Being aware of the dangers of the Australian sun, means educating our next generation about wearing a hat and sunscreen should be part of the curriculum. 

No Hat, No Play 

In Hunter primary schools, students from Kindergarten to Year 6 are all taught the adage ‘No Hat No Play’, meaning without a hat on your head, your school breaks are destined to be spent indoors or under shelter. 

This is a directive that stems from hierarchy at NSW Education, Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, and Hunter Region Independent Schools. 

It is also an accepted minimum standard for children in childcare, endorsed by early childhood education regulators. 

Australian youngsters learn from a young age that playing in the sun requires adaquate sun protection. 

Why then do 90% of the region’s secondary schools allow teenagers to participate in outdoor activities and breaks, often at the hottest time of day, without a hat and/or sunscreen? 

Numbers speak for themselves 

• Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world. In fact, melanoma is often referred to as ‘Australia’s national cancer’. 
• More than two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime. 
• Most sun damage is done before you turn 15. 
• About 2,000 Australians die from skin cancer each year. 
• Melanoma is the most common cancer diagnosed in young Australians aged 15-29 years. 
• One Australian is diagnosed with melanoma every 30 minutes. 
• One person dies every five hours from melanoma.
• Risk factors for Melanoma include; a large number of moles; fair skin; a tendency to sunburn easily; family history of Melanoma; excessive sun exposure under the age of 15.
• For sunscreen to be effective it must be applied 20 minutes before going outside, and again every two hours. 

In the News 

On 30 November, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park issued an urgent reminder to parents and carers after an alarming number of children and young people were being treated in emergency departments for sunburn. 

The Hunter region topped that list. 

“It is pretty shocking to hear more than 800 people presented last financial year to our state’s EDs with sunburn, with the majority children and young people,” Mr Park said. 

“Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, and by the end of the year, we anticipate close to 6,000 people in NSW will be diagnosed with this devastating cancer. 

“Sun damage and skin cancers are highly preventable, and we’re encouraging the community to do really simple things like seeking shade when outdoors, wearing sunscreen, putting on a hat, sunglasses and protective clothing to safeguard themselves. 

“Even mild exposure to the sun can lead to damage and I’m confident our latest Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy will help build on decades of skin cancer prevention work in NSW and save more lives.” 

Two in three Australians will be treated for skin cancer during their lifetime, with 95% of melanoma and 99% of non-melanoma skin cancers caused by overexposure to UV radiation from the sun. 

NSW Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of Cancer Institute NSW Professor Tracey O’Brien says high sun exposure in the first 10 years of life more than doubles a person’s risk of developing melanoma skin cancer. 

“Australia has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world and protecting our skin from the sun from a very young age, and into adulthood, is key to reducing our risk of skin cancer,” Prof. O’Brien said. 

“When people think of skin cancer risk, they often think of a day at the beach, but in NSW, UV radiation levels are high 10 months of the year which is why it’s vital people protect their skin all year round, even on cool and cloudy days.” 

When the UV rating is more than three, we should be ducking for cover  

According to SafeWork NSW, UV radiation levels of 3 and above damage unprotected skin and eyes. 

In NSW, UV levels average between 6 – 10 all year round, with levels of 3 and above routinely occurring during daylight savings. 

You get sunburnt fastest when your shadow is shortest. 

NSW falling behind 

In Queensland, schools are instructed to follow QLD Health guidelines regarding sun protection. 

As part of its updated Sun Protection Strategy for Schools, in June 2022 the Queensland Government outlined requirements for all schools to follow ‘a comprehensive sun protection strategy which outlines the commitment to ensuring the whole school community can be protected from the sun’. 

This included a sun safe school uniform including mandatory wearing of a sun safe hat. 

One in, All in 

Sadly, it seems the decision to equip our teens with PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as hats, is still being left to individual schools. 

Research shows less than a dozen Hunter secondary schools have introduced the compulsory wearing of hats into school uniform policy, despite being aware of the connection between sun protection and skin cancer. 

In a statement about whether Hunter secondary schools should implement hats as a compulsory uniform inclusion, a spokesperson for the NSW Department of Education said:     

“Our schools have a responsibility to provide a safe environment for students and staff and this includes providing adequate protection from the sun. 

“Students are encouraged to wear sun-safe hats for outside activities whenever possible, even though hats may not be a part of the school’s uniform requirements.  

“Other sun-safe strategies can include wearing sunscreen, sun-safe clothing and sunglasses, as well as seeking shade during peak times of high UV risk.” 

Catholic secondary schools in the region mirrored these sentiments, with a spokesperson from the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle saying: 

“Within the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, each school sets its own uniform requirements, which must comply with the Catholic Schools Office School Uniform Policy. 

“As per this policy, schools should encourage students to wear sun-safe hats for outside activities whenever possible, even though hats may not be a part of the school’s uniform requirements.” 

Newcastle Grammar School 

At one of the region’s premier independent schools, hats have been compulsory in the uniform policy since the 1920s, when the school was named Church of England Girls Grammar School, and hats were referred to as ‘Correct Wear for School Girls’. 

“I imagine that most schools have a no hat, no play policy. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Australia, and as part of our duty of care, I believe schools have a responsibility to educate students and staff about sun safety.” said the Head of Newcastle Grammar School Matt Macoustra. 

Too old to be told 

“Encouraged” is a term repeated in the wording of school uniform policies across the region, but how strongly hats are encouraged in the secondary education space is lexical. 

We already know from numerous studies, and experience, that a teenage brain is not designed to adequately assess dangers. 

Leaving it to a teen to decide if they should wear a hat at school seems negligent. 

Is it because we’re afraid we’ll rob them of their rights? – their right to skin cancers? 

Or is it because we want them to learn to take responsibility for it themselves? 

If we don’t allow them to drive a car until their 17, vote until their 18 and purchase alcohol or cigarettes until they’re legally an adult, then why are we “encouraging” them to consider sun protection aged 12 to 17? 

Duty of Care 

Where does the duty of care lie, and is it reasonable to assume education providers could be liable for not adequately preparing our teens against sun damage? 

Newcastle-based solicitor Tanya Chapman says while it seems currently farfetched, the Hunter’s teenagers could eventually sue for damages. 

“Schools may be liable to students in negligence in respect of severe sunburn or skin cancer, however the student will face significant difficulty in making out their case to receive a successful outcome. 

“Schools owe students a duty of care.  

“For State schools, the duty arises from exercising governmental power in the area of compulsory education. For private schools, it arises from the contractual arrangement between the parent and the child.  

“This duty of care is important where you have the school assuming authority over the child’s control and protection, whilst they are out of the control and protection of their parent. 

“Such breaches are covered by the Civil Liability Act 2002 which sets out that a duty of care will have been breached if there is a foreseeable risk and failure to take reasonable steps to prevent harm.  

“In the case of sun damage, the school will have breached their duty of care if they have failed to take reasonable care to prevent harmful skin exposure. 

“What is ‘reasonable care’ will normally involve implementing and enforcing sun safety policies and training staff, teachers and students. 

“The difficulty for students will arise in the requirement to prove that: 

1. The school failed to take reasonable care; 

2. There were precautions that should reasonably have been taken; and 

3. As a result of the school’s failure, they have suffered an injury (severe sunburn or skin cancer). 

“The causation test requires the student to demonstrate that their injury would not have happened if the school had taken reasonable steps to prevent it. This can be difficult to prove when you factor in other potential causes such as sun exposure outside of school hours.” 

Time will tell, as the saying goes. 

“The effects of skin damage can also be cumulative, occurring over a substantial period of time, with the injury not manifesting until years later. It may be difficult, if not impossible, in such cases, to prove that the damage was caused by the school’s breach of duty of care and not some other factor. 

“The student then faces further challenges in proving that they have suffered compensable damage, especially in relation to non-economic loss.” 

You have my support

Admittedly it may be difficult to blame an education provider for neglecting a duty of care, but not impossible. 

As a mother of teenagers, I’m happy for my secondary school to be as strict as they need to be to help protect my children from what is proving to be a deadly endemic. 

If you insisted we immunise our children, made them wear face masks and social distance during covid-19, then policing them wearing a sun hat shouldn’t be too much to ask – surely. 

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