Use of hand sanitizers in schools

[mkloz]

I'm not sure if this is the proper place for this topic, but....
My daughter just started first grade and I asked her if they have them wash their hands before lunch and snack. She said that they don't do anything before snack, and at lunch they squirt them with hand sanitizer.
I am wondering if this is common practice in schools and if anyone else has ever tried to oppose this. I understand that it isn't feasible to expect hundreds of kids to wash their hands in the bathroom in a short amount of time. When we are on the go, we use "Clean Well" hand sanitizer or natural baby wipes. I suppose I could suggest this and offer to help finance it since it likely is not in their budget (although not in mine either, but it's important enough to make it). Any other suggestions? You would think that as MRSA becomes more and more rampant that not only "natural living" types would be concerned with this....
I am new to this board so thanks to all you other moms out there in advance!

[Delicateflower]

I would rather my kids used hand sanitizer than one of those antibacterial soaps.

[Mama Metis]

As long as they are using an alcohol-based sanitizer, and not one with triclosan, I wouldn't worry too much. The main risk with alcohol hand-sanitizers is drying of the skin, rather than antibiotic resistance.

ETA: Welcome, btw! I'm pretty new here too...

[allnaturalmom]

My dd's school requires hand sanitizer use before computer class, not before snack time, go figure. Anyway, she was coming home w/hands that were so red, dry, and practically raw that when I found out about the sanitizer use I put two and two together. We don't use it at home and she was reacting to something in it, probably the alcohol. When I called the teacher and explained the situation, she just allows dd to go wash her hands in the bathroom before computer class, although it is probably w/antibacterial soap . UGH!

[Jenn_M]

My older DD is in 2nd grade and does use hand sanitizer at school but they wash before lunch. The sanitizer is used after blowing noses and coughing. They (the kids) also wipe down all hard surfaces with Clorox wipes at the end of the day .

[Turtlecouple]

My son's class has 3 or 4 sanitizer spread out across the room. They wash their hands before snack/lunch, but use sanitizer the rest of the time. I don't know how much of it is provided by the school, I'm assuming not much because it's always on the "donations list" along with wipes. I don't think they are very picky since the majority is donated by parents.