Dutch primary schools are being overrun by a plague of head lice, despite increased vigilance by schools and parents.

According to a survey by the National Head Lice Support Centre, the number of children with head lice has doubled in the past 15 years. A quarter of parents questioned say their child has had lice in the last year.
Parents are being advised to check their children’s hair regularly for lice. Schools often insist that pupils hang their coats in louse-proof bags and commonly call in the help of volunteer ‘louse parents’ to check children’s hair.

In fact, they are more likely to be louse mothers than fathers. The Head Lice Support centre concludes that men largely leave the responsibility for rooting out lice to women: 97 percent of respondents to the survey were female.

As to the cause of the louse plague, the researchers are left – perhaps literally – scratching their heads. They can find no clear explanation for the dramatic increase. The centre concludes that despite the efforts of parents and schools, the lice are currently winning the battle. The report recommends a follow-up study to establish the critical success factors for prevention.