It's the rule in all primary schools, as far as I know, and most enforce it very strictly. Kids learn very quickly to always have a hat at school when the alternative is sitting in the shady area for the whole of lunchtime while all their little mates are of playing elsewhere - they may as well have been given a detention, as far as they're concerned. Many classrooms also have big tubs of sunscreen in them, but I'm not entirely sure if it's teachers, schools or the Cancer Society providing these.

I'm young enough that sunscreen has always been a strong feature in my summers, but I must admit that I never really wore hats until I started teaching; I find it hard to go without now (something that so marks me out as an antipodean in Britain).

Now, I don't get out on my bike nearly as much as some folk here (although I do tend to spend a reasonable amount of time outside), but I never pick up more than a bit of slightly-less-white (I'm pretty fair) on my arms, and that always comes from a foolish early season burn where I forgot to put on the sunscreen before going out in the sun. It doesn't matter how high the SPF is or how water resistant it is, sunscreen needs to be reapplied every couple of hours.

[/soapbox]