I agree that all schools should be ensuring that children understand the importance of refridgerating certain foods to try to ensure food safety. In my understanding, it is the temperature of stored food that decides how quickly bacteria can multiply and become dangerous. Bacteria will not multiply in temperatures of under 5 degrees and a temperature of over 60 degrees centigrade will kill off bacteria, but to be on the safe side, food should be heated to over 70 degrees. The danger time zone for bacteria multiplying in food that has been left in an unrefridgerated place is between 2 to 4 hours.
My feelings are that even if food is left out in a warm room for some time, if heated properly, it should kill off any bacteria and be safe to eat, but it is not a practice that I would recommend anyone using on a regular basis!
Saxy jag, the idea that rice should never be reheated is not true, if it was, the ready meals that we can buy from the supermarkets such as curry or chinese meals would all be giving us food poisoning on a regular basis! You treat cooked rice in the same way as any other food, store and heat it safely and it should be fine to eat.
Cheers Sue