Students should be learning about toxic chemicals in chemistry class, not by getting sick was the message advocates gave the Department of Education Thursday.

State Sen. Carl Kruger, flanked by parents, stood outside Bergen Beach's P.S. 312 demanding that the DOE test every public school for PCBs. The push comes after a Daily News report suggested that the carcinogen is present in window and door caulking at many older buildings."We cannot and we should not tolerate this kind of negative total disregard for the health and potential well-being of our children," Kruger said. He's introducing legislation requiring the city test each school.

The DOE said it tested several schools named in the newspaper's investigation and found no significant level of the toxin.

According to the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, PCBs are widespread in the environment, but rarely affect residents. High levels can cause cancer and acne.