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School District's Strict Attendance Policy Draws Fierce Backlash from Parents
26 Jul
Summary
- New attendance policy classifies all absences as "absent" with no excused or unexcused distinction
- Policy allows principals to make exceptions, but no option for doctors to verify illness
- Chronic absenteeism defined as missing 10% of class time, leading to automatic failure
- Concerns raised about putting other students and parents at risk of illness
A school district's recently implemented attendance policy has drawn fierce backlash from parents who argue it fails to properly address student illness and health concerns. The new policy classifies all absences as simply "absent," with no distinction between excused and unexcused absences.
While the policy does allow principals to make exceptions in certain circumstances, such as a death in the family or religious observance, there is no option for doctors to verify that a child is absent due to sickness or injury. The district's director of schools stated that "you can bring all the doctor's notes you want, but it is still unexcused."
Furthermore, the policy defines "chronic absenteeism" as missing 10% or more of class time, and students who meet this threshold will automatically fail their subjects and grades regardless of their academic performance. This has raised concerns among parents that sick students will be forced to attend school, potentially exposing their classmates and families to contagious illnesses.
Social media users have reacted with outrage, with one suggesting teachers should send students to the director's office to vomit. Others questioned where the parents were when this policy was being developed and criticized the lack of consideration for student health and wellbeing.
