is anyone else fed up with their childs school telling you off for poor attendance when your childs ill?

Question

im so annoyed i put in a leave for absence for june for 3 days so my son can see his relatives in wales. they turned it down because he only has 58% atendance. now im not one of these mums who cant be bothered to send their child to school, he is honestly not well when he has days off. i mean hes just come back from3 weeks off due to a hospital stay. he always has some sort of cough, tummy ache etc etc. i have never taken him out for a holiday or anything, and he is only four he's five in may. whats the law on the age they must be in school by. am i within my rights to take him out or do i really need their permisison. underatnd they fine people for taking their kids out of school all the time but this is ridiculous. its 3days that he was looking forward to. The only way he gets to go now is if he had a 100% attendance until easter, which is unlikly to happen. They're own school rule is if you child is ill in the night keep them at home the next day! anyone any advice on where i stand

they asre also taking about refering it to the education welfare officer, hes not even 5 yet i dont have to send him to school by law yet do i?

i refuse to take my son to school when he is in tears because he doesnt feel well. i do not heve to answer to ignorant people who clearly dont have a clue about when their child is ill.

SO BRIDESHEAD I'LL SEND HIM TO SCHOOL TO THROW UP ON ALL THE TEACHERS AND KIDS THEN NEXT TIME!

SOME PEOPLE ARE THICK, OTHER PARENTS SEND THEIR KID TO SCHOOL SICK THAT HOW MINE ENDS UP SICK, IT SOMETHING DIFFERENT EVERY 3 WEEKS OR SO NOT EVERY DAY, HOW IS THAT MY FAULT, I TEACH HIM AT HOME WHEN I CAN TO MAKE UP FOR IT SOME OF YOU WANT TO GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT, HES BEEN IN HOSPITAL TO THE DOTORS TONS OF TIMES ITS NEARLY ALWAYS A VIRUS, HES BEEN ILL MORE SINCE HE STARTED SCHOOL THAN BEFORE HE EVER WENT! OTHER SNOTTY KIDS

Answer 1

You don't have to send him to school AT ALL. The law states only that he requires to be educated, not that he has to go to school. If you feel he'd be better off at home with you, perhaps you could look into teaching him yourself.

Can your doctor intervene on your behalf, or provide a supporting statement regarding the run of poor health he's been suffering? In any case, if you are going to go on the trip to your rellies, what can the school do about it? If they're so concerned about how much school he has missed this year, perhaps he'd be better repeating the year. Poor wee thing, hope he gets stronger and more healthy soon!

Answer 2

If you dont like the school system then I suggest you homeschool your son since he is getting sick a lot. We dont have to send our kids to school until they are 5 o6 depending on the state. I know of kids who have hardly been at school .Not necessarily through sickness. Our school says that if a child is sick then you stay away particularly until they are better from a virus.Your school sounds tough.You also have to have a note in the diary or ring the school.I dont know what the answer is.I think 4 is too young for school.In Australia kids are at kindergarten at that age unless you have a different system.Your son has been in hospital .Get the doctor to write a note to the school and any other visits to the doctor should be recorded in the note..At school they will pick up lots of different thingssome more serious than others.My daughter had 2 and a half weeks off due to a glandular infection at the end of the year.This is recorded on the assessment sheet.The best thing you can do is to keep your son at school until the Easter break and then go on your family holiday.Get your son to do some extra work from school to do at home..That might keep the school happy.I dont know the rules in your country.Here parents have to notify the school and if ita long holiday give them schoolwork. Good luck.

Answer 3

Personally I think it's sad...not the attendance but that he's sick so much. I know how you feel...my daughter almost never got sick before she started school and now she's always coming home with something giving it to her brother. She's missed quite a bit this year too so far but she only goes 2 days a week and every other Friday...so even if she's sick for a whole week she's not missing too much. I fear next year when she starts 5 days a week. She's been sick for 2 weeks with a flu before and that's not the parents fault. And like mentioned earlier, you're not going to send them to school sick, that's no good for the child or the rest of the kids. Does a 5 year old really make up tummy aches??? I don't know....my daughter is devastated when I tell her she has to stay home due to whatever. Just this passed Monday she woke up and kept complaining of a tummy ache, she tried going to the washroom but couldn't go. Then she felt like she had to vomit, which she did a little. She didn't feel like eating, and wasn't acting 100%....so I told her she has to stay home. She was pretty upset with me and that tells me she's not faking. Is your son sick all day when he stays home? Because if he gets better really fast then that might give you the answer with faking right there. LOL Hope everything works out for you! =)

Answer 4

you say he crys because he doesn't feel well ... My daughter who is a year younger then any of her classmates in first grade shes is 6, if kept her home every time she cried about her belling hurting she would never go... Kids at this age have anxiety about leaving their moms and if you buy into it then you are causing a life long problem. I make her go the school nurse also knows that she has these issues and the more they go the easier it gets.. This is the time when you HAVE to be the parent and realize the tummy act my just be nerves and move on....



You know what My son was sick alot he missed school because of his astma and he kept getting strep all the time. He would have an astma attack and spend 3-7 days in the hospital and the school did the same thing to me but I got even i fought them tooth and nail... even with all his missed time he was an honor roll student.... But he hasnt been sick in the last 18 months ... getting his tonsils out was the best thing i have ever done

Answer 5

last year my mom passed away and i filled in all the paper work got my sons assignments for the next two weeks and figured that because i did the excused absence form it would be an excused absence boy was i wrong when we got back from pennsylvania (we live in florida) my son turned in all his work took his tests he missed got a's on all of them (2nd grade by the way) and a week or so later report cards came out well he is usually on the honor roll or at least the a,b honor roll and he wasn't so i asked his teacher why and she said the principal would not excuse the absence because they (the school ) had no proof of my moms death you have no idea how pissed i was i could not believe it i went home got my mom's prayer card and her ashes which i wanted to stuff up the principal's nose and went to the school right away and asked her if that was enough proof or should my greving father come in and bring his ashes too well that finally put that snotty bitc* in her place and they redid his report card he had all a's with an f in attendance and it was changed to all a's so i was satisifed maybe you should switch schools i don't know what they do where you live but here in this county in florida you can allpy for a voucher for your kid to go to any public school in the county if you don't like the one in your district.. as far as i know you can take him out and put him where you please or home school.good luck and i hope your boy feels better and yes if you send a sick kid to school i agree it's the best way to get all the kids sick but some parents care more about their wealth than there kids so god forbid they take the day off tto spend time with there sick kid ya know what i mean

Answer 6

I am sorry to hear that your child has been so poorly especially at such a young age. I would suggest that you call the school and arrange a meeting so that you can go in and discuss the situation with them. I appreciate that your angry with them but try to keep calm you and the school need to work together to help and support your son as its his interests that count first. Another point of contact for you is your sons doctor, explain the situation to them and ask them if they can write to the school or call the school and explain that your son has genuinely been ill and sadly seems to suffer from poor health. I will be honest a 58% attendance for a child of that age especially isnt great and I can understand why the school are concerned as your son will be missing out on education that is essential for him to progress. You and the school NEED to work together, you could suggest that when your child is off they arrange for some school work to be sent home so that you can sit and do it with your son while he is off sick. Also try and ensure that your child is getting vitamins as these can help the body fight off viral infections. You can buy many kids vitamins from chemists and supermarkets now. See if you can also give your child alot of fruit and vegetables, to make them a bit more exciting for him why not make him a stawberry or a banana smoothie or make him a nice fruit salad. I f you are really concerned about your child being unwell so much then speak to your doctor and see if they can do any trsts to check your sons immune system as there could be an underlying problem that is contributing to him being so unwell. I know schools can be tough at times but there not your enemies and if you work with them and not against them then I am sure that they will help as much as possible. Another thing is maybe sit down and have a chat with your son to see if he is unhappy about anything at school as sometimes when a child is having difficulties the upset and worry can cause them to feel unwell. good luck

Answer 7

If your son is frequently ill several things should be happening. First he should be going to the doctor. If you have a good doctor he/she will be helping you to determine why your son is always sick.. That is my first concern. Has he ever been allergy tested? That could be a contributing factor, as could a depressed immune system. As a mom, I would worry about that first. Second, if he is being seen by a doctor and sick that much your doctor should have counseled you to get him homebound tutoring, which would remove you from this situation in the first place.

Next, you should be able to check with your local school board as to at what age they "have to" go to school. In West Virginia it is kids that are 5 by August 31st of each year, but they don't have to go at 5. I think the other problem is not that he Had to go to school, but that once you send him he is expected to attend. The rule here is that if they have a fever they can't attend school the next day, not just a stuffy nose. Could it be that he is not enjoying school and maybe using complaints of "not feeling well" to get out of going?

Also, is there a good reason that the trip to Wales can't be postponed a few days until school lets out? Does going in June have special significance or is it an arbitrary date? Can you write a "lesson plan" for his trip that meets grade level guidelines that would enable you to classify it as an education trip?

I guess there is alot more to this situation that can go towards you getting it resolved. For your son's sake, I wish you the best of luck and hope you find a doctor who can help you determine why he is so sick all of the time.

Answer 8

Most states require kids 5 and up to be in school but some are required at age 7 (1st grade) it all depends on where you live. As for been sick, my rule is if they are not throwing up or have a fever or rash then they go to school. My kids complain all the time of tummy aches and not feeling well in the mornings, I try and tell them to get up and eat something and get ready maybe they will feel better and it almost always works!! Even if they call a welfare officer if you have proof or written statments from your doctor then you have nothing to worry about. I'd say your lucky my schools policy is if they have 10 or more unexused missed days then they call in the truncy officers....GOOD LUCK!!

Answer 9

The law requires that children between the ages of 4 1/2 and 18 be in some type of formal education for a certain number of days per year. That is the law, it is not the school's fault, nor the teacher's nor the pricnipale of the school's fault...that is the law. If you don't like the law I suggest you go to congress and lobby for a bill to be passed in your favor or have it put on the next ballot at election time. THAT is how laws are passed. Since your son has not been in school for the required (by law) number of days YOU have basically broken the law and just like anyone else who breaks the law you CAN be arrested. If you want to keep your child at home I can only suggest that you look into homeschooling him...otherwise send him to school.

Answer 10

58% is a bit much. If he has been that ill to miss that many days you should have dr's notes to provide. A tummy ache? Give 'em some pepto, if he is not throwing up send him to school. If it is still a problem, the nurse will call you. Has a fever? Keep him home. A cold, some cough syrup, and send 'em to school. Unless his nose is running. You sound hostile with the answers you are getting. If you didn't want peoples opinion, you should not have asked.

Answer 11

I don't know about your school but unless my grandchildren have a doctor's excuse it's held against them. If they miss 6 days, the truant officer contacts the parents and finds out why. Without a dr.s excuse, the parents can be taken to court. The only way a child can be released for three days other than being sick is good grades and good attendance.