School attendance policies make kids, parents, and communities sick; literally. Now, they’re getting worse, starting with one district in Tennessee.
Long-standing evidence shows that when children attend school while sick with contagious illnesses, those illnesses spread to their classmates and beyond. However, absence policies at school, combined with parents’ employment obligations, often result in sick children returning while still contagious.
The latest controversial policy, which bars parents from using a doctor’s note to excuse absences due to illness, could exacerbate the issue.
A Controversial New Policy
School policies on absences vary, but in general, kids have a set number of days that can be missed (perhaps around 15) without an excuse. Additional days can only be missed if they’re excused, which may require a note from a doctor. Exceeding the limit can result in visits from a truancy officer or Child Protective Services, or even trigger legal consequences for the parents.
A standard school year is approximately 180 days of class time, and missing 10% of this, or 18 days, is typically defined as “chronic absenteeism.”
Now, according to News Channel 10, the Lawrence County School District in Tennessee will no longer excuse absences with a doctor’s note. Michael Adkins, Director of Schools for the district, argues that this is the district choosing to “take control of the attendance of our students,” and that students who “have the sniffles” can come to school sick, just as they’ll be expected to show up at work one day despite illness, adding, “We have all gone to work sick and hurt and beat up.”
The district has even sent messages to local medical offices, urging doctors to “emphasize the importance of regular school attendance” when kids show up in their offices for treatment.
Furthermore, kids who come to school sick and are sent home by the school nurse will also be penalized with tardy marks.
Excused Absences Cost Families
Policies that require a doctor’s note to excuse an absence can be challenging for parents and children who lack health insurance or access to medical care. Even where there are free or sliding-scale health centers, long waits or limited appointments may be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Even with insurance, co-pays, and taking extra time off work to travel to the doctor for a minor illness (the kind that could be treated with a few days of rest and fluids), parents face additional strain, as does the medical system, which’s already suffering from provider shortages. I know I’m not the only one who has called to make an appointment recently and been told the first available slot is more than 6 months out!
The difference between an excused and an unexcused absence may mean that a child isn’t allowed to make up missed work or tests, or can result in a requirement to attend summer school or repeat a grade.
School Attendance Is Genuinely Important
None of this is intended to suggest kids should take as many days off school as they like, whenever they choose!
Teachers have a finite number of instructional hours available. Curriculum is most effective with lots of reinforcement — that is, your kid will be better at multiplication if he practices regularly and spends time in class listening to the procedures and the practical uses (word problems!) than if he is instructed once and misses class until a new topic is introduced.
Preparing makeup work for absent students is also an extra task for teachers, as is the additional grading required for assignments handed in late due to illness.
Furthermore, school funding relies in part on attendance, so high rates of absences can strip a school of money needed for staffing and equipment.
We can all respect that unnecessary absences have detrimental effects for the student, the teacher, and the entire school, but that doesn’t excuse (no pun intended) penalizing kids for genuinely being sick, or demanding that they spread their illness to the rest of the student body.
Implementing Policies That Work
A further problem with policies that limit kids’ absences is that when kids come to school sick, more students (as well as teachers and staff) become ill. In the end, one sick child coming to school while contagious can result in more absences, rather than fewer.
Parents can attend school board meetings and advocate for policies that benefit their children. These may include access to classwork during sick days, and a limited number of absences excused by a parental note, rather than requiring a medical appointment.
Schools can also partner with local clinics and medical centers to develop policies that recognize and communicate to parents when a child should stay home and when it is safe for them to return after recovering from a contagious illness.
Most importantly, adults should not encourage children to adopt a mindset that involves sacrificing their health for a system that prioritizes productivity over well-being.