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One of my jobs as a Middle School counselor is to check on student’s attendance. If their absences become excessive, I have to meet with the student and find out if there is something other than illness that is keeping them out of school, and then send letters home to parents requiring doctor’s notes for any additional absences. Obviously, each case is taken individually and when we know there is a chronic medical condition that is not held against them. Most parents are fine with the school’s attendance policy, but others become upset. Usually the ones who are really upset are those who can not afford to take their child to the doctor every time they have a tummy ache. But, we do what we can to work with these parents and help them find local resources to help them out.

As an educator, I see the importance of regular attendance. In fact, school attendance is required by law and we get the courts involved when student are not following through. I know that if students are not in class then they miss instructional time, that can not be made up simply by doing the make-up work. I know that when students are absent a lot, it becomes harder and harder to make up all the work that they have missed. I know that most students who are absent frequently, without a reason such as a severe illness, are struggling at school and at life and that the absences are simply a symptom of their struggles.

I know all this, and yet, as a parent, I see another side. I see that sometimes, kids are sick, and should not be at school. But, are they sick enough to see a doctor? Not always. I also see, as a working parent, that taking another day or even a half a day can be a struggle, and I have a fairly flexible job. What about the parents that do not have understanding bosses so they can run their kid to the doctor yet again? What about trusting parents to do the right thing?

This morning, Dash called me at 7:30 am, the time he is supposed to be heading out to the bus. He said that he didn’t feel good and didn’t think he should go to school. I struggled with whether to trust my eight year-old to be a good judge of how he felt. Sometimes kids feel better once they are actually at school and around their friends. But, he said he really didn’t feel well. So, I had my husband drive him to grandma’s for the day, It turned out that Dash did have a fever. But, I am still not ready to take him to the doctor. I don’t run to the doctor at the drop of the had and he doesn’t seem to have any symptoms that are making me want to take him to the doctor yet. So, trusting Dash was the right decision. But, then again, Dash is not struggling in school and on most days is perfectly happy to go.

I know that parents have all sorts of choices when it comes to their children’s education. But, educating your child in some way is compulsory in the United States. This is a good thing, because it increases the skill level of the whole country, and keeps education from only being for the rich. But, I am struggling with the idea of compulsory education and attendance vs. the rights of parents to do what they believe to be right for their kids. If we did not have compulsory attendance laws are there parents out there who would choose to not have their children educated? I would guess, that there are some parents that have too many other issues, that might make education a non-priority. But, are these the same parents and same kids that are already not succeeding in school? It seems to me that there must be better ways to help these families than imprisoning them with in a school system that is not working for them.
Schools spend a lot of time and a lot of resources on students who do not want to be in school. And yet, Indiana has just made it harder for kids to drop out of school. We take parents to court for not having their kids in school. The national government says that we should leave no child behind. But, are these attendance laws actually helping kids do well in school? Or are we just impinging on the rights of parents to make choices for their children? Are these laws just bringing our schools down by using resources to continue fighting a losing battle? I am not ready to give up educating struggling students, but, what about focusing our resources on those kids who want to learn?

by In The Fast Lane

[tags]school, kids, children, parents, parenting, compulsory, education, attendance, illness, fever, doctor, work, boss, flexible[/tags]
Photo graciously provided by trp0, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved