Furious parents in Tennesseeare threatening to take their children out of school after a county in the southern US state decreed that a doctor’s note will no longer excuse a pupil’s absence from school.
In a change that has been branded ‘ridiculous’ and ‘appalling’ by some, kids in Lawrence County will now simply be marked as either absent or present.
After three no-shows, ‘intervention’ will start, while eight would result in a referral to juvenile court.
The policy purportedly aims to improve attendance, but many are against it, with some suggesting that they would now consider home-schooling their offspring.
Rebecca Sanchez toldWSMV 4, a local news station in Nashville, Tennessee, how her daughter ended up missing up lots of classes due to health issues.
‘Between the strep throat and the flu, I can say she missed about 17 days,’ the mother said.
Disappointed by the new directive, she explained that having ‘never been for or against homeschool,’ the policy ‘has definitely changed’ her mind.
The outlet also reported that during the area’s June school board meeting, the Director of Schools for Lawrence County,Michael Adkins, laid out the policy, explaining that a child could ‘fail the grade’ for missing school days.
Lawrence County, a district in the southern US state of Tennessee, has said that a doctor’s note will no longer excuse a child’s absence from school. Stock image used
Some were incensed by the new directive, with one person on social media branding it ‘a ridiculous idea
Michael said: ‘You can fail the grade. You can fail the course. You are going to be petitioned to court. You are not going to participate in graduation, get your driver’s license or permit.’
‘We are going to take control of the attendance of our students,’ he continued. ‘You can bring all the doctor’s notes you want, but it is still unexcused.’
Although certain exemptions will exist – for example, for chronic illnesses – Michael emphasized that the new policy would help children develop a strong work ethic.
He said: ‘If you have the sniffles, that is fine. You are going to have them when you go to work one day. We have all gone to work sick and hurt and beat up.’
At the same time, Lawrence County allegedly told local medical providers to ’emphasize the importance of regular school attendance while treating school-aged patients.’
In the case that a child goes to school when they are feeling unwell and is sent home by the school nurse, they will also be marked as having missed some of the school day.
Parents including Lauren argued that parents are being stripped of their parental responsibility.
She said: ‘As a parent, how can we give someone else the right to say what is wrong with our child?’
The new policy has also been heavily criticized online, particularly on Reddit, where the changes were posted earlier this week.
Writing in a subreddit called ‘ZeroCovidCommunity’, which appears to have been set up during the Covid-19 pandemic as a place for people to advocate for ‘reducing transmission’ through concrete measures, one person said: ‘Well this sounds like a ridiculous idea. People love to focus on anything but the actual issue.’
Another person argued: ‘Said district needs to be sued for its incompetence.’
A third Reddit user wrote: ‘Their announcement said it all…They’re training kids to sacrifice their health so someone else can make money.
‘If I were a parent in the district, I would be tempted to bring a lawsuit. That is literally inhumane.’
A fourth weighed in on the policy, writing: ‘As someone with a severe chronic illness that would’ve caused a LOT of absences if I’d had it as a kid. This is terrifying.
