Project handed in late due to illness

[BobblyGussets]

I am really disappointed on DS's behalf. He spent a number of weeks doing a school work project bit by bit on the rainforest. Last two days of term he was ill, so I handed the project into the teacher's pigeon hole on the Friday which was an inset day. He's come home saying Mr B didn't mark it because it was handed in too late.

Ffs, he was ill and because he was sick once, the school's 48 hour policy kicked in so even though he was well enough for the last day of term, he couldn't do because he wasn't past 48 hours since vomiting.

He is 8, he has dyslexia, getting him to work and do school work is really hard and DS is not the only one who gets demoralised with it all . It's like pulling teeth sometimes, so I really feel let down.

WIBU to insist the teacher marks it? Any teachers here have any wisdom to offer us.

[Alliwantisaroomsomewhere]

No, you would not be unreasonable at all. 8 is very young for this kind of strictness especially considering that your son was ill.

Good luck!

[Fuzzywuzzywozabear]

Goodness, the child is 8 - it's not GCSE work! OP YANBU and I would be raising it if it was me, yes

[BobblyGussets]

Thanks so far. I have left a message on the school answer phone but it was a bit hedge-y along the lings of, "If what DS tells us is correct and it was officially too late we are very disappointed"......

It is Friday and I want a few beers/wines and a nice evening, but DH is going to be moaning at me for not getting it in earlier under my own steam whilst DS1 was off ill . It was at least handed in before the official half term week.

DS's teacher has to see us on Monday for parent's evening, so I will bring it up again then.

[BackforGood]

I would be reminding him of what you've written here, tbh. I assumed at the start you were talking about GCSE coursework!

[Alliwantisaroomsomewhere]

If your kid was ill, were you supposed to drag him in to school to get the project handed in? What if he was vomitting and diarrhoea everywhere? Surely your DH would not be that unreasonable?

I reckon the teacher that refused to mark this project is a little bit full of their own importance.

[Pozzled]

From a teacher's point of view, I would guess that he had forgetten your son was ill those last two days. He may have taken all the projects home on the Thu, to mark over the half term and not checked his pigeon hole on the Fri.

If I were the teacher, I would have no problem marking your son's work- but I would be very annoyed at having to work the mark of anyone who simply forgot to hand it in on time. These kind of projects take a while to look at properly, and it's much easier to find the time in holidays than term time.

[Pozzled]

Ermm, 'mark the work' not 'work the mark' of course.

[manicinsomniac]

YANBU, that sounds ridiculous!

Are you sure the teacher didn't say he hadn't marked it YET because it was late and he would need some more time?

It seems unbelievable to teach an 8yo like that.

I have been known to rant and rave about late work (though not if the child was ill and not to an 8yo!) but I will still mark it ffs!

[Ghoulwithadragontattoo]

Hopefully the teacher has just forgotten that your son was sick. You put in his pigeonhole in time anyway so it should definitely be marked. Make sure teacher knows that DS had put a lot into the project.

[BobblyGussets]

Thanks everyone. I am feeling unreasonably upset and disappointed for some reason, meh. Don't worry, I am not crying or anything.

[Ecgwynn]

Teachers like to mark things all together in sets because it's easier, you're 'in the zone' and probably its a fairer way because you can compare the different pieces of work. He probably put aside some time to do all the projects and didn't get your DS's until afterwards. I'm sure he'll do it eventually.

[zipzap]

As well I would ask them to clarify what their policy is for getting school work in when the child is off sick - as I assume they have a policy for being off 48 hours after last bout of d&v.

So if they have no allowances for people being off sick handing in their work on their return they effectively have two policy's that put a child with d&v in a position of having to break one or other policy - go in while sick and pass on the bug to the school or not get their work in on time.

Make them tell you what you should have done. It's not reasonable to expect a parent to make a special trip in to deliver as they might be ill themselves oplus the child might not be able to leave home... Plus it is not reasonable to expect a child to hand work in early on the off chance they are ill - IRS not like people actively seek out illness!

[zipzap]

As well I would ask them to clarify what their policy is for getting school work in when the child is off sick - as I assume they have a policy for being off 48 hours after last bout of d&v.

So if they have no allowances for people being off sick handing in their work on their return they effectively have two policy's that put a child with d&v in a position of having to break one or other policy - go in while sick and pass on the bug to the school or not get their work in on time.

Make them tell you what you should have done. It's not reasonable to expect a parent to make a special trip in to deliver as they might be ill themselves oplus the child might not be able to leave home... Plus it is not reasonable to expect a child to hand work in early on the off chance they are ill - IRS not like people actively seek out illness!