Sickness absence from school - D&V

[Manic3mum]

Daughter (6) came home from school with delightful D&V bug which she kindly shared with me. I kept her off school for 48hrs which then coincided with the end of the school week. When I advised school, was told oh she could have come back after 24hrs - I questioned this as the recommended guidelines state 48hrs.
Received this back -
We do have the Public Health Guidelines, which you so kindly attached, in the Office. However, as I am sure you are aware, with very young children sometimes sickness or diarrhoea can be caused by things other than viruses and can be very mild. If a child has only been sick once, our recommendation might be for them to stay off school for 24 hours. If we feel that there are ‘bugs’ going around, or an outbreak of something like the Noro virus, we are more stringent about insisting on the 48 hours.
Thank you again for your help.
My question is - how am I or indeed school supposed to know the difference between a 24hr exclusion 'mild virus' and a 48hr exclusion 'bug'
AIBU to be rather confused and annoyed by this response?

[sakura]

YANBU, You used your judgement as a mother and I think their response is weird.

[Aberchips]

YANBU I was told by my son's school that NHS guidelines are 48 hours with NO exceptions. How are you supposed to know if they "feel" there are bugs going round?

[Girlwhowearsglasses]

I think they are trying to say that the child who went to a party on Sunday afternoon, ate too many cakes, and puked on the way home, or the one who has a bad cold and coughed so much they felt sick are covered by your discretion rather than the 48 hour rule.

I don't think they've put it very well though, and if it really was D&V then 48 should be enforced - weird of them to say 24.

(looks across at DS who is on day two of D&V quarantine and watching Wizard of Oz perfectly happily)

[Madeyemoodysmum]

They are being pathetic. I'd be pissed off. You have not done anything wrong.
Is it a school that's obsessed with attendance?

[zipzap]

I'd just say, if they were to say I'm screwing up their attendance figures question me about it, 'oh well, as she gave the virus to me too and I know from personal experience that it wasn't a mild virus, I'm glad i kept her off for 48 hours!'

[TooTiredToThinkOfAUsername]

YANBU and their response seems a bit arsey and patronising.

[flimmyflam]

YABU - I don't really see what's to be annoyed about here. That advice seems sound to me. Yep it's hard to know whether it's a virus or not so as far as I can see that guidance gives you leeway to err on the side of safety if in doubt. But it also gives people who are fairly sure that the sickness has some other cause (because there doesn't seem to be continual vomiting) leeway to keep their kids off for a shorter time if they want. Basically this seems to just let parents use their judgment. I don't see the problem with that.

[McButtonwillow]

YANBU the guidelines are 48 hours for a reason and the school are in no position to decide how severe/contagious your childs illness is. My ds (5) is off school today after vomiting once in the night and I'll be keeping him off for 48 hours even though he seems fairly bright and has only been sick once.

[McButtonwillow]

YANBU the guidelines are 48 hours for a reason and the school are in no position to decide how severe/contagious your childs illness is. My ds (5) is off school today after vomiting once in the night and I'll be keeping him off for 48 hours even though he seems fairly bright and has only been sick once

[DeliciousMonster]

I'd say 'Please can you send me a copy of the guidelines that you are working to as I am unable to tell what the difference is'.

[juneau]

That's absurd! How on earth are parents meant to tell the difference?

YANBU - the school is being ridiculous and flouting nationwide NHS guidelines.

[Manic3mum]

I did attach the guidelines in my initial email when I queried it just to back up my argument. In my first phone call to school I stated that I'd caught it from her too and it was definitely a bug and nothing else. She had been at school all day Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday (not at a party/eating too much cake/running round /overexcited) woke at midnight and vomited - EVERYWHERE!
My main issue is - if they are letting other children back in to school with D&V after 24hrs then they are only serving to help the spread of the bugs around every child.
I subsequently found out from other parents that there has been a bug going round - some of the teachers had it! So that argument is null and void. I think essentially HT just doesn't like me - it certainly feels that way!

[YesIDidMeanToBeSoRudeActually]

"which you so kindly attached"

Yep, they don't like you. Sorry.

I think we need to see your initial email to them. Their response is definitely arsey and a bit thick, IMO.

[DeliciousMonster]

I did attach the guidelines in my initial email when I queried it

Yes, and they are obviously using different ones.

And yes it looks like the head doesn't like you.

[Manic3mum]

It was mentioned earlier that you only ask children to be kept off school for 24hrs after sickness & diarrhoea. Have attached public health guidelines which we have printed out at my school, thought it might be useful. It does recommend 48hrs off school. Hope you don’t think I’m out of place for passing this on, wasn’t sure if you were aware.

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/353953/Guidance_on_infection_control_in_schools_11_Sept.pdf

Perfectly pleasant I thought! Oh well, I'm not sure I give a rats ass whether they like me or not - they are there to educate my child, not be my friend. However I still don't agree that they are not following the government guidelines on infection control in schools. As an aside - I work at another school locally.

[DecaffTastesWeird]

YANBU - they are being fucking irresponsible