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Original poster

To despise school policy of going in when sick

90 replies

Thankyouschool · 18/09/2024 12:59

So once again we’re just over 2 weeks in to the new school term and DS has brought a mutant cold virus home.

Its wiped out the entire house. His two brothers are ill so is DH and so am I. DH has started a new job so is struggling on but luckily WFH. I’ve come into work & locked myself away trying not to infect my colleagues. I am so ill with streaming noise and eyes I’ve had to lie down in the work toilet. My head is banging & I can’t stop coughing.

All because the DS secondary school he attends tells everyone they must go in even if they feel unwell. The recent government campaign promoting everyone going in even with heavy colds doesn’t help “you might feel better when you get there” the poster shrieks with a young school girl with a streaming cold on the ad.

I thought after Covid we’d get better at telling people to stay home with infectious diseases but apparently not.

I am so so angry.

OP posts:
Original poster
Thankyouschool · 21/09/2024 10:42

wellington77 and there lies the problem when you say schools want a “doctors letter”. Everyone including OFSTED and schools knows the NHS is on its knees. You can’t get a GP appointment let alone a “doctors letter”. DS had a sickness bug which meant he obviously couldn’t go into school. I can only imagine the laughter if I rang up our GP surgery asking for a “doctors letter” for DS and his sickness bug.

OP posts:
wellington77 · 20/09/2024 17:33

Thankyouschool · 19/09/2024 12:43

Goodness some really unkind remarks on here. I kept my DS off school as I didn’t want him to go in and infect the rest of the school. Maybe if the parent of the child who did infect my DS with this filthy infection had done the same DS and my entire family wouldn’t be wiped out with it.

I had to go into work with it, sat in a room on my own with the door shut. Wore a mask when I had to leave to go to the loo and made sure I washed my hands regularly. Kids in school cannot isolate in a room and end up spreading so hardly the same thing at all! Today I’m WFH.

We have been told our kids can have a MAXIMUM of 5 days per school year with illness. 5 days. That’s nothing when the school is a hotbed of germs. DS had a sickness bug last year. I kept him off for over a week. I had a letter from the school and an appointment with the attendance officer. This is what a lot of us are dealing with. The message from my DS school is you go in regardless of how ill you are. A disgusting policy.

I’m a teacher, legally a school cannot say a kid can only have five days off, if you’ve got a drs letter you are fine. If it’s 6 days off in a row with a note from you it’s fine. You may very well have a chat with the attendance officer at school - doesn’t mean you have to go. Schools are just hot on attendance at the moment due to pressure from above and Ofsted.so yes they will scare you with a school letter. Councils only fine you when it’s repeated separate illnesses that can’t be justified/ proven

Mama2many73 · 19/09/2024 16:16

Please be aware this pressure is coming from government not schools who have little say. Schools do not want ill kids in school, they want non attenders or prolific absentees in as this is when results can be improved.
30+ kids often in small, badly ventilated/heated classrooms, often with little time to go to the bathroom, to maintain hand hygiene is NOT the same as some one in an office who as OP says can get up, go out of the room, have a drink, wash their hands etc.

Original poster
Thankyouschool · 19/09/2024 14:00

I think the point is it’s the school policy of you must send your child in even when they are highly infectious and unwell that is the problem.

I keep my DS off but OTHER parents don’t. Maybe they are scared of being contacted by the attendance officer maybe they feel they have no choice but to send their child in when every other sick child is being sent in. Maybe it is the child themselves who are scared to take time off when they are ill because they know they will be interrogated by teachers as to why they didn’t come in. It could be a number of reasons.

My point is that during Covid schools effectively shut down to stop the spread. Schools have now gone the other way and the policy is come in even when ill and infectious. Such a huge turnaround and why? As a previous poster said how does sending a sick child into school help? They will be too unwell to learn and just spreading their germs.

As an adult if I go into work sick I can get a drink for my sore throat whenever I want, I can go to the toilet to blow my nose, I can avoid my colleagues by sitting in a room on my own. Most pupils can’t do any of that. My DS can’t even go to the toilet or top up his water bottle during lessons.

OP posts:
LoobyDoop2 · 19/09/2024 13:44

I didn’t mean to imply that it’s an exclusively or even majority male attitude, I just couldn’t think of a better word.

Walkden · 19/09/2024 13:35

"the stupid, shortsighted macho mentality that “it’s just a cold, suck it up and keep working”.

Like it or not it's government policy and plenty of people on here have the "illness is part of life" attitude so I wouldn't describe it as a "macho" thing. Lots of people have no choice because of no or laughable sick pay.

It's not like men are the only ones that go into the office with a "cold" and women are very responsible and stay home.....

LoobyDoop2 · 19/09/2024 13:28

I can’t stand the stupid, shortsighted macho mentality that “it’s just a cold, suck it up and keep working”. These people are the reason there are so many bloody colds going around.

Sleepersausage · 19/09/2024 13:08

Thankyouschool · 19/09/2024 12:43

Goodness some really unkind remarks on here. I kept my DS off school as I didn’t want him to go in and infect the rest of the school. Maybe if the parent of the child who did infect my DS with this filthy infection had done the same DS and my entire family wouldn’t be wiped out with it.

I had to go into work with it, sat in a room on my own with the door shut. Wore a mask when I had to leave to go to the loo and made sure I washed my hands regularly. Kids in school cannot isolate in a room and end up spreading so hardly the same thing at all! Today I’m WFH.

We have been told our kids can have a MAXIMUM of 5 days per school year with illness. 5 days. That’s nothing when the school is a hotbed of germs. DS had a sickness bug last year. I kept him off for over a week. I had a letter from the school and an appointment with the attendance officer. This is what a lot of us are dealing with. The message from my DS school is you go in regardless of how ill you are. A disgusting policy.

And what exactly happens if you go over these 5 days? Why does it actually matter what the school say, you are the parent and if your child is sick let them stay at home.

Mama2many73 · 19/09/2024 12:54

DadJoke · 18/09/2024 13:14

"All because the DS secondary school he attends tells everyone they must go in even if they feel unwell."

This seems implausible. Can you tell the actual policy?

Edited

Pretty much country wide now. Adverts telling them they could feel better in the day.

As a ex teacher, school is an AWFUL place when you feel unwell, you probably WONT learn anything and you will spread germs among others!

Original poster
Thankyouschool · 19/09/2024 12:43

Goodness some really unkind remarks on here. I kept my DS off school as I didn’t want him to go in and infect the rest of the school. Maybe if the parent of the child who did infect my DS with this filthy infection had done the same DS and my entire family wouldn’t be wiped out with it.

I had to go into work with it, sat in a room on my own with the door shut. Wore a mask when I had to leave to go to the loo and made sure I washed my hands regularly. Kids in school cannot isolate in a room and end up spreading so hardly the same thing at all! Today I’m WFH.

We have been told our kids can have a MAXIMUM of 5 days per school year with illness. 5 days. That’s nothing when the school is a hotbed of germs. DS had a sickness bug last year. I kept him off for over a week. I had a letter from the school and an appointment with the attendance officer. This is what a lot of us are dealing with. The message from my DS school is you go in regardless of how ill you are. A disgusting policy.

OP posts:
Shinyandnew1 · 19/09/2024 09:54

Sending kids into school when they feel rubbish and are likely to infect everyone else around them is a really stupid idea. It’s not the idea of schools though, I am well aware of that.

We already have lots of our staff unwell this week-most streaming and sore throats, but three have Covid and are quite unwell. When people are sick and feel crap, I think they should stay at home for a day or two and minimise sharing it with others.

DadJoke · 19/09/2024 09:51

You phone up and tell the school your kid is sick in the morning. If they ask, you send them in with a letter from you saying they were sick, Unless there are lots of medical absences, that’s it.

Zanatdy · 19/09/2024 05:02

Chipsahoy · 18/09/2024 20:47

Why can’t they? None of these ridiculous policies in Scotland. My children stay home with sore throats and minor colds. They are still top of the class and doing fine. Why do we need to push through to go into school and work? It’s not what I teach my children.

Show quote history

Because kids like yours and mine can take time off and be top of class. That’s not the case for many others who are struggling anyway then a week off with a cold pushes them back further. My daughter works at home even if she is sick, many will play on Tiktok all day instead

countrysidelife2024 · 18/09/2024 21:06

I have to leave my 5 year old at the door crying as she has a tummy ache and it really upsets me but the headmistress is constantly sending me emails making sure they come in with any sickness except V&D

wellington77 · 18/09/2024 21:01

I’m not sure why you are moaning, the school doesn’t control you, it’s usual for schools to impress on everyone the importance of attendance especially after Covid. If your child is sick just keep them off. The council cannot fine you for one day off school it has to be a common thing. I’m a teacher - I literally do not bat an eyelid when a kid is sick, children are always ill, there is not a day goes by that someone isn’t at home poorly. I only notice when it’s repeated often. They can’t say it’s unauthorised absence of he is sick either if you write a note or ring them.

Wonderlust233 · 18/09/2024 20:56

This isn't good at all. It's teaching children to put work before our own health.

Areolaborealis · 18/09/2024 20:55

YANBU. If school avoidance is that bad then the school need to look at it properly and work with those families. The answer is not to force unwell kids into the classroom just to improve numbers.

museumum · 18/09/2024 20:50

Children and adults should stay home when they have a streaming cold. Go in when it’s a sniffle.

Chipsahoy · 18/09/2024 20:47

Zanatdy · 18/09/2024 19:21

Kids can’t be off with every cold, and a bit rich to be so angry when you’ve also gone to work around other people. Getting a cold is part of life, seriously I’ve had some serious illness in my 30-40’s and a cold is really not that bad. Dose up and crack on

Why can’t they? None of these ridiculous policies in Scotland. My children stay home with sore throats and minor colds. They are still top of the class and doing fine. Why do we need to push through to go into school and work? It’s not what I teach my children.

Merryoldgoat · 18/09/2024 20:40

If my children are too ill for school they don’t go in. I don’t give a fuck what school says and I’m not paying a fine.

They’ll have to take me to court.

SonicBoomInTheRoom · 18/09/2024 20:37

Mine too started as a cold and then it got to headache worse than any other headache ever and just feeling nauseous, dizzy and totally drained of energy. I'm 5 days in and still not right by any means.

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To despise school policy of going in when sick
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