Sibling graduation is an exceptional curcumstance

Because it’s not that deep? I work in school attendance. If my child has an unauthorised absence, she misses out on the end of school reward trip. So, no it’s not stupid, it’s strategic and most normal parents do it all the time. Like I said, it’s not that deep.

I think very typical to go to your own childs graduation, just not really a siblings.

I think this is quite odd, there werent many siblings there when i graduated. I didnt attend my siblings graduations and I dont know anyone who attended one for a sibling.

Ok son, daughter, non binary, whatever. Ultimately it really doesn't matter if it is recorded as unauthorised. Like sickness absence at work is "unauthorised", it doesn't mean we don't accept it happens. As long as it's not a regular occurrence.

University graduations are dull as anything - they’ve done your kid a favour by saying no!

It’s hard for schools to assess every situation. What if a child has 6 siblings? What if they do an MA a year later and want another day off? What about a cousin they are very close to? What if it’s a long way and they want an over night stay? Easier for the school to say no.

BUT - they are your children. You created them, you gave birth to them and so you get to
make these decisions. The school
aren’t saying you can’t to, just that it will be marked as an unauthorised absence. If the attending graduation is so important to you then it shouldn’t matter. No one will ever ask for their school attendance record.

So just tell the school they won’t be there and then go off and have a lovely day. Don’t give it any more thought than that. You’ve made a good decision now you just have to roll with it.

YABU its not educational or inspirational. Its boring and now is a show of what a meat factory it is doing a degree.

I hated mine so much, I collected my certificate and continued walking straight out the building.Very glad my degree subject was very early on in the proceedings. I didnt bother with my post grad ceremony either.

DH's mum repeatedly offered for me to go instead of her to watch DH, I refused. Spent most of it in a bar, having watched DH get his certificate through a window.

DS made the choice, without any prompting from me, to not go his ceremony either. I was proud of him for declining what most people see as complusory (which it isnt).

It's utter madness. As is some people's willingness to go along with it! I fully understand that some parent treat school as an inconvenience that gets in the way of life but most people don't. Most people value their child's schooling but feel there's some things that would benefit the child/ family more as a one off.

Take your child. Don't lie, just take them. And yes, graduation ceremonies are a bit boring (I only went to my first one).

I am a teacher and I can have a day off paid for my children’s graduation.
It would be interesting to see your DD school staff handbook

It's definitely not an exceptional circumstance. It's a life choice, so I can see why the school won't approve the absence.

It's absolutely not an exceptional circumstance. Most people do not have siblings at their graduation (and I suspect most younger sibs wouldn't want to be there anyway). Just send your child to school, where they are supposed to be.

They're fine letting them have 4 days off for grandparents funerals (plus another few when it's happens in my experience) but a single graduation seems to not to be a priority

It’s dull for the graduates too. 😂 After my turn the endless list of names and the speaker was really boring and I just wanted it to be over.

Anecdotally - I took my daughter out of school to see her favourite author at the book festival in my city (that oddly corresponds to English school holidays although we are in Scotland so the kids here can’t see most of it. Super annoying.)

we are also an ‘academic’ family (not sure what you meant by this really but my husband and I both work at a university so maybe we count?) and I felt this would be worth missing a half day of school. The school obviously knew but also obviously couldn’t approve the absence. It was a lovely day and my daughter was ‘inspired’. She has a 98% attendance record for what it’s worth.

My point is that I made a judgement call as a parent and prioritised this over attending school that day. I didn’t need the school’s permission and didn’t ask. I made sure she attended school pretty much every day otherwise and had a guilt free afternoon of book chat. Everything was fine.

I think that’s all anyone is trying to explain. The school isn’t making any sort of judgement on your priorities, they can’t. It doesn’t fit the specifics of an excused absence, but you can do it anyway.

I hope you have a lovely day and congrats to your daughter!

cramptramp said son, I was replying to this post.

I think the school are being ridiculous.

DD's friend and her sibling had the day off (with the school's blessing) to attend their DM's graduation during the summer term. It's an important thing to celebrate as a family and, as you say, can be inspiring.

Watching from Ireland, I just can't believe this. We just tell the school what we are doing. We have amongst the highest rates of progression to third level in the EU so doesn't seem to be doing any harm.

We only ever got 2 tickets for each of my 3 children's graduations so none attended each other's

Apologies if I misread your original post. I thought your younger child was a son. It matters not a jot to the idea however.

My siblings have never attended any of my graduations and I haven’t attended theirs.

But, it’s important to you so why does it matter if it unauthorised or not? We always tend to do things by the book, but I’m taking my child out of school for a family event and I know it won’t meet the criteria. So what? Who gets to decide what events matter? The parents. It’s only a day, I’m sure these rules aren’t in place to stop people taking a day out of school for a rare special event. It’s for children who are consistently taken out of school.

I’d prefer those children are monitored and we have an unauthorised day out of school. One day will make no difference to my child’s education as they are fortunate to not be in the situation these blanket laws are made for.

I voted YABU because it’s not an exceptional circumstance- as in she doesn’t have to go and most siblings don’t go to graduations. An exceptional circumstance is a funeral or essential medical appointment.

BUT I don’t think you would be unreasonable to just take her anyway, she’s your child you can take her out of school for a day if you want to.

She hasn't mentioned having a son so why do people keep talking about her son?!

Yes I’m perplexed by the ‘academic family’ day out, tickets are so limited