Posting here because I am slightly at a loss as to how to respond to this.
My daugher is 6 and this is her second year in school though first at this particular primary as we moved last summer. It is a small, rural school in a tight knit community- and her class has about 25 kids.
What happened is this: last week during break my daughter was making a den in the school garden. One of the other students told her that the younger children would come and tear it down after break. My daughter was very upset by this (she is a bit OCD about having her stuff destoyed) so when the bell went, she stayed outside to protect the den.
Instead of going back to the regular class, they were due to have a class with the music teacher. Apparently nobody did a head count- because nobody noticed my daughter wasn't there- and she missed the whole class, a half hour or so or maybe longer.
After music the students went back to the normal classroom and her usual primary class teacher headcounted and noticed one child wasn't there, whereupon the alarm was raised and a search commenced. I don't know exactly how long it took them to find her.
The primary class teacher phoned me later that day to explain what happened BUT she didn't make clear that my daughter had missed the whole of music class- so I was left with the impression that her absence was noted right after break and she was found a very short time later. So I didn't make a big deal out of it and just reiterated to my daughter that she needs to always come in at the bell and follow instructions. It was only when speaking to some other parents (who had heard about it from their children) that I then quizzed my daugher and got more of the story.
My daughter was fine so I don't want to overreact- but had something sinister or injurious actually happened to her, it would have been some time before anyone realised- and frankly, I don't understand why no onc noticed earlier. I am thinking I will go back to the school and simply flag my concern that there appears to be a lapse in their procedures in accounting for all the kids, at least where external teachers are concerned. Or should I go more on the warpath? I like her primary teacher and have generally been happy with the school.