To believe parents shouldn't send their kids to school ill

[sailorcherries]

Before we start, I'm not talking about a cold, cough, sniffles etc. I am talking about actual illnesses and vomiting.

I teach and the amount of children who get sent to school after throwing up that morning or over the night are ridiculous! There is a clear policy which states that your child should not return until 48hrs after the last bout. Yet day after day we have kids turn up and then sent home before lunch time because we a) find out or b) they're ill again.

Today I sent kids home because they got sent in with the bloody chicken pox. Their parents noticed the spots, knew about them, and sent them anyway under the assumption that "you only get it once so it can't be". Surely it can't just be me who would take my child to the doctor instead of school if I noticed a rash like that? They'd been there for a few days apparently.

Not only does it not help your child but it compromises the other children and staff there, some of whom will have immune disorders or may be pregnant etc.

I understand finding childcare can be hard, but actually sending an ill/infected child to school just seems so ridiculous. Aibu to be annoyed and being so annoyed by this? Obviously if spots appear at school or they get sick at school it's a different story but when they know and do nothing, it grinds my gears.

YANBU. You shouldn't go to school or work if you have vomited in last 24 hours.

Totally agree but don't ever see it happen in DS's primary. Children are often sick at school but go straight home. I have never evidenced anyone ignoring the 48 hour rule.

However, DD is at secondary school and her maths teacher on Monday this week had to leave the lesson quite near the beginning, saying he didn't feel well. He came back after quite a long time. DD said that they assumed he had been sick, and moaned about his stomach for the rest of the lesson. He then taught them on Tuesday and Thursday. She's been anxiously asking me, when he would be most contagious and when we could be sure she didn't have it. I wasn't very happy about this.

People are often at my work place unwell, saying how they vomited last night/this morning and that really annoys me.

If I don't go to work, I don't get paid. If I don't get paid, we don't eat.

Unless I am physically unable to leave my bed, I go to work, no matter how ill.

Sometime I wonder if people realise how hard things can be for NMW/LP/zero hours (and often all of the above at once)

I will take time off if the youngest is ill but only if she shows me actual evidence of vomit. "I feel sick/have tummy ace" is not enough reason to lose what would amount to our weekly shop by taking an unpaid day off.

Sure, some people take the piss, but most of the time parents would love to keep their child home when they are ill but for numerous reasons feel unable to.

Blaming the parents and not OFSTED policy/zero hours contracts is what allows this cycle to continue.

YANBU when it comes to S&D, chickenpox very obviously poorly children. However there are a few things that make it difficult to make the call to keep a child off school.

1. Sometimes the child is perfectly ok in the morning and then suddenly comes out with something at school.
2. Sometimes a tummy ache is not a tummy ache and it is difficult to make the right call.
3. A child can throw up for reasons other than a sickness bug - my DD heaves at certain smells or if she sees any one else throw up.
4. How many of us have had a 'poorly' child at home bouncing off the wall by midday.
5. Pressure from the school about attendance which totally conflicts with the 'please don't send your child to school if they are not well' message. So if you keep your kid off for illnesses as instructed you then get scary letters saying that you are a bad parent and they won't pass any GCSEs.
6. Work - impact on career, being accused of being flakey, letting people down, guilt, stress, loosing out on pay, pressure to pay bills. Is it any wonder parents take a chance, dose them up on calpol and pray they make to the end of the day without the dreaded call.