Was once the teacher, now the parent

[Chubbyrobinatthedoor]

I was a class teacher (Early years/Primary) for 16 years until I had Dd. After maternity leave I went into a different area. I used to feel hard done to as a teacher in many ways and hated dealing with any problem parents etc.
Now I’m on the other side and am the parent, I find it all a bit strange.
Since Dd started school in September, she’s been ill on and off, she was rarely ill before, but this winter has been terrible, so many things going around and so many of the other children have been ill too.
Dd was off last week sick and when I brought her in at the start of this week (still not 100% to be honest) the teacher pulled me aside and asked if I had a doctors letter, I said no, we hadn’t been and she was really quite snooty with me. I wouldn’t mind so much, aside from the fact she’s missed so many days related to striking and attending demonstrations etc..I understand and support the teachers, but find it a bit off that she was funny with me when Dd has been sick, all of us have been ill on and off for 3 months really and are just trying to get by, plus all the children have been off, coughs, Scarlett fever, chicken pox going around the class.
Now I see things from the other side and really hope I didn’t come across like this when I was a teacher.

How come she’s missed so many days already due to strikes? I thought the first date was 1st Feb? I suppose the class teacher has to be vigilant about illness if a child seems visibly ill but they should do it in an understanding way.

Probably in Scotland….

How was she "funny" with you?
When you were a teacher, did you have to follow up attendance issues because of official guidelines ?

Is there a school policy that you need a doctor’s note after x days? If that applies and you haven’t got the letter then I guess I can see why she is annoyed.

If you’re not obliged to provide a doctor’s note then she can jog on, surely? Just smile and nod.

@Nimblesandbimbles I’m abroad, sorry should have put that, need an edit button 🙈

@Mamette I’m not sure, I’d never aww awww heard of any policies.

@Maireas It just felt as though she was looking down on me a bit for my Dd being off a fair bit since starting school, but they’ve all been so sick, there’s no way she could attend

Always found the way primary schools obsess over attendance weird, especially with early years. My DC were constantly sick when they first started school, it was just an endless stream of viruses which is perfectly usual. Sometimes they absolutely couldn’t go to school, things like chicken pox or norovirus for example so I wouldn’t send them in. I then got snooty remarks in the end of year report about their attendance even though there was no other option.

Sorry, should have included that’s it’s Pre school, not even formal school for another year and a half. Not a deliberate drip feed, just rubbish about posting before including!

I'm not sure that I understand - where do you live? Outside the UK?.

@Sartre This is exactly it! She’s been so ill with one thing after another, which we’ve also caught and battled through. She’d then be off ill and messages would come through saying Scarlett fever was going around and so on, so I’d keep her off a bit longer. The situation is fairly obvious with regard to illness. In between this, there’s been strikes, where I’ve had to find last minute childcare for Dd or the teacher has been to demonstrations or has been off ill. It just seemed a bit off to be saying we should have a doctors note etc

I’m not in the U.K., and the pre-schools have to report to the funding body on attendance. They can lose their funding for a pupil if the pupil doesn’t attend a certain number of days. Could it be something like that?

@Maireas Sorry, yes

@Mamette I don’t know, but I hope not! How does that apply if the child has been off with illness?

Right. So in your country, is it like @Mamette says?.

@Maireas Ive not been informed of this?

What is the policy in the country you are in? Is the teacher doing what she has to do?

As an ex-teacher yourself you understand why schools have to make enquiries and start asking questions when a child’s attendance drops below a certain %. You also know that schools are judged on their
attendance figures.
The teacher’s attendance is irrelevant here as I think you already know.
If you are happy that her low attendance is justified then think no more of it!

@Smartiepants79 It’s completely justified and I imagine many others must be in a similar situation

@GrazingSheep I’m not sure tbh, I will have to look into it, it’s never been mentioned before

Ok. It may be useful to find out what the situation is in your country. Perhaps clarify if the teacher is following instructions or being over zealous.

I think if the setting can prove the reason for absence then it is ok.

I had to write a letter when DS was in montessori, saying that he would miss every Friday for Speech Therapy, and that was ok. But if we had just not turned up every Friday then it would have been an issue.

Is your child five yet? Absence below five is not included in the school's attendance stats. Next, if a member of staff ever asks you for a doctor's certificate, laugh... loudly. Unless the school is willing to pay whatever your GP demands for such a letter you will not be bothering them for childhood illnesses. I think you will find that most ICSs will have a policy or guidance that doctors have neither the time or inclination to do this pointless admin task.

@LatteLady
The op lives abroad.

Ah, the dreaded attendance conversation. Not sure what the policy is in your country OP, but every term I am emailed a list of pupils whose attendance is below a certain percentage and I am expected to haul them in for a conversation about it. Yet another thing I consider to be not the job of a teacher.