There are many children who do not get ill often and some that do.
To all the parents saying 5 days is a lot and your child has only been ill once in 5 years. That's great, but one child's immune system and susceptibility is not comparable to another's.
I have a son who never catches anything - even when the rest of the family had Covid and when D+V knocked the rest of us sideways 1 by 1, he had no symptoms at all.
I also have a daughter who catches every cold going and it generally leads to a more serious infection - sinusitis, tonsillitis, perforated ear drum, pneumonia and croup.
Children who are sent into school and deemed well enough but cough and sneeze over others aren't just spreading their mild cold germs. Just because your child can battle through with a germ, it doesn't mean that every other child is affected in the same way, and, does not make you a superior parent, or me a failing one.
The Government led school attendance policies are not fair and not reasonable.
I have attended many meetings, been threatened with fines and court. Told to send my child in and the teachers would decide if they are ill enough to be at school. I have had the attendance officer and school nurse come to my house to 'support me' - Check up on us and saw that my daughter was actually lying in a dark room in silence as she couldn't move her head or tolerate any noise without throwing up. When children are ill or in pain they are not going to learn anything.
When I was a child I was often very ill for one day, then I'd be fine. Odd days off do not mean a child is well enough for school.
This thinking that attending school and work are more important than an individual's heath is so damaging. The lack of empathy and understanding that people are different is depressing.
Do people really feel superior that they have not broken a bone, had cancer, had flu, or an ear infection, let alone a genetic disorder or disability. Surely feeling lucky and showing compassion to those who aren't so lucky would be more appropriate.