My neighbour has an 11 year old who had meningitis a year ago. He seems to be fine on the surface but his mother insists he has hidden problems. I am not disputing this (I don't know them well enough) but my own child goes to school with her son and he is a complete arse. He's always been spoilt and was often a problem at primary school (before he was ill, so not due to meningitis), and is getting worse by the week from what I hear. Expects special treatment from teachers if he doesn't feel like doing lessons (eg often can't do gym as is tired, but is always able to play football for local club with no problem or sign of tiredness), Lord's it over the other kids by telling them he doesn't have to do anything in school he finds difficult or tiring - in fact doesn't have to go to school at all if he doesn't want to.
Anyway that's the potted background, school have just sent out the annual letter about attendance and his Mum was making a big production of tearing up the letter in the car park while telling everyone that it doesn't apply to her special little snowflake as their Meningitis charity worker has told her she doesn't have to send him to school if she feels he shouldn't be there.
I feel really sorry for her son. Surely the way to go would be to treat him as normally as possible and only take decisions to step out of the norm if really necessary? And does the law really state that you can just keep a child away from school in these circumstances without medical notes or having to home school?