Miserable Bastards - ds been ill and now back - been bollocked for not chasing homework off mates and doing in absence

[Piffle]

I'm going to rant at them....
DS has been off 3 days last week with severe sinusitis
He was in a lot of pain so when his mate rung with the homework I told them to tell teach that ds was too ill to complete work but would catch up as as soon as he returned.
DS went back today (still on sinutab but much better) I did send a note in explaining he had been too ill.

And texted me saying that he still got told off.
Ridiculous am really cross
He's top of his bloody class, works quickly and well, he will catch up in no time.
He is only in yr 8 FFS

I would laugh in my boss's face if he asked me to work at home whilst sick. I fully expect to put in extra hours and catch up when I'm back, but I would kick up a MAJOR stink if DD's school gave her detention for not working whilst actually sick.

I don't understand, Slayerette. Are you saying that all planning is done at the last minute? Didn't you plan for your lessons at least a few weeks in advance so the info is ready and waiting for the Sub teacher.
"Planning" lesson-by-lesson is not, by my definition, planning!

But it depends what you do as a job. I don't have time between arriving back in school after an absence and facing my first class to 'put in the extra hours' so they have to be done while I'm still off sick. But, having said that, I wouldn't expect any child to come back from an absence and have work ready to hand in - I would give them an extension on any deadlines to allow them to catch up. It seems ridiculous to expect anything other than that.

Usually I have no issue, kids start to get well before you send them back therefore can do a bit of catch up at home.
However with ds he was on hefty meds which knocked him out.
He started to get better (the head pain going, chest clearing) on Monday afternoon but was in bed by 7.30

He was totally knocked out for the best part of thurs-mon
He never even turned on his PS2 the whole week.

He went back yesterday, brought all of the work home completed it all by 9pm and was asleep by 9.30
So he ahs caught up and they have their work ONE day later

I've spoken to the HOY and she has said detention was not an option as he had completed the work.
I also said that seeing as I had written a note explaining why ds had not pursued any work in his absence, she perhaps should have rung me rather than bollock a child who was still not 100%.

I totally appreciate what Roisin says - I know they have this policy in place as it is a highly academic grammar and failure to catch up in some subjects can be a huge problem. And some children obviously don't bother.

Fembear - it depends what kind of teacher you are. I have a scheme of work that sets out the topics I will cover in a term, and in what order, and what tasks I will do in connection with that topic but no, I don't know weeks in advance what I will be doing in Period 2 on Thursday 22nd March. I couldn't teach with those kind of limitations on me. What if we want to explore a topic further because the kids have really enjoyed it? Or I need to go over something again because the class have struggled with it more than I expected? So yes, I plan, but not to the extent that I can't adapt to respond to the students' interests or needs. That would make me a very poor teacher indeed - to plough on regardless, no matter what!

Well I am a secondary school teacher and I think it's ridiculous. The child has been ill FFS!

If it was essential homework, then I would like it to be completed when he had time. If it wasn't essential (and by this I mean if he was able to carry on lessons without it) then I wouldn't expect him to do it. But to put him in detention for it!!!

Kids are human too and I think some people forget this.

Personally, I am more interested in persistent hwk dodgers, than some poor kid who missed one through illness!

I'm glad a few people understand where I'm coming from.

And actually it's from a jealous parental perspective rather than a teacher's point of view, as I see the amount of time that is wasted in classrooms; and the impact this has on the children (like my ds1) who want to work.

Often when I read Piffle's posts about her ds1's grammar school I am insanely jealous. We don't have anything like that round here, even if you pay for it.