Apparently funding is based on attendance so this is an issue for the
schools. On the other hand, it can go to ridiculous lengths. My
daughters friend was kidnapped by an abusive ex-boyfriend and taken out
of state. She managed to escape a week later. Because she did not have
a doctor's note, the absence was unexcused and she ended up failing that
semester based on the absences! I tend to be fairly willing to give
notes if the family is not abusing the privilege.
Vicki
wrote:
I dunno - I think the problem lies with the schools who expect us to police sick kids who miss school. I absolutely agree that not every sick kid needs to be seen. The problem is the school "requiring" a doctor's note for *every* absence. I think it should be encumbent on the SCHOOL to keep track of who's missing a lot of days and make sure that they get a note if they are frequently absent. I don't want my staff to have the added task of keeping track of who gets how many notes. At our next local public school meeting of the health committee I sit on, this issue is going to be brought up.
Eve H. Switzer, MD
rural peds
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