What to know about the epidemic of absenteeism

"GMA" looks at school attendance and the epidemic of absenteeism on the rise since the pandemic, which puts millions of American children at risk of falling behind.

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[BFRIZZLE]

Closer schools would be helpful for those without transportation.

[RedNymph]

I love how people are clutching their pearls about missing 18 days of a whole school year. Kids get sick. You could easily eat through 18 days if you have chronic illnesses. It's up to the school to help the ill student get back on track by tailoring a custom plan for them, not punishing them by holding them behind.

18 days is honestly not alot for a whole year. But in America, we freak out if someone dares to call in sick even once, school or work. For work, other nations have way more sick leave, or even unlimited with a Dr note. But the American school system is all about conditioning future workers to just break themselves by putting the system first before your health

[catlettchristina]

My son just started 3rd grade. He has been out ~18 days each year of school due to illness. Kids get sick all of the time. I use the district attendance policy/sick policy and Dr. input regarding when to keep him out. When you push attendance too hard, other parents send their kids to school while they are ill and you perpetuate the problem.

[alyssarollinson]

18 days? My 3 kids are easily sick more than 18 days in a school year. They are still clever, honors and gate students. Classrooms are a Petri dish of germs. School districts are delusional. I guess we will send them in with vomiting and fevers. Got to get that attendance!

[waleedkhalid]

We focus a lot on the students’ pov in this crisis, but at the end of the day the kids don’t really dictate whether or not they go to school. More often than not, it is the parents who just aren’t getting their kid to school on time. The parents these days just don’t care the same way. Yes, parents these days are far more stressed, but they are also far less engaged with their kids due to their own phone addiction. I have called parents to ask them why their kid didn’t come to school that day only to learn that the kid woke up late. You job as a parent is to wake tryout kid up for school if they can’t do it themselves. Be a damn parent.

[Luuurks]

Thinking about when I grew up. I was allowed to miss school only if I had a fever or throwing up. Cold? Go to school. Headache? Go to school. Even as an adult, I probably only missed work 1 time in the last year. Are these newer gens being born with weaker immune systems? Or is this a result of poor nutrition, poor sleep/hygiene or poor parenting?

[MayTheOddsBeInYourFavor]

I think kids got used to being at home, It’s hard to disrupt routine like this and then get back on track. Imagine being able to wake up in your own bed and roll over to start classes, no bullies in your face, no teacher in your face, no commute…I wouldn’t wanna go back either.

[egr]

There’s no consequences and some families take advantage of this. High schools give diplomas to everyone basically. So of course some will show up whenever they want.

[jandp]

18 days? That’s not enough…kids get sick or they travel for 4, 5 days on top of that

[FlyBoyMT]

Everyone has an excuse of why their child is absent from school. It’s a pathetic disgrace. If you’re not gonna get off your own ass to do better and to also push your kids…no one else is going to. I sure as hell ain’t wasting my time on people who don’t want to be helped.

[up-uwop]

a lot of them are homeless so that makes it hard to have a shower and clean clothes for school. parents dont want to risk cps involvement

[SammyC-rojq]

Drugs, fortnite and twitch! School is for chumps!!! Skibidi toilet 🚽🚽🚽