Many students would love to miss a day of school, but sick days at CHS take a major toll on students in all grades. Not only are the policies regarding missed school days stressful, but students also have to worry about the amount of work they must make up. Nowadays, students are missing out on doctor’s appointments just so they can keep up with school. With this problem occurring daily, the student mind is becoming less functional and more anxious, and student health is worsening.

Students have grown fearful of poor attendance because some teachers go beyond the CHS attendence and makeup policy. For example, certain teachers on campus require their students to visit their class if they are on campus at all during the school day. This is particularly for the submission of either homework or class work, and if this rule is not followed, then teachers choose to punish students for late work. Teachers must understand that students are not always available to visit their class. If a student has an emergency, needs to go home early, or is absent in general, then teachers should not punish them with strict policies. The fear that students develop about the work that they will miss causes students to put their well-being on the backburner. A student’s overall well-being is more important the one lecture missed. These harsh policies regarding late work make it difficult for students to miss classes even if they are feeling sick.

Students go to school in unhealthy conditions on a daily basis, thus resulting in the inability to focus in school which worsens their health. This could result in the prolonging of illnesses and inevitably more absent days. Students feel pressured into attending classes regardless of their physical or mental state due to the stringent homework makeup policy created by some teachers. This creates serious stress and dread in students who want to get better, but cannot afford to miss school because of the late work policies. According to The Washington Post, the average child catches 6-10 colds a year. If students are sick and do not want to be punished by a teacher for missing their class, students must communicate with their teachers and find helpful ways to get the missing work completed so they can feel comfortable when they miss school for a doctor’s appointment or to get better.

Some students believe that attending school while sick is the best way to handle one’s schedule. CHS students are required to have at least five classes for all four years, meaning that missing a single day of school can mean being behind on five different assignments that need to be made up. One major example is student-athletes who are always battling illnesses or injuries on top of school. These students refuse to skip a day of school. Student-athletes feel even more pressure not to miss school. Most coaches around CHS have strict punishments when an athlete misses practices. In many sports, when an athlete misses practice the day before a game, the athlete cannot participate in the game. Although this argument is reasonable, it is always best for a student to take care of their health. If a student knows they are going to be absent, it is the student’s responsibility to communicate with a teacher so that a punishment does not fall into place. Moreover, the U.S. education system needs to become less oriented around attendance and focus more on how well students learn.

Public high school funding ought not be based on attendance because that does not illustrate the quality of education a high school is providing. High school attendance does not define how well a student is able to learn which is the overall purpose of school.