The death of a child is a tragedy, especially when it is a family member. It is usually unexpected and difficult for adult and children who were close to the child. One school in Katy, Texas is making things more difficult for a family who allowed their children to miss school for a funeral.
Christine Barr allowed her son to attend his cousin’s funeral. The 5-year-old girl died in a drowning accident. Barr says the school told her the absence would be unexcused because the child wasn’t part of the “nuclear” family.
Apparently, the school has a history of messing up Barr’s attendance at school. They’ve counted the boy absent on several days when he was at school They’ve also sent letters from the school’s police saying there will be fines and prosecution if he was absent again.
They did excuse him for the days he was counted absent, but still will not allow him to be excused for the funeral of his cousin.
“I think it’s a parent’s decision whether or not attendance at a funeral would be important,” said Barr, who is a teacher herself. “I think the compassionate response for a child’s emotional and social learning would be to allow attendance at a funeral.
Family is not so easily defined by a mom, dad, and kids. Many families include grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, etc. It is wrong for a school to say that a cousin’s funeral is not as important as a “nuclear” family member. What do you think of this school’s policy? Should the mother fight it or just let it go?
Fight it all the way. It should not matter who the funeral is for. It’s the parents/guardians choice to have the child(ren) attend. Not for a school to decide. If it was a student and the student body went to the funeral the school would excuse the absent. What’s the difference? Family is not who you are born to, or who you live with, it has to deal with more of who you love and respect.
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