Business Protocol

a.k.a  Schools are Big Business

“Gosh, I almost forgot to call the school,” a mother recently lamented as she rushed to a phone. “My son won’t be in school today.”

“Oh,” I said sympathetically when she returned. “he must really be sick.”

“no, he went deer hunting with his Dad,”  she sighed.  “Actually, he doesn’t really like to hunt, but, he likes to be with his Dad.”

I am not against deer hunting.  I understand all about culling the herd and male bonding. (What I’m really against is donkey basketball, but that’s another topic for another column.)

My gripe is about why this woman, who is a kind lady and a good Mother, just compromised her values and lied to cover up for her son who was doing something he didn’t even really want to do.

In another incident, a student had his parent’s permission to go on a long week-end ski trip.  He missed one day of school. 

When the school found out, they prevented him from going on the Senior Class Trip. His attendance at graduation was put in jeopardy when the parents objected to the consequence  imposed on their son.

School districts are big, multi-million dollar businesses.

I’ve always considered “going to school” a child’s job.  Learning should be their top priority.  They work for grades instead of money.

Perhaps schools should allow each high school student to take three personal days per school year. (I also think school should be year-round, just like other big businesses, but here again, another topic for another column.)

Such a policy would foster personal responsibility and ethical honesty.

It would be the high school student’s, not the parent’s  responsibility to notify the school at least one day in advance of taking a personal day.  Upon returning to school, the student’s written excuse would simply say Personal Day.

The students should have the freedom to choose which days to use as personal time.  They should be responsible for catching-up on the class notes and homework, but, may not make-up any missed tests.  The ethical dilemma about being dishonest would not exist. There would be no need for an attendance cover-up.

If the    purpose of a student’s going to school is to become able to function well in our community, then, accepting the responsibility of when to take a   personal day is more consistent with business protocol.