Dad’s fury after ‘shocking’ school rule means son can ‘only be ill on weekends’

A dad was left fuming after a school attendance programme made his son believe he could ‘only be ill on weekends’.

Nathan Burns, 27, took to social media after hearing his son say he couldn’t take off school even when ill because he hoped to win an attendance award.

Nathan, from Nottingham, said his son’s school awards pupils with the highest level of attendance with a certificate.

But he’s slammed the award, saying the policy is ‘not healthy’ and ‘stresses out’ children.

He told the Manchester Evening News: ‘His attendance is high. He said he could only be ill on the weekends, that really worried me. He’s at risk of making himself ill by not taking a day to recover if he’s feeling under the weather.

‘I think if he was ill tomorrow and I said he couldn’t go he’d be really worried and stressed. I feel really sad about that, it’s not healthy.

‘At this age parents are responsible for getting children to school so it makes no sense to reward the kids for things they have no control over.’

Nathan’s thoughts on the matter went viral on social media.

He added: ‘Then you have children who have other things going on, maybe anxiety, or other medical conditions, or responsibilities at home which mean they can’t attend every day. This is an award they can’t hope to achieve.

‘It’s a phenomenal school and I’m really happy with it, I don’t think schools are doing this on purpose, but I felt sad and frustrated that this worry had been pushed on to my son.

‘These awards are basically awards of luck: if you happen to have everything in your favour and you don’t get ill for a term then maybe you’ll get a certificate.’

Earlier this year, a mum shared her anger after receiving a letter from her son’s school questioning his attendance – even though they knew he was fighting a serious illness.

Vicky Tassari received the letter from Northfleet Technology College about her 13-year-old son Louie’s attendance.

The letter highlighted her son’s absences from school – despite staff knowing he is suffering with severe aplastic anaemia and had recently had a stem cell transplant.

Vicky, 35 and from Gravesend in Kent, said she was ‘disgusted’ to receive the letter when her son is ‘lucky to be alive’ following treatment from his serious illness.

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