THE Board of Education is relaxing its policy on absenteeism and tardiness to give students enough opportunity to reform rather than rebel due to the punishments.
The board approved last Wednesday changes in Regulation 2310 which deals with student attendance.
The third clause under letter J of the rule imposing a penalty of either a short term suspension, in-school suspension or alternative learning program for habitual absentees had been scrapped.
The board adopted a new rule that requires students to secure a doctor’s excuse to justify their absences and/or tardiness.
Those who are on block schedule will be required to secure a doctor’s excuse for three absences in a term.
For secondary schools without block scheduling, a doctor’s excuse will be required for any six absences in a semester. For elementary schools, the same will be required.
The existing counseling measures, however, will remain in place.
Teachers are currently required to refer to a school administrator any student exhibiting a pattern of habitual tardiness or absenteeism.
On the first referral, the school authority should attempt to inform the student’s parent or guardian about the problem and the situation. A counseling with the parent and the student will then follow.
BOE Chairman Herman T. Guerrero said one of their major goals is to improve the retention rate in public schools, particularly in the secondary level, by giving students all the necessary assistance they need.
