THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 21, 1995 TAG: 9509210022
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
Regarding ``Overcrowding in schools is an easy problem to resolve'' by Jennifer Dziura (The Daily Break, Sept. 8):
I am a kindergarten teacher in Virginia Beach. Regular attendance in kindergarten and the primary grades is a problem all over. Those who teach in middle and high schools often complain of attendance problems also.
You wouldn't believe some of the excuses: ``Mary is going to Busch Gardens Friday. Please excuse her.'' Sorry, but no, I will not excuse her.
It gets better. ``John missed school yesterday due to illness.'' When John is then asked if he is feeling better, he may reply, ``Oh, I wasn't sick. Mom took me to the mall and then to McDonald's.''
Blatant parental lies concerning absences are inexcusable. Parents should get their kids to school and show them, by example, that attendance at school is important and mandatory.
Granted, I don't feel a student who misses school 12 times for academic reasons, family deaths, religious holidays or being hit by a cement truck should be failed. Indeed, students with legitimate excessive absences are granted waivers.
One of the reasons for the new rule is to cause parents and students alike to stop and think: Do I really need to be absent today?
It's simplistic of Miss Dziura to write that the local solution to overcrowding and absenteeism is to make attendance requirements minimal and to permit ``geniuses and prodigies'' and ``delinquents'' to stay home.
All students need school for socialization skills gained while interacting with ``average'' members of society.
Also, difficult students need school to show them the rules that ultimately must be followed in life. Where else will they learn these rules in large group settings?
Teachers, administrators, school boards and all educational personnel need parents' help, support and encouragement to ensure that the youth of today are fully capable of running the world of tomorrow.
MELODIE MARTIN
Chesapeake, Sept. 8, 1995 by CNB