"Religious reasons" for missing school?

[aimeeandbeatles]

Today in school, I read this article in the newspaper they have. Please note the bolded part:

Spoiler :

Don’t drop out, don’t skip classes
Report calls for action against truancy
By EVA HOARE Staff Reporter

It could get a lot harder to skip a ton of classes if you’re a public school student in Nova Scotia.

A new report, released by a committee struck by the province’s Education Department, recommends everything from requiring a student to stay in school until he or she is 18 or in Grade 12 to finding parents who withhold their children from school in violation of child protection laws.

Students who are regular truants could also be subjected to "staged interventions," the report states. Those who are absent more than 20 per cent of the time might not get a credit for the course in question, though this rule wouldn’t include those who have lengthy illnesses or miss class for religious reasons.

"I would like to describe them as comprehensive," Howard Windsor, chairman of the 13-member working committee, said of the proposals in an interview Wednesday.

Mr. Windsor was the one-man school board for the Halifax Regional Municipality from December 2007 to November 2008 and is a former deputy finance minister.

"There are recommendations there with respect to providing additional supports (and) taking a look at the curriculum. You’ve got that piece (and) yes, there need to be consequences associated (with truancy)."

Mr. Windsor said the province doesn’t have specific data tracking those failing to attend class, but gleaned good information from a 2008 survey that shows there is a problem.

The survey of 10 high schools found that 45 per cent of students missed 10 per cent of class time, and more than seven per cent missed class 20 per cent of the time.

More than 2,000 parents and teachers also responded to a recent online poll, said Mr. Windsor, indicating there is a lot of concern about absenteeism.

Some of the working committee’s recommendations, open to public input until March 12, mirror rules in New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec, Mr. Windsor said. For example, the one that deals with the neglect issue is similar to a regulation in Quebec.

"Other jurisdictions have introduced some of these measures."

The whole idea is to get students, parents and teachers actively involved in the education system in the province, he said.

The recommendation stipulating students stay in school until Grade 12 or until they’re 18 would require a change to the Education Act.

There’s also a proposal to establish a tracking system so absenteeism can be monitored throughout schools.

Funding would be needed to do that and enact many of the other proposals, including the interventions. Money is also suggested to help those suspended for long terms so they can complete their educations, the report states. There are also many suggested support programs available to teachers and students.

The committee started work last May, and included Education Department staffers, Nova Scotia Teachers Union representatives, the Association of Nova Scotia Education Administrators, and members of the Nova Scotia School Boards Association and the Nova Scotia Federation of Home and School Associations. Members from the Council on African Canadian Education, the Youth Advisory Council and the Council on Mi’kmaq Education also served.

"I have to say (absenteeism) is a serious issue. We are definitely supportive of the recommendations," said Alexis Allen, president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union.

"We are not looking for something punitive; we are just looking at keeping (students) in school. We want the students to be there and engaged. . . . If the minister will implement all 13 recommendations, and soon, I think it will definitely support the school system and parents who are struggling getting their children off to school," she said Wednesday.

After more public input is received, Education Minister Marilyn More will review the submissions and make a decision in the spring as to how the province will proceed. That may involve accepting all or some of the committee’s recommendations, or new proposals could be entertained.

The report can be found at www.ednet.ns.ca.

With Clare Mellor, staff reporter

‘We are not looking for something punitive; we are just looking at keeping (students) in school. We want the students to be there and engaged.’

So, what do people in general think of this?

Aimee's Opinion: I don't think it's such a good idea to force 16-year-olds to attend school. If they really don't want to be there, they tend to misbehave and interrupt the rest of the class. Then they keep misbehaving and end up expelled anyways.

Also, WHAT ARE THESE RELIGIOUS REASONS??? I can't think of any reason why religion is over education



Also, this reminds me of another newspaper article. It was in the newspaper I deliver, and it was about two teenagers stealing stuff from a store and that. Out of town. And because of these two teenagers, there was a quote from some council person saying something about enforcing a curfew on people under 18. And they said, "There's no reason for kids to be out after 9."

I think of several reasons:
1) They were going to the store to buy milk for their parents.
2) They are going to a sleepover or something.
3) They heard a cat get hit by a car and went out to try to help it, and they were taking the cat to a veterinarian.

 

[Leonel]

Mass? Morning prayers?

 

[Dachs]

Also, WHAT ARE THESE RELIGIOUS REASONS??? I can't think of any reason why religion is over education

Two bucks says you don't self-identify as "religious".

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Two bucks says you don't self-identify as "religious".

Well I'm what people would consider an atheist-agnostic. Where I don't personally believe there's a God, but there may still be one anyways.

 

[Lillefix]

Religious reason is no reason. I can understand that people of different faiths want to skip classes about Christianity(not about religion in general) like some did when I went to school. But Ramadan or whatever is no reason.

 

[Luckymoose]

Polygamy usually keeps you up all night, so I'd bet money that they were just too tired to attend.

 

[Zelig]

20% of classes is a lot, you could skip every single Friday for a 3-day weekend every week, and still have a few extra skip-days to spare.

 

[bhsup]

Well I'm what people would consider an atheist-agnostic. Where I don't personally believe there's a God, but there may still be one anyways.

If you don't believe in God, you're an atheist. You cannot be both an atheist and agnostic at the same time.

 

[warpus]

If you don't believe in God, you're an atheist. You cannot be both an atheist and agnostic at the same time.

Most agnostics are atheist. (They don't believe that God exists)

As for religious reasons to miss class, what if you're Jewish and there's some big religious celebration going on? (there's like 20 of these a year if you're Jewish, right?). It's a valid reason to miss class IMO, but I'd make them make the time up in other ways.

 

[fugazi]

If you don't believe in God, you're an atheist. You cannot be both an atheist and agnostic at the same time.

Sorry, my BS meter is off the charts here. Please slow it down before it explodes? Not believing in the doctrine of a religion doesn't mean you automatically become an atheist, meaning you wave away the existence of God. You can simply be as honest to yourself and others by saying you do not see anything in the word of religions, but keep the option open that there's a God out there as you cannot prove that he does or doesn't exist. In the mean time you forget all about it as it doesn't change a thing about your life, until the day God shows up. Or doesn't.

You can't make the pieces fit when it suits you, because when they don't fit they don't fit.

 

[GenMarshall]

Two bucks says you don't self-identify as "religious".

I place $10 bucks...

If you don't believe in God, you're an atheist. You cannot be both an atheist and agnostic at the same time.

I strongly agree. One can be atheist or agnostic. But NOT BOTH.

 

[bhsup]

Sorry, my BS meter is off the charts here. Please slow it down before it explodes? Not believing in the doctrine of a religion doesn't mean you automatically become an atheist, meaning you wave away the existence of God. You can simply be as honest to yourself and others by saying you do not see anything in the word of religions, but keep the option open that there's a God out there as you cannot prove that he does or doesn't exist. In the mean time you forget all about it as it doesn't change a thing about your life, until the day God shows up. Or doesn't.

You can't make the pieces fit when it suits you, because when they don't fit they don't fit.

My use of "God" above was not intended to imply the God of Abraham. It could be 'the force' for all I care, but if you just flat out believe there is no 'something' out there, you're an atheist, period. If you think there is or might be, then you're not an atheist. Really, it's a pretty hard and arbitrary line here with no wiggle room.

 

[warpus]

My use of "God" above was not intended to imply the God of Abraham. It could be 'the force' for all I care, but if you just flat out believe there is no 'something' out there, you're an atheist, period. If you think there is or might be, then you're not an atheist. Really, it's a pretty hard and arbitrary line here with no wiggle room.

Yeah but you're talking about strong atheists above, weak atheists make no positive statement about the non-existence of God. They simply do not believe that one exists - which overlaps with agnosticism.

You make it sound as though the terms were coined at the same time. They weren't - there's an overlap.

Spoiler :

 

[bhsup]

I don't accept this "strong" and "weak" atheist stuff. You either are or you are not. This "weak atheist" stuff sounds like a Charlie Brown wishy-washy contrivance.

 

[warpus]

I don't accept this "strong" and "weak" atheist stuff. You either are or you are not. This "weak atheist" stuff sounds like a Charlie Brown wishy-washy contrivance.

that's like me saying that I don't accept this "protestant" or "catholic" christian stuff.

These distinctions exist for a reason, you can't wish them out of existence.

 

[Imrahil91]

In Norway, a child can skip the subject called something like "Christianity, philosophy and ethics" if the parents want. It's because some atheists and agnostics, and also people of other faiths, don't want their children to learn so much about Christianity and the Bible. You can also skip an excursion to a church if the parents have a problem with that.

 

[bathsheba666]

You drank too much communion wine the night before ?

 

[G-Man]

Also, WHAT ARE THESE RELIGIOUS REASONS??? I can't think of any reason why religion is over education

As warpus said, there can holidays, etc, that can keep you away from school. The majority of people don't see the need because they're either non-religious or because they share the same religion as the one the school's holidays are based on (for example - I assume there isn't school during christmas, so christians don't have a problem with that). In Israel "religious reasons" is even a good enough reason to get a vacation from the army for non-Jewish soldiers (Druze, etc), so I don't see why it shouldn't apply to schools as well.

 

[GenMarshall]

Somehow I think this thread in general is more of a ranting "why does the religious get special treatment and I don't" thread.

 

[Lillefix]

Somehow I think this thread in general is more of a ranting "why does the religious get special treatment and I don't" thread.

Well, yes. Why should a parent's opinion about who's the best god, count any more than a parent's opinion about what is the best football team or best political party?