PETITIONRejectedPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Allow general illnesses to be a valid, authorised absence from school again.
Recently, ailments such as cold, flu and pain are not authorised by schools nearby as an authorised reason to be off sick. This isn’t good, as unauthorised absences can lead to parents being fined, when a child is unwell. Some illnesses are weakening enough to not go to school, this can be serious.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
6
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 6/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 6/100,000
Background
As of this school year, most schools in my area have made cold, flu, period pains etc unauthorised grounds for absence. This is unfair, as a child may not be able to concentrate in school, or physically be capable of working. They could be sickly, and unauthorised absences lead to legal action against parents, which is completely out of their control. This is unfair, as there was no warning to these changes before the school year in my area. Going into school while unwell can make you worse.