It is required by law in the state of Michigan(U.S.) from ages six to sixteen: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/compulsory_attendance_257944_7.pdf From the document: "The law also states that a parent or legal guardian who fails to comply with the compulsory school attendance section of the Revised School Code is guilty of a misdemeanor [MCL 380.1571- 380.1599].". The penalty for the misdemeanor is here: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(qn...x?page=GetMCLDocument&objectname=mcl-380-1599 A fine of $5-50 and/or jail for 2 to 90 days. I am sure there could be other trouble in store for a family like getting family services involved. When I was a kid my sister took care of foster kids. Most were from Bay City. Their parents often had substance abuse problems and it seemed like the kids not going to school was often what started the ball rolling on getting the kids removed from the home.
I am so very thankful that I am no longer a kid (under 18) because I don't believe it was considered against the law to ditch class when I was in school, otherwise I would've been in jail. So what happens if a kid wants to drop out? Do they just go directly to jail? what is this world coming to?
In the UK, kids can't drop out of school anymore thanks to Mr. Cameron and his crew of freedom-robbing hypocritical imbeciles >.> We have to stay in education until we're 18 and have completed college or an apprenticeship before we can leave or go on to going to university (<--- Which, by the way, is now completely and totally useless because degrees don't seem to be helping anymore )
kids in the US don't go to jail but I think his/her parents get a fine from the school and the kid I think get a in-school suspension or a detention (that varies from school to school) and if a kid drops out they would have to be home schooled or be taught by a certified online teaching website. EDIT: some states they do go to jail as I found out but not all states go by the jail rule.
Read up on truancy in your specific states statutory requirements if you want to see who, how, and why it would affect you. (aka, google search [state] truancy law). Most will state that it is required, and list exemptions. Bonus points if you take the time to look into the legal definition of truancy, and the limitations/requirements prior to any statutory punishments from taking effect. My advice? If you are sick, go to school and let them send you home if they determine you are ill.
that is just crazy to me. if i'm sick, sick enough to not go to school, then i'm not getting out of bed if some fool tried to arrest me or fine me for this i would blow it off i'm saying this with all seriousness, if this is the law where you live where you can't control what you do with your own body then i encourage you all to get involved in the process. you may not be able to vote yet but lean on your parents and as soon as you can vote you should vote out whatever douchebags are making these laws. if this whole situation of not being able to stay home from school when you're sick, being fined and arrested, etc does not sound completely absurd to you then you have been conditioned by the system to not expect freedom and i would hope that you would snap out of it.
I'm going to take my last statement one step further... If you think a woman shouldn't be able to decide to have an abortion. If you think a person shouldn't be able to do "drugs" inside their own home. then you don't believe in freedom. Repealing the laws and constraints that prevent or make it more difficult for people to do with their own bodies as they choose does not mean you have to agree with what they're doing. It's their body, not yours. You don't have to agree with it but you don't get to stop them from doing it either. You can apply this to any number of different topics and subjects, the point is that freedom is important and you have to protect it for yourself, your family, and your community. When you let the government encroach upon your freedoms, even if it's something you agree with, then you are doing something wrong.
I know, and I'm not seriously encouraging someone to steal but I'm just saying that when I was younger I would buy a ticket for one movie and then stay all day and see two or three more movies by just going into another theater when my first movie was done. It's not like these were sold out blockbusters, these were in the middle of the day while I was ditching school. It's okay to buck the system every once in awhile. It reminds you about what's truly important in this life. (Hint: what's important is not the rules)
he's sick, he doesn't feel well enough to go. I get kind of worked up over hearing stuff like this. Makes me want to go to wherever this kid lives and start a revolution.
My advice to you is; Go to school. It is acceptable and comprehensible to have a few slack day through your entire school, but honestly; stay in school It will actually be interesting and funny if you meet up rested and ready to learn, and perhaps trick your head that third degree equations are the funniest in the world. ~Faithcaster
It is the unfortunate reality that the government controls most aspects of your life. Especially if you are a minor. In that case, you can't even vote. You are legally required to go to school. Your family and you are both held accountable if you do not comply. It is this way in most modern countries, regardless of how horrible the education system or how much you don't enjoy it. As for control of your body, get used to it. You can't drink or smoke (much less smoke pot). You can't even send pictures of your own body without getting a criminal record. You can't consent to sex. You can't control where you live. Even as an adult, the law controls who you can marry, what substances you can consume, things you do in the privacy of your own home in some places. So yes the government absolutely does have control over your body. People will not agree with things you do, even if it doesn't substantially affect anyone else. So get used to it. Now, your specific dilemma of going to school. I don't know how sick you are, or anything about your history, but the fact you're willing to lie or make up excuses to get out of school tells me a lot. Taken as a broad principle/value, this is dishonesty. If you do this in a workplace, you may easily lose a job. Your employer does not want to deal with an unreliable employee because when you don't show up, it costs the company $$$. And dishonesty is a larger issue. If your employer feels they cannot trust you it's the end of the relationship. If you don't get fired, your job will be less pleasant and less rewarding. You will be paid less because you are risky to the company. So really just think about who you want to be in life. I don't know if you simply don't want to go to school or somehow feel you are so sick that there would be no value in doing so. If you are simply not wanting to go to school, that's fine and understandable. Most young people do not like school. There are a number of reasons for this, some of which can be resolved, and some of which are not likely going to get fixed or are impossible to fix. If you get bullied, for example, that's something you can probably deal with. If you don't understand the material, you can probably find help. (I would hope, though sometimes that isn't even feasible.) If your teacher is surfing porn on school computers instead of teaching (as actually does happen shockingly) then that's something you can probably derive great pleasure in resolving. If your teacher bores the living junk out of you, because his style of teaching is very dry and not engaging at all, that's something you can't do much about. If you simply don't like sitting still for several hours a day listening to someone talk, well there's not a lot that can be done about that either, though I know a lot of psychologists would love to slap a label on you and give you lots of habit-forming (but 'not addictive') medication. But anyways, there are some things you can do about some of the core problems to improve your learning experience. It may be worth your time to think about those and what you can do to make school more enjoyable and get more out of it. If you actually are sick, and you want your parents on your side, it helps to have credibility. Obviously this only works if you really are sick. Here are some ways to build credibility: 1) Don't ask or mention anything about staying home from school. Don't even suggest it. You want it to be other people who suggest it such as your parents. 2) Report the actual symptoms of what you are feeling in dinner conversation or casual conversation with family. 3) Ask to see a doctor. If you are just having a bit of a cold, take pleasure in infecting others. Just ask Dilbert. It's one of the few legal ways you can inflict harm on someone else. Hug your boring teacher! Shake the principal's hand... Give a high five to annoying classmates. Make the most of the situation. But in all seriousness, most celebrities and successful people will tell you that you keep going through life as best you can. Because the world never stops when you're sick, so you shouldn't either. Hopefully your life is not stressful and you get enough rest, eat healthy, and have regular exercise. In which case, you should heal in a few days on your own with no issues! Sorry that my reply is so long, but I hope it helped.
