2024-03-27 10:11:37
In some schools, applications to excuse student absences for family reasons are not subject to notification, but to permission. This was signaled by parent Irina Manusheva, who initiated a petition to increase the number of days a parent can exempt their child from school for family reasons.
The changes to the regulation on inclusive education, which increased the days in question from 10 to 15, were promulgated in the “State Gazette” on March 19. According to them, students can be absent from school for valid reasons “up to 15 school days in one school year with a motivated application from the parent to the class teacher, but not more than 5 days at a time”. The application should be submitted before the student’s absence, and if this is impossible, the parent must notify the class teacher on the first day of the student’s absence from school.
However, it turns out that in the applications for the use of the 15 days, which some schools have published on their websites, the mode is not informative, but permissive. In a fragment of such a brand new letterhead of a capital school, published by Manusheva, it says the following: “I hope that you will consider the stated reasons to be valid and allow the absence. In case of refusal, please be notified in a timely manner.” Prior to this provision, the parent is asked to state precisely the reasons why their child’s absences are required.
“This is NOT a notification regime. I hope that as soon as possible the Ministry of Education and Culture will send official clarifications to the Ministry of Education and Culture, and they to the schools, so that there are no misunderstandings. It is no coincidence that during the discussion there were proposals to drop the word “motivated” (application – white . ed.) as a prerequisite for different interpretations. They, of course, were not taken into account (unlike someone’s insistence on additional restrictions). Only timely and clear instructions of the Ministry of Education and Culture will dispel doubts and confirm the categorical statements of Minister Tsokov that we are talking about a notifying, not a permissive regime,” she stated in her Facebook post.
A check by “Now” shows that schools have not yet uploaded on their websites applications for excused absences from a parent for up to 15 days. In some of them that have published similar forms, the documents are confusing. At the beginning they start with: “I am informing you that my son/daughter will be absent…”, then end with the familiar: “I hope you will consider the reasons given to be valid and allow the absence”.
This is NOT notification mode. I hope that the Ministry of Education and Science will send…
Posted by Irina Manusheva on Wednesday, March 20, 2024