Is your child too ill for school?

Is your child too ill for school? The ultimate guide to deciding when your child can still go into the classroom.

Are children too ill for school today

• If they have a cough or a temperature, here is all you need to know about when you should send your child to school
• Communicating with your children is the key too, and they might feel uncomfortable to other reason as well (Bullied, laugh-at, abused and others are keys that they don't want to attend school as well).

It can be tricky to know whether or not to send your child to school if they’re not feeling well, especially after covid-19 and with current concerns around measles. You might be thinking that you don’t want to put other children at risk of coming down with something. Or perhaps you don't want them to risk for that few hours.

You also want to make sure that your child has the best chance possible of making a speedy recovery. This is particularly true during the winter months, when flu and other bugs are making their yearly rounds.

However, going to school is so important. High attendance and revised homework at school helps your child develop key skills and prevents them from missing out, not just academically, but on those enriching moments with friends and teachers that make up the school day.

While progress is being made, with few hundred thousand of kids, fewer pupils persistently absent or not attending school in 2022 to 2023, than in the year before, there's always room for improvement for the coming years.

That’s why in certain country as in the NHS has set out handy guidelines to help parents decide when it's best to still send their child to school, and when to let teachers know in advance about certain symptoms.

The school attendance problem

Since Covid-19, there has been a significant increase in absences from school, as we know. More than one in five children in our country or any country out there, were frequently missing school over the last academic year.

Department for Education data shows that more than 22 per cent of pupils in England whereas our country is almost the equivalent, were persistently absent from the classroom.

All of this adds up to more than double the number of children missing school now compared to pre-pandemic numbers. This has especially been a problem for students early on in their progression.

Going to school vs staying at home 

It’s normal for your child to get sick every now and then, and most of the time it’s no more than a common cold. 

A minor cough, sore throat or light common cold symptoms, on their own, means it's fine to send your child to school under NHS guidelines, whereas our local community would prefer to let our children to rest and make sure they recover and prevent them from spreading the symptoms.

Doctor Radha Modgil, a medical doctor for the NHS, explains: 'If your child is feeling poorly, it can be challenging, especially at this time of year, to know when they should be in school. 

'In most instances, you can send your child to school with a mild illness as long as their temperature is below 38 degrees.'

However, if these symptoms combine, or any of these ailments are accompanied by a fever or high temperature as Dr Modgil says, it's best to keep your child at home until it eases.

Be alert to infectious illnesses too. NHS guidelines suggest that children should be kept at home if they’re suffering from chickenpox, that classic childhood rite of passage. It will usually take around five days for the spots to crust over, which means they’re safe to return to the classroom.

If your child has tested positive for Covid-19, or is suffering from more serious symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhoea, it’s recommended that you keep them at home for at least 7 days to 14 days for some cases - visit the nearest clinic or hospital for advise if worsen.

Other illnesses, such as impetigo, ringworm and scarlet fever, will naturally require some check up. This often can mean your child will need time at home before returning to school.

When can they go to school?

If your child has certain symptoms, on their own, such as a runny nose, a minor cough or sore throat, it’s usually safe to send them to school. These minor symptoms won’t stop them from learning and playing with their friends.

This is also the case for other minor ailments such as ear infections, conjunctivitis, and head lice. For these illnesses, you can send your child in but ensure you let the teacher know.

If your child has cold sores, it is also safe to send them to school, but encourage them not to share things like cups or towels or touch the blister.

Communication is key

It’s important to be clear with teachers about your child’s illness, so they can accommodate as much as possible. It’s best that you contact the school from the first day of illness to let them know what’s happening.

Even if the day starts at home, parents are encouraged to have their child come into school if they feel better as the day goes on. Parents can also be reassured that when a child attends school feeling under the weather, if they start to feel worse during the school day, families will be contacted should they need to go home.

What recommendation I would encourage to boost up your children energy level and scores well.

Head Of The Kids Nutrition Class

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