Absence during school term

Students must attend school regularly and punctually so as not to miss any lesson and be at a disadvantage. However, a student should not attend school when he / she is ill. Parents / Guardians should inform the form teacher and ensure the absence is covered by a doctor’s medical certificate (MC) or letter*. Parents / Guardians may submit MCs and letters either in hardcopy or through Parents Gateway. When a student falls ill while in school, only the parent / guardian will be allowed to take him / her home.

*The number of letters accepted will be limited to 5 per semester, and each letter should cover no more than 2 days. If a student exceeds the accepted number of letters per semester, subsequent absences will be taken as invalid absences, which will affect his / her conduct grade.

Absence from school without a valid reason is a school offence. Non-valid reasons include oversleeping and willful absence from school. Travelling during term time is generally not considered a valid reason for absence. Parents / Guardians who wish to take their children / wards overseas for vacation and / or to attend to personal matters should do so during the school holidays. Should there be any urgent need to travel, parents are requested to submit the request via Parents Gateway with the reason clearly stated.

On the day of a student’s absence, the form teacher will contact the parents / guardian to check on the student. If a student is absent frequently, the form teacher or other school personnel may conduct a home visit. Should there be no improvement in the student’s attendance, his / her parents / guardian will be requested to meet the principal for a discussion.