Ben

Yeah, my youngest was marked absent from school when in 4th grade. No slight pencil mark that wasn't read properly. Literally marked absent. Nurse called to ask why Andrew was absent from school - I said I don't think so! He was on the bus this morning. So I got an Oh, OK, never mind. I'm sure he is in class. Did I panic - no. the bus picks them up with a group of other kids. There are lots of grades on the same bus day in day out so they get to know each other, especially considering they all live in the same neighbourhood. Mistakes happen and with the size of schools here I'm not surprised that one or two children get marked as absent by mistake. It wouldn't take much to ask any of the children on that bus if they had seen my son, if for some reason he wasn't in the school building and on a school trip.

If this had been in the UK, I wouldn't have had anyone call to ask why my child wasn't in school. At 5, while still in the UK, my eldest ran out of school after me. Thankfully I was only across the road at the pre-school dropping my daughter off but when I took him back after finishing at the pre-school no one had noticed he had gone! By the age of 11 in the UK they would be walking to school on their own or with a few friends without an adult anywhere and the school still wouldn't call if your child was absent for a day.

eurotramp

Apparently they do.....because Plants son goes to a uk school

ladyofthelake

I would've worried too. But the odds are, if a child is not in school, it's more likely due to truancy, than the child was in danger.

honeymommy

My eldest (15) walks the twins(10) to and from school as I work shifts. To be on the safe side we bought all the kids a mobile phone for emergency use. If the twins were not met at school or there was any other problem they could call.
The problem.... The school banned mobile phones, and confiscated their phones... I intern did my calm comunicative mother bit explaining my reasoning for thier need for a phone.. I was told no phones!
Solution...I then did my pissed off I will show you mother bit and wrote a letter to the school expalining our conversation and thier refusal to allow my kids to carry a phone for emergencies, adding that should they not allow them to have them in thier bag turned off during school time, but available for the trip to and from school, I would sue them for endangerment should anything happen to my children.
Dah Dah... The twins now have mobile phones allowed for emergencies...

The school do not call if they are absent, so having the eldest walk them and being in a group each with phones is a must.