Since government schools are notorious for passing people who can't read, they make up for their lax standards by being overly strict about attendance. A student in Chickasha, Florida is fighting back after she received a failing grade for being absent 5 times from computer class. She is suing her school district to get a passing grade and to void the ridiculous attendance policy.
Her parents excused all of the absences, three of which were due to doctor visits, one for an illness, and the other for the funeral of a classmate and a close friend. The government teachers and administrators disagreed.
Many people think that the government, rather than "big business," cares about the average citizen. The opposite is true. In Chickasha, Florida, the government teachers don't care that they have ruined the failed student's GPA, which will have a huge impact on her college applications.
The school does allow five absences if some of them are for authorized activities, which means an activity that is approved by the government. The policy is similar to curfews, which allow teenagers to be out past curfew IF they are participating in a government approved activity.
One of the main reasons for her school's strict attendance policy is money. Most government schools receive funding based upon attendance. If students don't show up for class, the school gets a smaller check from the state and federal government. And since a school can lose thousands of dollars if a student leaves school, slackers and trouble makers are rarely expelled. Unless, of course, they have guns.
In the free-market, private schools strive for high test scores and high graduation rates. Attendance is important only if a student is performing poorly. Most college professors at private colleges never take attendance.
In a Libertarian society, all schools would be private and, like many college students, you could sleep all day and study all night. You would set your own schedule and even if you missed 45 computer classes, you could still get an "A" if you aced the final exam.
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