It’s the morning of a school day and you find yourself not feeling so well. Your temperature reads 102 degrees and you have a disturbing cough. Should you go to school today?
No. According to the recommendations of school districts across Southern California, students should stay at home if they have fevers, chicken pox, severe coughs or any other seemingly-contagious illnesses.
Students who are sick and stay home will recover at a quicker rate, says Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) health clerk Anne Josey. Attending school while sick does not allow sufficient rest and recovery time for the body.
Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that schools are optimal for the transmission of infections. Students who are not feeling well can spread their sicknesses to other students and to faculty members.
Furthermore, students who attend school while sick are not as effective as other students because they cannot perform on an optimal level. According to a school wide survey conducted at Irvine High School (IHS), 74 percent of respondents find it harder to pay attention in class while being sick. Symptoms such as sniffing, coughing and sneezing can also serve as distractions to surrounding peers.
In the same school-wide survey, 81 percent of IHS students said they think students should stay home when showing signs of illness.
Some may disagree, arguing that staying at home while sick can cause students to miss important classwork and fall behind. However, there are many solutions to this issue. For example, sick students can call classmates to stay up-to-date with classwork. Also, many teachers have started keeping online classroom records.
When asked how he keeps on top of school work while sick, IHS Junior Jared Johannessen said, “Online websites are my primary source for homework and class notes. There’s no reason why somebody who misses a day or two of school would be at any significant disadvantage.”
Sick students should not have to come to school. They would most likely underperform as well as distract their peers. Instead, they should stay at home and recover.
