Dreading final exams is a common practice for students of all ages; the only thing that  makes taking exams less difficult is the opportunity for exemptions. However, not every student gets the luxury of being able to exempt, because they exceeded the limit of absences they could have. Exemptions are a vital factor in students’ success in high school; the crushing weight of final exams only adds to the stress put onto students to excel in school.

Taking away exemptions for unpreventable absences, such as extended, severe illnesses is not only unfair, but it adds stress to the already demanding environment of school. It is unreasonable for exemptions to be stripped from students because of a severe illness and other extended absences. Doctors’ notes should substantiate an absence, but the policy requires said students to attend school in order to keep exemptions.

Furthermore, if a student is told by a doctor that they cannot attend school, the day that said student is not there should not affect whether or not they have exemptions. If it is understood that the student’s attendance at school would negatively affect the other students, and school personnel, because they are contagious, then that absence should not count against a student’s exemptions.

The most basic problem our exemption policy creates is the need for sick students to come to school, and possibly contaminate other students and faculty members, in order to keep their exemption status. It is beyond unnecessary to subject students and staff members to their germs. In addition to that, an absence should not count against a student’s exemptions if said student would be negatively affected by attending; for example, post-operative students are physically unable to attend school while on heavy prescription drugs. It is unfair for exemptions to be taken from students if their absence is unpreventable.

On the contrary, it is completely understandable that the school may require additional paperwork from a doctor in order to fulfill the exemption policy requirement; it should not be fulfilled by the student’s attendance. Absences that do not have a doctor’s note and are preventable should count against exemptions; it is unreasonable for the weight of a vacation-related absence to carry the same weight on exemptions as an unpreventable absence.

In order to make the exemption policy equitable, the district must change the attendance requirement. It would be most sensible to require more paperwork from a doctor to allow a student to keep their exemption status, but until that is done, the exemption status will continue to be difficult for students to keep.