More tying of schools to civil liberties
Lawmakers Look at Tying Drivers Licenses to School Attendance
Bill linking driver’s licenses to school attendance advances
The House Education Policy Committee approved the bill on a divided voice vote Tuesday morning that would revoke drivers licenses of students under age 18 who have seven or more unexcused absences from school.
No mention of the period involved for 7 absences so I’m assuming it is one year. First, this is another blatant example of civil liberties being tied to scholastic performance. Switch the effect here and say that the law was for working rights. If a student misses school more than 7 times then they are no longer permitted to hold a job. Would such a law be supported? Of course not. Though varying in degree, these amount to the same thing - legislative control through the threat of the loss of unrelated liberties.
Second, most school systems have pretty strict rules for what constitutes an excused absence. Staying home sick is normally not accepted any longer, even with a note from Mom. Snowed into the back roads? Doesn’t count if the main roads are clear and the school is open.
Third, this creates an additional paperwork burden on the schools. The article notes that schools will have to provide attendance records for students who wish to apply for licenses. What they don’t note is that a method of reporting absences to the state will also have to be implemented in order to revoke licenses when the number of absences has exceeded the amount allowed.
The Minnesota Senate can still shoot this down. Let’s hope they do.