Every student has reasons for being late or missing school. Some of these reasons are beyond their control. Regardless of the student’s pleading with the school to have them understand, they are assigned demerits or detention. This is a problem where the only feasible resolution is for the school to consider why people are late.
Some reasons that students are late are car problems, hazardous weather, and worst of all, traffic. These instances happen occasionally, cars break down unexpectedly, traffic occurs naturally, and rainy weather can’t be controlled contrary to the school’s belief. It is expected for people to always arrive on time, which makes sense but an occasional slip-up is seen as the end of the world by the school.
Receiving detention for being only five minutes late is frustrating for everyone, especially those who consistently attend. It's an annoying consequence for such a minor incident. This also gives a false impression to people that they’re not responsible or concerned about their attendance.
The school should be more considerate towards its people, this makes everyone less bothered and less stressed. People won’t have to go on about their day worrying about detention but rather focus on themselves. The school would also make itself seem more understanding and thoughtful of its people.
However, there are certain “reasons” people give that might not make sense for the school to accept. Waking up late, feeling lazy, or wanting to skip a certain class are examples of reasons that obviously can’t and should not be taken into consideration by the school.
The school should be able to tell apart what a real reason is and what an excuse is. If they can tell the two apart, this would give it a more positive reputation. Understanding why people are late can make a huge difference.