Many of us are juggling a multitude of responsibilities that extend beyond attending tutor sessions. At our SIS, a new rule has been implemented that states if a student is late to morning tutor time by even a second after 7:55 am, it is recorded. If this happens on four occasions within a term to a student, they receive an after school detention session. These detentions are not only inconvenient but, in many instances, entirely unfair.

The rigidity of this rule fails to account for the unique demands placed on us as students in our final year. From finishing assignments, to attending early morning meetings, and handling personal emergencies, the few minutes spent on these tasks can sometimes result in arriving late to morning tutor time. Yet, instead of understanding and accommodating these realities, the current policy punishes us.

A proposed alternative is a more compassionate and measured approach to handling tardiness for IB students involved in demanding programs like the IB. By converting from a cumulative to a consecutive, or even measurement by weekly attendance, the system will become distinctly more effective in disciplining real lateness, rather than the product of occasional inconveniences and important morning emergencies over the span of an entire term.

It's crucial that the complexity of our commitments at South Island School are recognised, and a policy amendment be implemented in order to reflect this understanding. I urge the administration to reconsider the standing policy and help us focus on what really matters, our education and well-being.

Please sign this petition to support a more reasonable approach to handling lateness for IB students engaged in programmes with extensive demands. Your signature can contribute to a policy that honours the commitments and pressures we face in our final school year taking the IB.