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Marsiling Secondary School

Attendance Policy

Understand the school's rules on absences, MCs, and leave requests to stay compliant and avoid disciplinary action.

Last updated 25 August 2026

General Expectations

  1. All absences must be accounted for with valid reasons, e.g. medical certificate (MC). Certificates from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners are not acceptable as MCs.

  2. All MCs and/or excuse letters from parents must be handed in to the form teacher on the next day the student is back in Students who fail to submit MCs or excuse letters within two days will be considered to have played truant.

  3. Students who are sick while in school and have to go home must submit an MC or excuse letter from their parents to their form teacher by the next day.

  4. Students who are absent regularly will be required to hand in work missed due to absence, or stay back after school for compulsory make-up or self-study sessions to catch up and complete missed school wor

Regulations on Excuse Letters from Parents

  1. The school will accept a maximum of 3 excuse letters from parents each term for sickness. The limit on the number of excuse letters is to prevent abuse of the use of excuse letters, and to maintain a high attendance Students who do not provide MCs for absences after the three letter limit in the term may be considered as playing truant.

  2. Excuse letters must be issued and signed by the parent or legal guardian.

Absence from Tests or Examinations

  1. Students who are absent from school during an examination or common test must submit an MC. Excuse letters from parents are not acceptable to cover absences from exams or tests.

  2. Absence from an examination or test that is not covered by an MC will result in a zero mark for the examination or test.

Leave of Absence from School for Reasons other than Sickness

  1. Parents whose child requires leave of absence from school for personal reasons other than sickness must inform the school in advance through the form teacher.

  2. Such leave of absence is approved by the Principal on a case-by-case basis.

  3. Students who flout this regulation (e.g. failure to obtain permission from the school in advance) may have their absence treated as truancy, and be liable to disciplinary action for truancy. In addition, any tests or examination papers missed as a result of the absence may be given a zero.