Over 75k people sign dad from Cornwall's petition about school absences due to period pains
Charity, Bloody Good Period, is calling for more flexibility in both schools and businesses
Last updated 11th Oct 2021
A charity says it wants to see flexible schooling after a Cornwall dad was told his daughter's absence for period pains would be logged as unauthorised, even though she had been up all night.
Marcus Alleyne Roche started a petition to make period pains a legitimate reason to miss class, which has so far received over 75,000 signatures.
Marcus decided to take action after 13-year-old Izzy was left struggling and in a lot of pain last month.
The dad of three girls told us about the response he received when he phoned up the school: "The school asked if it was due to period pains and I said yes it is, she's been up all night, she's feeling rotten, she hasn't slept, we've tried paracetamol and she just needs to rest and recoup. The school's response was that it would be registered as an unauthorised absence".
He added: "we're not talking about just aches and pains, we're not talking about just feeling a bit under the weather, we're talking about when you get to such a point that you're doubled over in pain, you can't get to school, you can't go on the bus, you can't sit in a room for an hour, you can't have the same toilet privileges that you have at home, and that's why we started the petition".
Gabby Edlin from the charity Bloody Good Period says attitudes need to change across the board.
She said: "There's a huge lack of education around what it feels like to menstruate, for young people, even though they might have experienced it themselves.
"There's also a lot of embedded sexism in that we think that women and girls should just suck up the pain".
Gabby added: "It's not just women who menstruate, trans and non-binary people menstruate too but it really is a problem for people who don't menstruate.
"You're seeing people that you love experience pain and experience a lack of understanding around the most natural part of our bodies and so what we need to see is more education".
At the end of last week, the Department for Education posted a response on Marcus' petition page.
It states: "We understand that periods are not always an easy experience, and any discomfort they cause can be disruptive to pupils’ education.
"Schools are able to authorise absence as appropriate where pupils are ill or unwell.
"When a pupil does not attend school, the school should discuss the reason with the pupil and their family, as well as the support that can be provided to ensure that they are able to regularly attend".
You can read more about Marcus' campaign on the change-org petition page.