Maddie Stevens, 11, was looking forward to hear end-of-the-year trip with her school for the entire year. Her class was going to go to a local restaurant called Frankie & Benny’s to celebrate a successful year. But after Maddie missed one day of school, administrators at St. Giles Junior School in Bedworth, England revoked her right to go because she did not have perfect attendance.
But why did Maddie miss that one day of school? She needed to attend her mother’s funeral after she died from breast cancer…
Maddie was heartbroken that her callous school would prevent her from enjoying a fun time with her classmates because her mother died. If that wasn’t punishment enough, her school wanted to add insult to injury and makes Maddie’s life a living nightmare.
Maddie’s mother had been battle breast cancer for two years, but it finally took her life. When the little girl’s father learned that school took away her trip for missing the funeral, he was disgusted.
“Maddie has been absolutely amazing since her mom died,” her father, Andy, said. “She took only one day off to go the funeral, because we wanted to keep things as normal for her as we could. But even if she’d taken a week off I’d be saying this.”
“And after all that, she gets this kick in the face,” he added. “Her school should be celebrating what she’s achieved, not saying, ‘You can’t come on the school outing because your mom died.’”
“It made me feel sad not to go — it would have been a nice treat. Helping my mom for the past two years has been hard,” Maddie said.
At first school administrators refused to apologize to Maddie and her father although they knew why Maddie had missed school.
“I got more and more angry each time I think about it, and I’m amazed they didn’t apologize to Maddie,” Andy said. “It feels like they’re now punishing us for complaining about it.”
After the story went viral and the public was outraged at the school’s insensitivity, St. Giles release a statement acknowledging their mistake by taking away the trip for everyone…
“Following concerns raised, the rewarding of pupils for 100% attendance has been withdrawn,” the statement read.
Obviously, the public is outraged by this school’s callous action. Here is what some people wrote about it on AmericaNow.com:
“Unbelievably tacky! This sounds like something that would happen in the U.S. these days with all the rabid liberals around. I think the father should take that child out of that school. Shame on them!!”
“What kind of heartless, ignorant educators would think this is appropriate action for a girl who had to attend her Mom’s funeral? It is amazing the child only missed one day – I am sure her grieving is long lasting and this insensitivity surely will not help in her recovery! Shameful!”
“Public education is getting worst and worst and they get away with it.”
Do you think the school should make a direct apology to Maddie Stevens?
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