Is an 18 year old considered a legal adult in secondary school?

alonso09

For instance, can an 18 year old sign their own permission slips, sign teacher notes?

Can they sign out of school (with a reasonable excuse)?

I'm not talking about mitching school all the time and believing it's ok because you're 18. I'm wondering about reasonable things like occasional absence notes or being able to authorise a change of subject, signing permission for a field trip, etc.

In the real world an 18 year old is their own responsibilty, no longer under the responsibilty of their parents, shouldn't this be the case in school? In employment a legal adult can leave the workplace during lunch, what about school?

implausible

No. It would cause chaos. In school, you're not in the real world, you're in school, so you must follow the rules of the school, the same as everyone else.

Your parents are still entitled to claim child benefit for you while in full-time education, so you're not exactly a legal, independent adult.

blubloblu

You can sign stuff as yourself, but you're still not exempt from school rules.

seamus

Well, it's effectively an unspoken agreement between the student, the school and the parents. No school is going to physically restrain a student if they attempt to leave the school, however the school is perfectly entitled to refuse to accept items signed by the student, and is also perfectly entitled to issue notifications to your parents. By attending the school, you're agreeing to abide by the school rules. If you don't want to abide by the rules, you leave the school. And you have every right to do so - the state will not be checking up on you.

Where the student is dealing with state or legal documents (such as Leaving Cert forms), they are not required to obtain parental permission/authorisation once they are over 18.

In essence, you are perfectly entitled to stand up and walk out of school whenever you like. The school is entitled to sanction you for doing so and expel you if necessary. Just as if I was to walk out of work, I would expect to be fired.

techdiver

deemark wrote: »

so you're not exactly a legal, independent adult.

This is incorrect. Once you are 18 you are a legal adult in terms of law. It doesn't matter whether you are attending school or not.

Secoundrow

seamus wrote: »

Well, it's effectively an unspoken agreement between the student, the school and the parents.

Where the student is dealing with state or legal documents (such as Leaving Cert forms), they are not required to obtain parental permission/authorisation once they are over 18.

In essence, you are perfectly entitled to stand up and walk out of school whenever you like. The school is entitled to sanction you for doing so and expel you if necessary. Just as if I was to walk out of work, I would expect to be fired.

Exactly what he said thats it as well said as possible

By attending a school you agree to abide by their rules or be expeled (you do not have to be their you know)

Same as in a work place you abide by company regulations if you dont your fired
(you dont HAVE to work their either your perfectly entitled to quit)

sdanseo

I started signing myself out early from school the odd day in 6th year, not often but from time to time a few of us would skip the odd class or leave if we had free periods. Nothign was ever said, it was an unwritten rule that once you signed out, the school gave you leeway to be responsible yourself. Within reason, of course.

themetallifan

While you're technically a legal adult, if the rules of the school involve getting notes signed etc, you kind of have to. After all, you're technically able to leave if you don't agree with their rules.

PCPhoto

I have actually experienced this ..... in the school where I went - once the student turned 18 they were asked to sign a form to indicate that either their parents were still their legal guardians while the pupil was in school or the pupil would take responsibility.... was fun for parent teacher meetings.

I did sign my own notes and nothing was ever said, did it once of twice just because I didnt like the teacher and didnt want to stay in class.

"please excuse "insert name here" as he is needed at home.
Signed
me ! "

(on one occasion I actually signed "me" and no-one noticed/did anything...and my school was fairly strict - everyone had to walk on the left side of corridor, no running in corridor, detention for being late to class etc etc)

implausible

techdiver wrote: »

This is incorrect. Once you are 18 you are a legal adult in terms of law. It doesn't matter whether you are attending school or not.

I know that technically it's incorrect. I was just pointing out the anomaly that this 'legal adult' is still in receipt of child benefit!

Piste

No, it's the parents of the adult that's in receipt of child benefit because even though the "adult" might be 18, most people are usually finacially dependent on their parents til 22/23 or so.

DancingQueen:)

A few girls in my class last year turned 18 and signed themselves out of school. When a teacher asked about it they said they were 18 and were allowed to leave. I wondered if they were allowed.

implausible

Piste wrote: »

No, it's the parents of the adult that's in receipt of child benefit because even though the "adult" might be 18, most people are usually finacially dependent on their parents til 22/23 or so.

Proving my point-that this 18 year old may be an adult but is not independent!

GallowsGhost

deemark wrote: »

Proving my point-that this 18 year old may be an adult but is not independent!

This isn't about whether an eighteen-year-old is independent or not, it's about whether or not they can sign permission slips and notes. And they really should be able to do that, since the whole purpose of permission slips is to give authorization for a child to travel with another adult, because by law children must be given permission by their parents to be transported by another adult.

This obviously doesn't apply to adults, so really their is no reason for the school to insist on parent signed permission slips from an eighteen-year-old.

Secoundrow

Fcuk it Im a college student now

and I dont ave to do noting for nobody:D:D

randylonghorn

Secoundrow wrote: »

and I dont ave to do noting for nobody:D:D

Well, doing some noting for yourself might be handy ... notes tend to come in very useful at the end of the year.

>_>

highlydebased

AFAIK in Germany once you turn 18 you become reponsible for all the school notes mumbo-jumbo yourself. That said, the "responsible" germans would not rip the piss outta the system and "abuse" it like we would...!

DimestoreSaint

You're still expected to produce notes as a 6th year in your school!?



In my school (well, the one I just finished up in), it wasn't that the teachers didn't care, but it was you're own business if you didn't show up to class. At the end of it all, the only person losing out is the person not in class.

rainbowtrout

It's a grey area really. Most students (well they do in the school I work in) have to sign a set of rules or code of conduct when they start in the school as do their parents, which says they will abide by the rules or face sanctions. So I suppose schools can cover themselves for the 18+ students by saying 'those were the rules you signed up for, we didn't state an upper age limit on them, take it or leave it' to prevent a mass exodus of students from classes as and when they feel like it. It wouldn't be practical to run a school where LC students were coming and going the whole time, it would be very disruptive.

On the other hand, we also run PLC courses in the school, and any student on the course under 18 has to have absence notes (for grant purposes) signed by a parent, which they generally are not happy about, but once they turn 18, no problem they vouch for themselves. It's caused me a few problems every now and again with PLC students who are 17 and have moved out of home, so no parent to sign notes -'I didn't come in Monday because I was sick(hungover)'

PhysiologyRocks

I was allowed to, and I could pop out during free classes and I finished school at 17, but some people in my school weren't, even though they were over 18.

I never understood exactly why.

xo.mary

If you're still dependant on your parents - no.

techdiver

xo.mary wrote: »

If you're still dependant on your parents - no.

Who decides on this?

Regardless of whether you live at home and are financially dependant on your parents or not, once you are 18 you are legally an adult in this state. A school has it's own rules and that is fine, but they cannot ignore the underlying fact that once a person is 18 they are an adult and as such are responsible for their own decisions. Their decisions might include something that contravenes school policy and they can be sanctioned as such, but legally the school cannot compel a and adult to have representation of a parent.

There are many mature people who return to school in their 20's or even older and they are legally assumed to be independent adults.

994

xo.mary wrote: »

If you're still dependant on your parents - no.

What if a woman is financially dependent on her husband? :rolleyes:

Seloth

I can remember we aske da teacher this in 4th year in my old school and she siad you can *L*,but that you had to get permission off your parents first

I think if I tried saying it in my school now they'd be like "What are you doing?"
"I'm an adult now,I can do what I like reguarding school,so I choose to leave now with my permission" "Ok then,well whos paying for you to attend here" "But..ah..ah..dammit" and then I slowly sulk back into class

dave-higgz

In my school 6th years have signed themselves out however we've very nice secretary's. They'd probably refuse some of the messers in 6th year but most people would get out no problem. It's only a rare thing though, in 6th year you can't afford to miss class unless it's urgent

One thing that is also allowed is for a 6th year to sign a younger brother or sister out. Again, it's used rarely but I know a guy who gets his homework signed by his brother. The brother has the same name as the Dad so no problem there, similar signatures too.

Jam-Fly

I think people are losing sight of the question at hand.

Are 18 year olds in school considered legal adults? Yes
Can they sign notes/permission slips instead of their parents? It depends on school rules.

By attending school, you must follow the rules, and more often than not, those rules often include your parents. The Irish constitution even states: "The State acknowledges that the primary and natural educator of the child is the Family". So usually, your parents technically do have to be involved.


Practically however, is a different matter. In my school, there was certainly a "well it's up to yourself" attitude. Teachers respected that most students were mature enough at this stage to either put in the work, or not put in the work. So if a student wanted to go home, or not go to a class, or leave early, or whatever, generally our year head/teachers/secretaries didn't really mind. They knew it was the students choice, and if he/she wanted to leave, they were fully entitled to. If it was a legit reason, fair enough. If they just wanted a doss, well it's only their own chances at a good Leaving Cert that they're wrecking.

starbelgrade

If you have to ask, then the answer is probably, no.

Don't schools generally state that they want the signaute of a 'Parent/Guardian' as opposed to an 'adult'?


You're definitely an adult, but schools (in my experience) don't care. They want the signature of your parents or guardians, not you.

GallowsGhost

Deleted User wrote: »

Don't schools generally state that they want the signaute of a 'Parent/Guardian' as opposed to an 'adult'?

Once again, they insist on this for legal reasons that apply to minors. The school has no real reason to insist on enforcing this on over eighteens, but of course they might still do so just to prevent people from abusing the system.

leesmom

at 18 i had no parents, just guardians who got sent a letter everytime i didnt attend school, so yes it would appear its down to school rules.
can you imagine the chaos of students in a school coming and going as they pleased? it just wouldnt work 18 or not

Seloth

I dunno I think it could rule out the messers,and if you were in need of a break it could also help