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

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    #32
    Michellenman
    Registered Users Posts: 11,195 ✭✭✭✭Michellenman


    I was 18 for all of 6th year. Our school had a thing where you were technically your own guardian once you had permission from your parents (ironic, eh? ). They had to ring the school and basically say that you were free to sign all notes, excuse yourself from class and all notifications were addressed to me, not 'The Parents of Michellenman'. It also meant that I gcould fill my own field trip forms in and such. Other than there wasn't much to it.

    It's probably up to each individual school to decide if they allow it.


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    #33
    994
    Closed Accounts Posts: 911 ✭✭✭994


    Deleted User wrote: »
    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.
    But 18-year-olds don't have legal guardians.
    Seloth wrote: »
    "Ok then,well whos paying for you to attend here" "But..ah..ah..dammit" and then I slowly sulk back into class :p

    The Exchequer's paying for you to attend.


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    #34
    Seloth
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,039 ✭✭✭Seloth


    Yeah but usually they say get your parents or legal gardian so sign it so you cant really make complaints then,Now if they said "Legal guardian" only that could cause some fun..."Mrs I dont have one:( "


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    #35
    J.C.Jacobsen
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭J.C.Jacobsen


    seamus makes the most fair point in the thread, however, i would like to believe that what gallowsghost says is the truth! if only to avoid a cash-phrase heavy religion class or two... but until somebody who has contacted the department of education or works for such writes on this thread, the real answer will remain unknown.
    unfortunate really, because <snip> is a right pain in the arse.


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    #36
    Jam-Fly
    Registered Users Posts: 549 ✭✭✭Jam-Fly


    leesmom wrote: »
    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

    well, no, not really. I think the majority of 18 year olds are in school because they want to be. They may not like it, but they know that it's probably the best choice. Even if 18 year olds could come and go as they pleased, I don't think it would matter much anyway. If most students want to leave school during the day, they manage to do it somehow.


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    #37
    eVeNtInE
    Registered Users Posts: 7,020 ✭✭✭eVeNtInE


    This post has been deleted.


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    #38
    23border
    Registered Users Posts: 49 ✭23border


    The law and the court says that once you are 18 you are allowed to make your own decisions and you are a legal adult. The fact that your parents are still receiving benefit is irrelevant as is the fact that others might be paying for you to attend school. Once 18 its your life. Saying that the courts have also said that pupils should follow school where applicable and are still subject to the same sanctions. But in terms of signing yourself out of school there is no problem as you are responsible only for yourself. Saying that on a practical level, marching in and out of school on a frequent basis could give the schol grounds to remove you as you are abusing a system and making their jobs impossible.
    The constitution does say the family is the primary educator but thats not what that article is usually interpreted as meaning. It simply is used to show that the family is the basic unit of society and that we learn our social values from "the family" however you want to define it.
    Also, you don't need your parents permission to write your own notes at 18! Think of the absurdity of being 18 years old and legally independent but requiring other people's permission to be independent?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
    As for the "document" you signed when you were entering school-not worth the paper it is written on full stop. It's because you were under 18, and the courts have recognized in the past that people were under duress of the school and their parents to sign the form.


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    #39
    sitstill
    Registered Users Posts: 1,380 ✭✭✭sitstill


    In the school I work in, we allow students over 18 to sign their own permission slips for field trips etc. Everything else is still the domain of the parents. Otherwise it would be chaos. Being 18 and being a legal adult not withstanding, I know plenty of immature 18 year olds who would abuse the system if allowed sign their own absence notes.


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