Father Campaigns For Period Pain To Be Listed As Legitimate Reason To Miss School

A father is calling on schools to recognise period pains as a legitimate reason to miss school, after discovering it was recorded as an ‘unauthorised absence.’

He first became aware of the issue around two weeks ago, when his daughter was left ‘doubled over in pain,’ unable to sleep and feeling ‘horrid’ as a result of period pain. ‘We didn’t feel it was right or appropriate to send her into school,’ Alleyne recalled. However, when the father of three contacted the school to let them know Izzy was ill, he was left shocked by the response.

While Alleyne acknowledged that period pain was something that most women deal with during their lives, he said that the message sent by schools and wider society that people suffering from extreme pain should ‘suck it up and get on with it’ needed to change.

We need to make significant changes not only to the institutions responsible for nurturing our young women and future female leaders but also need to educate the prehistoric mindsets of the policy creators and decision-makers.

I think some people have been particularly encouraged that it’s a dad standing up for young women, but I think that’s only because of the way we’ve been fed – that it’s only a ‘woman’s problem,’ but it’s not, it’s a social problem.

Alleyne’s petition has been signed by several students and parents who shared their own stories of being forced to go to school or work while suffering from cramps and other issues relating to being on their period. The Department for Education has not yet responded to the campaign.