The Highlander Internship Program (HIP) is an opportunity that many seniors look forward to all year, because it provides a unique chance to work towards one’s future education and career goals. However, in order to participate in HIP, students must meet a series of attendance requirements that are both inequitable and unreasonable.
Students are eligible to participate in HIP if they maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA at the end of second semester and must have no more than six absences during the second semester. Two days are allotted for college visits. Additionally, school-related activities are not included. Students also cannot have more than 9 unexcused tardies in the semester.
Defining a single number of absences for all students is unfair because it does not account for the multitude of reasons that students may not be able to attend school.
Students may have excused absences from school for a variety of significant reasons. Physical or mental health illnesses frequently require ongoing medical care that must be obtained during school hours.
Restrictive guidelines may cause students to make decisions that are not in their best interest in order to meet HIP requirements.
Although it may be possible to participate in the program despite numerous absences given extenuating circumstances, students should not be put in the position where they must advocate for themselves so that they may participate in HIP.
There should not be limits on the amount of absences allowed for students to participate in HIP because these absences are excused, meaning that the McLean attendance office and parents recognize the need for a student to be away from school. Limiting the number beyond the requirements necessary to be excused places an unnecessary burden on students and families who recognize the unique opportunity the HIP program provides.
The second semester begins at the end of January and continues for seniors until the HIP program begins in mid-May. Six excused absences over this period of time is insufficient to account for the innumerable reasons seniors may need to miss school.
The attendance policy is also unfair because it only grants two days of leave for college visits. When students are making decisions regarding college selection, they may go on trips that would require missing more than two days of school. Students should not be punished for committing time towards determining the best school to attend in their future.
While attendance is undoubtedly important to a student’s education, the HIP program provides a valuable educational opportunity that should not be denied given the many valid reasons a student may have for missing school.
McLean administration should modify the requirements for participating in HIP to base it on whether an absence is excused rather than a set number of days.
HIP qualifications must be changed to prevent students with excused absences from being penalized from participating in a program that could be beneficial to them in the future.
