📚 School Responsibilities When a Child Is Absent Due to Mental Health Issues | 孩子因心理问题缺勤 学校应承担哪些责任
When a child stops attending school because of anxiety, depression, an eating disorder or another mental health condition, families often hear one message: "the school cannot do anything until your child comes back." That message is legally and professionally wrong. In England, in Hong Kong, and in international schools across mainland China, a school is not merely a passive registrar of attendance. It holds a set of overlapping legal duties - attendance, safeguarding, equality, and the provision of suitable education - that are triggered the moment a pupil's absence is linked to a health condition. This article sets out what those duties are, how they interact, and what parents and students can legitimately expect and request.
当孩子因焦虑、抑郁、进食障碍或其他心理问题而无法上学时，家长常常听到一句话："孩子不回校，学校什么也做不了。"这种说法在法律和专业层面都是错误的。在英国、香港以及中国内地的国际学校体系中，学校并不只是一个被动的出勤登记者。一旦学生的缺勤与健康状况有关，学校便同时触发多重法定责任：出勤责任、保护责任、平等责任，以及为无法到校学生提供适当教育的责任。本文将系统梳理这些责任、它们之间的相互关系，以及家长与学生可以合理期待和主张的内容。
1. The Legal Starting Point | 法律起点
The first principle is that education is a right, not a reward for good behaviour. Article 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises the right to education, and Article 2 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights protects the right to education in the UK. A child does not lose that right because they are ill, and mental illness is illness.
第一个原则是：受教育权是权利，而不是表现良好的奖励。《联合国儿童权利公约》第28条确认受教育权，《欧洲人权公约》第一议定书第2条在英国法下保护受教育权。孩子不会因为生病而失去这项权利，而心理疾病就是疾病。
A second principle follows: a school's response to absence must be proportionate and support-led. The starting question is never "how do we punish this?" but "what is preventing attendance, and what must change?" That reframing is not sentimental - it is now written into statutory attendance guidance in England and into the attendance policies of most reputable international schools.
由此推出第二个原则：学校对缺勤的应对必须适度、以支持为先导。出发点永远不该是"如何惩罚"，而应是"是什么在阻碍出勤，需要改变什么"。这种视角转换并非感情用事——它已经写入英格兰的法定出勤指引，也写入了大多数正规国际学校的出勤政策。
2. Four Core Duties at a Glance | 四项核心义务一览
Schools rarely fail because they have no policy. They fail because nobody joined the dots between four separate obligations. Understanding them separately makes it much easier to hold a school to account.
学校很少因为"没有政策"而失职，往往是因为没有人把四项彼此独立的义务串联起来。分别理解这四项义务，能大幅提高家长追责与协商的效率。
| Duty 职责 | Legal source 法律依据 | What it requires 具体要求 |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance and registration 出勤与登记 | Education Act 1996; Pupil Registration Regulations 2006; DfE attendance guidance 2024 | Accurate coding of absence; support-first approach; escalation only when support has failed 准确记录缺勤代码；以支持为先；仅当支持无效时才升级处理 |
| Safeguarding 保护 | Children Act 1989 and 2004; Keeping Children Safe in Education | Treat mental health deterioration as a safeguarding concern; act, record and refer 将心理健康恶化视为保护议题；采取行动、记录并转介 |
| Equality and non-discrimination 平等与不歧视 | Equality Act 2010; SEND Code of Practice | Make reasonable adjustments; do not disadvantage a pupil because of a disability 提供合理调整；不得因残障而使学生处于不利地位 |
| Suitable education when unable to attend 无法到校时的适当教育 | Education Act 1996 s.19; Children and Families Act 2014 s.100 | Provide or arrange suitable education; support pupils with medical conditions 提供或安排适当教育；支持有医疗状况的学生 |
3. Is Mental Health Absence "Illness"? | 心理性缺勤算"疾病"吗
Yes. In England, section 19 of the Education Act 1996 places a duty on local authorities to arrange suitable education for children of compulsory school age who cannot attend school "by reason of illness, exclusion or otherwise". Guidance and case law make clear that mental health conditions fall within "illness" - no separate category is needed. Clinically, this presentation is often described as school avoidance or school refusal, and it is distinct from truancy: the child wants to attend but cannot.
算。在英格兰，《1996年教育法》第19条要求地方教育当局为因"疾病、停学或其他原因"无法上学的义务教育阶段儿童安排适当教育。指引与判例均明确，心理健康状况属于"疾病"范畴，无需另立类别。临床上，这种情况常被称为"学校回避"或"拒学"，它与逃学有本质区别：孩子是想上学却做不到。
In mainland China, the revised Law on the Protection of Minors (2021) requires schools to provide mental health education and to inform parents when a student shows signs of psychological difficulty, while the Compulsory Education Law prohibits schools from expelling or refusing to enrol students. For international schools in China, both the local regulatory environment and the school's own UK or IB policy framework typically apply at the same time.
在中国内地，2021年修订的《未成年人保护法》要求学校开展心理健康教育，并在发现学生出现心理困扰迹象时及时告知家长；《义务教育法》则禁止学校开除或拒收学生。对于在华国际学校而言，本地监管要求与学校自身的英式或IB政策框架通常同时适用。
4. Reasonable Adjustments Under Equality Law | 平等法下的合理调整
A mental health condition is a disability under the Equality Act 2010 if it is a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. "Long-term" generally means twelve months or more. Anxiety, depression, OCD and eating disorders can all qualify. Once a pupil is disabled for these purposes, the school owes a duty to make reasonable adjustments.
根据《2010年平等法》，如果某种身心损伤对开展日常活动的能力造成实质且长期的不利影响，即构成残障。"长期"通常指12个月或以上。焦虑症、抑郁症、强迫症与进食障碍都可能符合这一定义。一旦学生在此意义上属于残障，学校即负有作出合理调整的义务。
Adjustments are not favours - they are the removal of a disadvantage the pupil would otherwise face. Typical examples include:
合理调整不是恩惠，而是消除学生本会遭遇的不利处境。常见例子包括：
- Reduced or staggered timetable for a fixed, reviewed period. 在固定且定期复核的期限内减少或错峰安排课表。
- A named safe adult and a quiet space to go to when overwhelmed. 指定一位可信任的教师，以及情绪失控时可去的安静空间。
- Flexible deadlines, extended coursework time, and permission to leave a classroom without negotiation. 灵活的交作业期限、延长课程作业时间、允许无需解释即可离开教室。
- Exam access arrangements such as rest breaks, separate rooms or extra time, applied for in good time. 考试便利安排，如休息时间、单独考场或延长时间，并须及时申请。
- Advance warning of changes to routine, supply teachers or fire drills. 提前告知作息变化、代课教师或消防演习。
Failing to make an adjustment that is reasonable, and then treating the resulting absence or underperformance as a disciplinary matter, risks both a discrimination claim and a safeguarding failure.
若学校未作出本应作出的合理调整，反而把由此产生的缺勤或成绩下滑作为纪律问题处理，就可能同时构成歧视与保护失职。
5. Attendance Codes, Authorisation and Penalties | 出勤代码、授权与罚款
Attendance registers are legal documents. How an absence is coded affects funding, safeguarding records and whether a family risks a penalty notice. Where absence is caused by a mental health condition, the correct code is normally a health-related one, not an unauthorised one.
出勤登记册是法律文件。缺勤如何编码会影响经费、保护记录，以及家庭是否会面临罚款通知。当缺勤源于心理健康状况时，正确代码通常是健康类代码，而不是"未授权缺勤"。
| Code 代码 | Meaning 含义 | Authorised? 是否授权 |
|---|---|---|
| I | Illness (including mental illness) 疾病（含心理疾病） | Yes 是 |
| M | Medical or dental appointment 就医或牙科预约 | Yes 是 |
| C | Leave of absence granted by the school 学校批准的请假 | Yes 是 |
| O | Unauthorised absence 未授权缺勤 | No 否 |
England's 2024 statutory attendance guidance explicitly adopts a "support first" approach and states that penalty notices should be a last resort, considered only where support is not appropriate or has not worked. Where a child has a disability-related condition, escalating to prosecution rather than adjusting provision is unlikely to be lawful or defensible.
英格兰2024年的法定出勤指引明确采取"支持优先"方针，并指出罚款通知应作为最后手段，仅在支持不适用或已失效时才考虑。若孩子存在与残障相关的情况，学校不去调整安排却升级至起诉，既不合法也难以自辩。
6. Evidence, Consent and Confidentiality | 证据、同意与保密
Schools may reasonably ask for evidence that an absence is health-related, but the request must be proportionate. A brief letter or email from a GP, paediatrician or CAMHS clinician is usually sufficient. A school cannot lawfully insist on a formal diagnosis as a precondition for support, because diagnosis often takes months and children would be left without provision in the meantime.
学校可以合理要求提供缺勤与健康相关的证据，但这种要求必须适度。一封来自全科医生、儿科医生或儿童青少年心理健康服务（CAMHS）临床医师的简短信函或邮件通常已经足够。学校不得以正式诊断作为提供支持的前提条件，因为诊断往往需要数月，期间孩子将得不到任何教育安排。
Medical information is special category data under UK GDPR and equivalent rules elsewhere. It should be shared only with staff who need it, recorded securely, and not circulated in staff briefing notes or class WhatsApp groups. Consent for CAMHS involvement normally rests with the young person if they are Gillick competent, and schools should respect that rather than routing everything through parents by default.
医疗信息在英国《通用数据保护条例》及其他司法管辖区属于特殊类别数据，只能向确有必要知悉的教职工提供，须安全存档，不得出现在教师简报或班级群聊中。CAMHS的介入同意权通常属于具备Gillick判断能力的未成年人本人，学校应予以尊重，而非默认一切经由家长转达。
7. Keeping Learning Alive at Home | 缺勤期间的学业支持
The duty to provide suitable education is not discharged by sending a link to a textbook. "Suitable" means education appropriate to the child's age, ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs. For a pupil absent for fifteen school days or more, local authorities in England must arrange provision; for shorter or fluctuating absences, the school itself should keep the learning bridge open.
提供适当教育的义务，不是发一个教材链接就算完成。"适当"指符合孩子年龄、能力与性向，并顾及任何特殊教育需求的教育。在英格兰，学生连续缺勤达15个教学日以上时，地方当局必须安排教育供给；对于更短或反复波动的缺勤，学校本身应保持"学习桥梁"畅通。
In practice, good provision looks like this:
在实践中，良好的教育供给大致包括：
- A single named link teacher who coordinates all work and replies within an agreed time. 指定一位联络教师，统一协调所有功课，并在约定时间内回复。
- Live or recorded access to core lessons, especially for linear A-Level subjects where missed content compounds. 核心科目的直播或录播接入，对知识点层层递进的A-Level科目尤为关键。
- Reduced but realistic workload - three substantial tasks a week beats twenty ignored worksheets. 减量但可行的任务量——每周三项实质性任务胜过二十张被无视的练习纸。
- Regular, low-pressure contact with peers, so that returning does not feel like entering a room of strangers. 与同伴保持定期、低压力的联系，使返校不至于像走进一屋子陌生人。
8. Individual Plans and a Named Contact | 个别支持计划与指定联系人
Where a pupil has a medical condition, including a mental health condition, schools in England should draw up an Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP) under the statutory guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions. An IHP records the condition, the agreed adjustments, who is responsible, what to do in a crisis, and who the contact point is.
当学生有医疗状况（包括心理健康状况）时，英格兰的学校应依据关于支持有医疗状况学生的法定指引，制定"个别健康照护计划"（IHP）。该计划应记录病情、商定的调整措施、责任人、危机时的处置方式，以及联络人。
Many schools additionally use an attendance support plan, a pastoral support plan or, for students with special educational needs, a SEN Support plan or EHCP. Whatever it is called, it should contain dates, names and measurable actions - not aspirations. If a plan contains no review date and no named person, it is a document, not a plan.
许多学校还会使用出勤支持计划、关怀支持计划，或针对特殊教育需求学生的SEN支持计划、EHCP。无论名称如何，它都应包含日期、姓名与可衡量的行动，而不是愿景。若一份计划既无复核日期也无可执行人，那只是一份文件，不是计划。
9. Reintegration and Phased Returns | 复学与分阶段返校
Recovery is rarely linear. A well-managed return is planned in advance, starts small, and is reviewed weekly. A phased timetable - for example, two lessons a day for two weeks, then mornings only, then full days - is a legitimate and often essential adjustment. What is not legitimate is using a part-time timetable as a permanent quiet solution to a problem the school has not addressed.
康复很少是线性的。良好的返校安排应提前规划、小步启动、每周复核。分阶段课表（例如先每天两节课持续两周，再改为只上半天，最后恢复全天）是合法且常常必要的调整。不合法的做法，是把"半日课表"当成永久性的省事方案，用来掩盖学校并未真正解决的问题。
A reintegration meeting should include the pupil, the parents, the form tutor or head of year, the SENCO where relevant, and any external clinician who can attend. The output should be a written, dated plan covering: which lessons, which safe adult, what to do if the pupil needs to leave, how missed work will be handled, and when the plan will be reviewed.
复学会议应包含学生本人、家长、班主任或年级主任、必要时包括SENCO，以及可出席的外部临床人员。会议产出应是一份带日期的书面计划，涵盖：上哪些课、由谁担任安全联系人、学生需要离开教室时怎么做、落下的功课如何处理、以及何时复核。
10. Safeguarding, Bullying and Root Causes | 保护职责、霸凌与根因
Under Keeping Children Safe in Education, mental health is a safeguarding matter. Staff should be alert to signs of deterioration, and the designated safeguarding lead should consider referral to external services where a child's mental health is escalating while they are absent. Absence is not a reason to close a safeguarding file - it is often the reason to open one.
根据《守护校园安全》指引（KCSIE），心理健康属于保护议题。教职工应警觉恶化迹象，指定保护负责人（DSL）在学生缺勤期间心理状况升级时，应考虑转介外部服务。缺勤不是关闭保护档案的理由，反而常常是开启档案的理由。
Schools must also investigate what the child is avoiding. In a substantial proportion of cases, the driver is bullying, harassment, an unresolved conflict, unreasonable academic pressure, or a failure to identify an underlying special educational need such as autism, ADHD or dyslexia. Anti-bullying duties and the school's behaviour policy apply with full force, and a pupil who is being bullied cannot be blamed for the attendance that follows.
学校还必须调查孩子在回避什么。在相当比例的案件中，诱因是霸凌、骚扰、未解决的冲突、不合理的学业压力，或未能识别自闭症、ADHD、读写困难等潜在特殊教育需求。反霸凌义务与学校行为政策依然完全适用，而一个正在被霸凌的学生，不应为随之而来的缺勤受到指责。
11. What Schools Must Not Do | 学校不得做的事
Certain responses are unlawful, and parents should recognise them immediately. An informal exclusion - telling a parent to "keep them at home for a bit" without any formal record or plan - is unlawful in England. So is refusing to admit or re-admit a pupil because of a mental health condition, or pressuring a family to withdraw voluntarily to protect the school's figures, a practice known as off-rolling.
某些应对方式是违法的，家长应当立即识别。非正式停学——让家长"先在家待一阵子"却没有任何正式记录或配套计划——在英格兰属于违法。因心理健康状况而拒绝录取或拒绝复学同样违法；施压家庭"自愿转学"以美化学校数据（即所谓"转出"off-rolling）亦属违规。
Other red flags include: demanding a full-time return as a precondition for any support; refusing exam access arrangements because the pupil has missed lessons; removing a pupil from the SEN register because they are not attending; and ignoring medical advice. In China, the Compulsory Education Law likewise prohibits expulsion, and the Law on the Protection of Minors requires schools to respond to identified psychological difficulties rather than exclude the student.
其他警示信号包括：以"必须恢复全天到校"作为提供任何支持的前提；因学生缺课而拒绝其考试便利安排；因学生未到校而将其从SEN名录中移除；以及无视医嘱。在中国，《义务教育法》同样禁止开除，《未成年人保护法》要求学校对已识别的心理困扰作出回应，而不是把学生排除在外。
12. Complaints, Remedies and a Parent Checklist | 投诉、救济与家长清单
Escalation in England normally runs: class teacher or form tutor, then head of year, then SENCO, then the head teacher, then the governing body's complaints committee, then the local authority, then the Department for Education, then the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. For special educational needs decisions, the route is the SEND First-tier Tribunal. Judicial review of an unlawful exclusion or a failure to provide section 19 education remains available but is subject to strict time limits, often three months from the decision.
在英格兰，申诉通常按以下顺序推进：任课教师或班主任、年级主任、SENCO、校长、校董会投诉委员会、地方教育当局、教育部，最后是地方政府与社会关怀监察专员。涉及特殊教育需求的决定，则提交SEND一审法庭。对违法停学或
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