Christmas is an important time for many students, and they relish the break they get to celebrate it.

Other students who celebrate Hanukkah, Diwali or the Chinese New Year are not so lucky as to have a break near their major religious holidays. If these students take time from school to attend religious functions, their absences are unexcused.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a major holiday for Jewish students which requires them to go to services during the school day.

This day often falls on a school day, meaning these students have to miss school to observe it. Students who miss this day unfortunately are not cleared.

Cal High’s attendance policy mandates that observations of religious holidays are excused absences. But many Cal students have complained they received unexcused absences instead.

The discrepancy in the attendance policy is alarming to many students who have received unexcused absences. Other students are concerned about which holidays are excused by the district.

Considering Cal is home to many students of diverse faiths, it is alarming that few religious holidays are recognized to be considered excused absences.

To help students maintain good attendance records, the district needs to clarify which religious holidays are excused. The holidays themselves should span more major religious days from different faiths, so students of all faiths feel accepted.

As we become a global community, it is important that we respect all religious holidays and give them the same importance as Christmas.

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