ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT
- Stanfort Academy always make sure to communicate the attendance policy and the attendance requirement to all its students at various stages.
- For the Student Pass holder, the minimum % of attendance is 90% and 75% for Non-STP holder per month.
- For foreign students as well as for the local students, the total attendance % are calculated at the end of the month. For foreign student the requirement set by ICA is 90% and for the part-time courses for local students, the attendance requirement is 75% per module. All the students are issued the course completion certificate based on meeting the minimum requirement of 75% physical attendance.
- The attendance department keep monitoring student attendance to ensure that the absentee is recorded on time. For consistency, the teachers/ lecturers are advised to put ‘0’ if the student didn’t turn up for the lessons or late for class after 45 mins. If the student is absent and able to provide valid supporting documents such as (Medical Certificate), court order or any valid document issued by the government agencies in Singapore, the attendance sheet will be updated accordingly by the Attendance department.
Students are notified about the attendance requirement using following documents:
- Course Orientation Checklist
- Academic Orientation
- Student Handbook
- Programme Handbook (for In-house courses)
- Module Handbook (for EDP courses)
- School Official Website
Special Condition / Excused Absences
The school understands that from time to time; a student may not be able to attend the classes due to circumstances beyond his or her control. When this occurs, special consideration will be given if the circumstances are compassionate or compelling, and sufficient valid evidence is provided by the student to justify this consideration. Such special conditions are purely judged case by case basis with discretion.
Absence Due To Illness – it is compulsory for a student who is ill to obtain a medical certificate from a medical practitioner registered in Singapore. This medical certificate is filed into the school record and updated against student’s attendance record.
Compassionate Or Compelling Circumstances – they are generally those beyond the control of the student and which have an impact on the student’s course progress.
In relation to attendance, these include but are not limited to:
- Major political upheaval or natural disaster in the region of student’s origin requiring emergency travel and this has impacted on the student’s progress of the student’s studies;
- A traumatic experience, involvement or witnessing the serious accident or being the victim of the serious crimes and this has impact on the student;
For the above circumstances the management will use the professional judgment to assess each case on its individual merits. The management will consider documentary evidence provided to support the claim and will keep copies of these documents in the student file. The leave approval will be at discretion of the Management, The Education Manager or the Attendance Department.
Guidelines On Compassionate Leave for Students:
To ensure transparency and consistency, students are advised to take note of the following points regarding Compassionate Leave:
- Definition of Compassionate Leave: Compassionate leave is granted only in the event of a personal loss involving an immediate family member, such as a parent, legal spouse, children, sibling, grandparent, or legal guardian.
- Scope of Approval
Compassionate leave does not extend to: - Non-immediate relatives (e.g., cousins, uncles, aunts)
- Family friends or individuals whom the student considers emotionally significant but are not direct family members
- Situations where someone is seriously ill but has not passed away
- Nature of Student Leave
- As students, leave is a privilege, not an entitlement.
- Unlike employment contexts, student leave is granted on compassionate, medical, or academic grounds and must be supported with valid documentation.
- Responsibility and Expectation
- While we empathise with personal difficulties, students are reminded that individual challenges cannot override institutional policies or academic obligations.
- Students who are granted approved leave are responsible for independently keeping up with all missed coursework and learning activities. No special arrangements will be made by the school to compensate for lessons missed, and students accept that prolonged absence may result in their attendance falling below the minimum requirement for examination or coursework eligibility. In order to remain eligible to submit assignment or sit for the examination, they have to bear additional charges for the extra lessons should the situation is caused by the student’s personal commitments and not by the school itself.
- Attendance and Course Requirements
- Approved leave only excuses the student from classes for a few days — it does not exempt them from maintaining the minimum attendance requirement tied to their Student Pass and programme progression.
- Failure to meet attendance and coursework submission requirements may impact eligibility for assessments and graduation.
- Final Note – The school aims to support students fairly and respectfully, but all leave requests must be reasonable, verifiable, and within policy guidelines. Emotional significance, while understandable, cannot be the sole basis for granting compassionate leave.
Warning Letters:
Attendances requirement by ICA = 90% per month
When the attendance of foreign student holding valid Student Pass falls below (less than 90% per month), action is taken as follows:
- When attendance falls below 90% First time: Verbal warning is issued
- When attendance falls below 90% Second time: First warning is issued
- When attendance falls below 90% Third time: Final warning/ Stern Warning is issued
- When attendance falls below 90% Fourth time: Student is expelled from the course (Provisionally)
Note:
- After provisional expulsion, student will not be allowed to attend classes and has to appeal against the expulsion within 10 days from the date of official expulsion and wait for approval.
- If approved, student join the class back and if appeal is rejected, student is expelled from the programme completely.
- If an appeal is approved and the student is readmitted into the programme, any shortfall in attendance resulting from classes missed during the period of expulsion will remain the student’s responsibility. Should the student’s attendance fall below the minimum requirement, he/she will not be eligible to sit for examinations or submit coursework. To regain eligibility, the student must attend the required make-up lessons and bear all associated costs before being permitted to sit for the examination or submit coursework at a later date. This will also affect delay in their graduation date and student will take personal responsibility for this as such situation is brought upon by themselves.
- If appeal is approved and student returns to the programme but again their attendance falls below 90% again, immediate Final Expulsion will be imposed and no more chances will be given.
Local Students (Non-Student Pass Holders)
Local students studying under Stanfort Academy who does not hold any student pass, are also held responsible for low attendance. The attendance department of Stanfort Academy takes intervention measures against the Non-STP students through consistent reminder email so that students are repeatedly inform about their low attendance.
- A student whose attendance has fallen below 75% for the first time, they are sent First reminder through email as warning to be careful with their attendance and meet the required monthly attendance.
- A student whose attendance has fallen below 75% for the second time, they are sent Second reminder as warning to be careful with their attendance and meet the required monthly attendance.
- A student whose attendance has fallen below 75% for the third time, they are sent Third and final reminder as warning to be careful with their attendance and meet the required monthly attendance.
Note: Stanfort Academy will not be able to make any exceptions, adjustments, or interventions to students regardless of their visa status, if attendance continues to fall below the required level despite this warning / reminder.