Are students permitted a mental health day?

No.

Where did you go to school?

Yes. We didn’t call it that, but that’s what it was. Burn out, fatigue, whatever, we just counted it as “calling in sick”. It wasn’t a problem.

Not formally. There were certainly some days where I didn’t go to school for reasons other than physical illness, but no one had to know what it was. “Sick” was enough of a description (and of course in university, there was no compulsion to show up to class. It was up to you).

It is not a recognized thing, but my daughter would get herself so tied in knots trying to excel in every class, I forced her to take a day on occasion in Jr. High. I was threatened by the school, and told the days would be counted as unexcused absence.
I told them that to stop me they would have to press charges, because I had my daughter’s welfare to worry about, and their only concern was numbers. The arguement was thrown at me that their solitary concern was education, I displayed my daughter’s rankings, and they shut up.
She was furious with me each time, but I spent the day discussing teachers, classes, classmates, and how she felt about each. It was visibly cleansing for her, and sending her to school the next day we both felt better.
I think one day per semester should be allowable, and schools refusing should be held accountable for child abuse.

Bravo @Patty_Melt! My kids were in public school for a while, and I homeschooled for about 10 years. I took one child out of 4th grade for a couple weeks so she and a friend could do research on a science fair project. They completed all the homework sent home by the school as well as doing research for the science fair project. They were competing against high school kids in the regional science fair. She and her friend won second place.

The school district kept trying to threaten me, insisting that my child was missing “vital educational opportunities” (which was BS)!

They couldn’t figure out what to say when we showed up and asked to display their trophy. Even though the regional science fair was put on by the school system, they wouldn’t allow us to display the trophy. Hypocrites!

I realize this question is about taking days off of school for mental health, but seriously, missing those two or so weeks of school were the most mentally cleansing and stimulating days of my daughter’s public school career. She’s 30 and she still talks about what a wonderful experience it was.

@MollyMcGuire Alberta Canada. It was considered skipping, I told them that I was sick and they dropped it. I called it a mental health day. The school only cared in grade 9 and grade 12. I had to erase the school robo tattler call from my dads answering machine. I only showed up for tests and when they had movie days or field trips. I would love to be homeschooled. Most of the school experience was full of filler and easily brushed aside.