To wish that schools wouldn't reward children for things they have no control over

[dealer]

Attendance, they give out certificates for 100% attendance each half term. Ds would occasionally have a day off for illness, dd1 hasn't had a day off since reception, she's in year 4. Ds wasn't assed, dd1 has mild sn and despite the fact that I tell her that she's really lucky to be so healthy, loves getting up in assembly for the certificates and feels it's an achievement.

They've now changed it, since it wasn't 'fair' and you will now only get a certificate for most improved attendance. Dd1 wants to know how to get one of these. Not sure how you improve on 5 years 100%.

And I hate it when they award class attendance, so the poor kid who has genuine health problems or parents who aren't very good at getting them there, get highlighted as bringing the class percentage down.

Walk to school week soon. We used to walk to school all the time when I was a sahm because we live 10 mins from the school. Now though, I work as a delivery driver so it's somewhat essential to take my vehicle with me. I need to drop dd2 at nursery 4 miles away 10 minutes later now as well, since the school nursery had no room for her.

Dd2 will be in school in September, so I could in theory walk them then and then go back for the van. But that would utterly pointless since I would then drive the van straight past the school again, same polution etc, and waste 20 mins work time.

Doesn't stop dd1 waving 'walk to school' leaflets at me, and telling me she needs to earn stickers though. Pointing out great facts such as car occupants are exposed to 3 times as much pollution on the school run as walkers. Don't really understand that since they're only in the car for 2 mins.

They usually walk home, but apparently that doesn't count.

Anyway it's all arbitrary stuff that kids are supposed to be motivated to do that they can't do anything about.

Are there no neighbours who have children at the same school who they could walk with?

I have complained to my school about similar. By all means reward them for effort, enthusiasm,showing kindness, etc,etc. But a child cannot control some aspects of their life. My DS even commented that 2 children who are taxied to school due to complex personal circumstances would never win the walk to school week prize as they will never be able to walk

Well I think the certificate for walk to school are a good idea as there are lots of people drive when they could walk. It really does seem to make a difference to the numbers walking.

Agree about attendance though, very little the child can do about it.

No, all the neighbours kids are at high school now

I totally get the encourgaing people to walk bit, but don't know how you shoudl incentivise it, since the kids don't get to choose.

I would let dd1 walk if there were a lollipop person for the last crossing (the others are quiet), but they've given up trying to recruit now.

If it helps, the attendance thing bugs me too, and I'm a primary school teacher.
The schools are under huge pressure from the LEAs and OFSTED to improve attendance. In our school, there are some children whose parents let them have threat off for very minor issues. The theory from the school is that the certificates will encourage peer pressure and pester power to get those kids into school.
I think it sucks for all the reasons you mention. We should be dealing with the underlying issues stopping those children getting into school. Unfortunately we do not really have the staff power to do this properly.

I dislike attendance awards (fortunately DCs school doesn't do them). In particular as one of Ds2's friends has a serious chronic medical condition that requires frequent hospitalisation and centre-of-excellence appointments. His parents are simply amazing in getting him to school as often as he does and working with the school to co-ordinate off-site learning. His attendance, in black and whit terms, is dreadful. Their attitude to education is exemplary.

I have had the same issue. But in my ds' case it was because he is a sickly child and missed a lot of school because he was truly ill. Why on earth should he be penalized a possible prize for perfect attendance because he gets sick. Especially since the poor thing always had to make up the work when he was better.

i personally think its all ballsack. i give it no credence and tell my children to do the same

I really do not care, one of my children had poor attendance at primary because of illness and he never got these. Sometimes you do not get what you want in life. He would much rather have had a reward for an achievement anywaty.

Dd1s class won a swimming party last year, that's quite a big deal when you're 8.

She nearly missed it as well, came down with d&v the next day (first day of hols).

An interesting twist on this; punctuality competitions in schools, i.e. not late to morning registration. Sounds laudable in principle.

I've been in 4 schools where this has been tried, and in each case my form group had the worst lateness.

I pointed out how strange it was that I always ended up with tardy kids wherever I went.

Nothing to do with 1. My applying the rules 2. Other form tutors being lax in order to win, of course.:)

I have tried and failed to get a campaign going about this. It's a ridiculously simplistic and inaccurate measure of a pupil's effort, particularly at primary level where, as you point out, children have no control over when or how they get to school.

Might work OK at secondary, if kids are getting themselves there, but again primary kids often have no control.

The problem is, a school can fail an ofsted inspection, if attendance is not at the right level.

I dislike attendance awards. There are times when we have children sent in when they clearly should be at home as not well. We should not be encuraging parents to send in ill children.

Awards in school should only be given for things children actually achieve by themselves.

I remember an assmebly when I was training to be a teacher. It was last week of school and the 100% attendane certificates were being given out. There were a handful of children getting certificates. One child getting an award for 100% attendance was not there - they were absent, they were ill!!!

We do attendance certificates at our school (and Walk to School week).

And you know what? It isn't 'fair'. Not fair to the kids who have time off school due to genuine illness. But that's how it is! Many, many things are not fair as you well know. Is it fair that some people live healthy lives and get horrible illnesses anyway? Is it fair that some people are v rich and haven't done a day's work in their lives?

I think it's great if kids have 100% attendance and they should be rewarded. No, it may not be fair to other kids who have been ill etc but it's not about them. Attendance is only one aspect of school. Schools reward children for lots of things these days. It's good for children to know they can't win everything, be it fair or not.

My children were some of the only ones who did walk to school every day havin been promised a prize they ended up with .... nothing so it wouldn't really worry me anyway

tethersend - it is NOT a measure of a pupil's effort. It's a measure of ATTENDANCE, pure and simple.

The only way is to explain to the children that they cant win everything, and they cant compete in everything, but there will always be something that they can win, just not all the time.

I think very little at primary school is in sole control of the child.

One of my children used to get lots of homework awards, one of the reasons for that was that we have a house full of books and my children always have access to school libraries and resources though me. How unfair that they should be rewarded?

Another child used to get lots of sporting awards, part of that is good genes. We also had contacts which meant that the said child had a lot of coaching in sport. Again is that fair?

Statistically, economic background is a huge factor in determining educational outcomes for children.

So perhaps schools should reward children for household income- after all, life's not fair... they should just get used to it.