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.

Rogue speech mark there [when will I learn to check emoticon]

During the Summer of Swine Flu one parent sent her child to school with a high temp and other symptoms in the last week of school because he had been absence free all year and she wanted him to get the 100% certificate and prize.

madhairday I have conceded that i was worng about this but just as an aside, the chronically sick child is the minority in most schools, as it is in the work place. I am rather smug at havingnever taken a sick day, nor my DD having taken a sick day because there have been times when we have both been the kind of sick that I know for a fact would lead lots of people to have a day off. I am proud that i don't rob my employer (just through paid MN hours -joke) and i'm proud that i have passed that ethic on to my DD.

My DSD's mother takes a sick day for a broken nail and surprise surprise, DSD is a sick note as well.

My OH never takes a day off sick. He has MS so thats no mean feat.

Before he had MS he was a paramedic and would NEVER take sick leave. Even if he had flu. I thought he was a twat for doing that. He has grown up a lot since then and having an immunocomprimised child probably changed his outlook.

My friends little boy has just started school. He has transport and an escort. They have told her they want to pick him up after nine and bring him home 'a bit early' because its easier for them. That kid is never going to get his 100% punctuality certificate is he

I have a strong work ethic. Have been in work since I was 16. Apart from the usual slightly casual approach to sickness hangovers for a brief period in my early twenties - I have taken very little sick time. My eldest two were never off sick and always got their punctuality and attendance certs. Then dd got cancer and that was the end of that - for ever.
She was off, DS was off, DS was often late etc.

Ok so chronically sick kids are rare.. But what about acutely sick kids, kids in care, young carers and children living with all kinds of things beyond their control? Add all them together and the numbers are not so small.

I havent led a sheltered life but I was amazed at the number when i was working in my local primary.

I know that mrsd, that's why i chnaged my mind. I was just responding to the poster who said "I hate that whole smuggity smug 'I've never had a day off sick, I just get on with it attitude too" because when people say that, they aren't being smug over adults or children who are chronically sick, they are being proud that they're not skivvers... and there are a lot of skivers, kids and adults.

In our last school, my dd missed 3 days during the year due to sickness, a girl in her class won an excellent attendance certificate after taking 10 days off for a holiday. Haven't quite managed to explain that one to dc but she wasn't happy.

isla that is fucking ridiculous. Don't even get me started on parents who take their kids out for holidays!

There are more than you'd think if you count those children perhaps not described as disabled or chronically sick as such but who need appointments constantly - my dd for eg has multiple orthodontist, ENT and dermatologist appts which have to be in school time, but is certainly not as sick as some other children. She feels the attendance award thing as keenly, probably because the school has such a shocking system with classes winning the wii for the week

I have a strong work ethic and when working dragged myself in on all but worst days. Unfortunately my illness progressed too much for work but I encourage that ethic in my dc. However, I would never send them in to school if they felt awful and had flu like symptoms, but would if they had a little sniffle or a headache. For me a strong work ethic doesn't mean a pigheaded refusal to admit to weakness. It's just as important to me for my DC to know that they are cared for when ill.

Isla. That is dreadful.

pickyourbrain - agree re holidays.

?But do think it is shit when children with chronic conditions have to sit through these bloody award assemblies where the head moralises about attendance and how all your chances in life will be ruined if you don't achieve 87% or whatever it is?

Cory, I think we?ve had this discussion before but we got so pissed off with these bloody attendance assemblies that we would take DD in late on the mornings when they were held (she was never going to win an attendance certificate anyway, so another absence wasn?t going to make much difference )

I?d really genuinely love to know whether anyone who has a child with a chronic medical condition thinks awards for attendance are a good idea. I?m guessing not?

I was at a governor's meeting the other day, I proposed that we have a lower target for children with chronic conditions...only one school but it's a start.