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.

Secondary school students generally have more input into whether they attend school or not than say a 5 year old. SN not considered of course. Sports day is not the same as attendance, attending school doesn't require talent or ability

My DS goes to a good school however it is classed as being in a deprived area.

If parents can't be bothered to get their DCs to school, nothing their children spout about awards is going to make a different - the laws they have passed regarding making parents liable will.

That doesn't change the fact that these 'awards' discriminate against disability. Where else would you get away with this type of behaviour?

reliability and work ethic is a talent/ability/skill that can be developed and will lead to success in life.

Reliability and work ethic aren't intrinsically linked though are they? My DH is very successful, works extremely hard but wasn't reliable due to disability.

Plus, if it is the measure of the parent and not the child, it just shows that the parents are reliable, it says very little about the child's work ethic which is why so many parents disagree with it.

Surely the work ethic of the parents is handed down to the children...?

I suppose they aren't intrinsically linked, but relibility does suggest a good work ethic... even if a good work ethic doesn tlead automatically to relibility.

So therefore the attendance awards are a load of bollocks (go on admit it )

YANBU. I don't want ill kids being encouraged to go to school and spread their lurgy. And it's not really fair to reward/not reward for walking to school when it's often not the kids (and sometimes not the parents) choice.

What gets my goat is class detention.

That's really sad confuddled.

So what would you do? Would you want to see an end to Star of the Week, Worker of the Week, achievement certificates, sports awards etc...? I am genuinely interested.

Give awards based solely on the merits of hard work/achievements.

Class detention sucks.

I think that this whole attendance thing, unfortunately, is the sort of thing that can be mismanaged, or seem tactless, and I quite see that for a child with chronic ill-health or long-term disability, it would be a bit of a poignant moment to deal with along with all the rest of the crap.

I still think that in theory, and in a lot of schools, it's a nice idea and can be executed well if people have a mind to. It's just a way of saying, wow that's great you came in every day to the odd kids who did - not a rebuke to the others, just underlining the message 'We Think Attendance Is Important If YOu Can'.

(am not a teacher btw )

I dislike the walk to school thing a bit because I think it misses the point (as society does in general when the mums get the blame) that for lots of parents it's not a question of making the kids get in the car 'for the school run' - it's more like dropping teh children at school ON THE WAY TO WORK!

I'm glad my DS school do not do awards for attendance.

I find it bizarre that you can get an award for being lucky not to pick up a virus during the school year lucky not to have a diagnosed medical conditions or be unlucky that your parents through the lack of available childcare sent you into school whilst ill.

Dancergirl - none of your examples have to do with luck.

But reindeer, children who have long-term illnesses are not going to achieve as much as the next child are they? So they'll still miss out.

Re Walk to School week: we have this at our school too. Parents are encouraged to drive part of the way and walk the rest if they live too far to walk the whole way. I think it's a good idea. It may be a bit inconvenient and you may have to get up 10 mins earlier or whatever, but surely most people can do that can't they?

Out walking in the fresh air and fewer traffic congestion around school.

kaumana - so good genes are not down to luck?

Children with asthma are not going to achieve as much as the next child? Or juvenile arthritis or diabetes? Dancergirl, you may need to rethink that statement of yours.

How are parents to explain to their employers that they are going to be 10 mins late for work this week because of the schools? Often having already negotiated a later start due to school drop off? Doesn't really show a great work ethic now does it!

I also loathe 100% certificates/assembly. I've been thinking of starting a campaign among parents at school to refuse to collect a sick child when called by the school and say 'I don't want to collect them because they won't get the 100% attendance certificate'

Dancer girl - my DH has gone on to be very qualified in his line of work - whilst being unreliable at work - he just works twice as bloody hard whilst he's there.

Same with DS - he adores school and when he is there he has to work harder than the others to catch up.

It should be rewarded on merit - if DS works particularly hard, or does very well in a certain area then yes, of course i would expect him to be rewarded

It would be a very narrow-minded belief that those with long term medical conditions or disabilities aren't as able to achieve as any other child.

I know loads of people who had a lot of time off school for various things and have gone on to be highly successful

*whilst being unreliable at work due to disability

kaumana - so good genes are not down to luck?

This is the comment I was referring to;

So what would you do? Would you want to see an end to Star of the Week, Worker of the Week, achievement certificates, sports awards etc...? I am genuinely interested.

So are you saying the above requires good genes?

I think it's a good idea. If you don't win the prize, big deal. But people who have attended every single day deserve some sort of acknowledgment for that.

I'm generally in favour of low key reinforcement of good attendance. Of the absences at primary level some will be unavoidable like serious illness, some will be solely the parent's choice (a week flying to a relative's wedding eg) but some will be open to negotiation by a child who says they really do want to go to school even though the parent doesn't feel like taking them that day - a motivated child can get themselves into school despite a generally crap parent. And it does help with malingering (I speak from experience as the parent of a child with the unholy combination of mild MA and a tendency to malingering).

If we say that 5-10% of absences are subject to child's influence then that could make the difference between the school getting a Good or Outstanding grade, with all that goes with it (not that that's right of course). And much more importantly it might enable some kids from chaotic homes to get a more coherent education; every little helps.

I think KatyMac's red letters are shocking though. How hard can it be to have a label on the file saying "This child has well-attested chronic health problems: do not send attendance letters."

Reindeer - maybe I didn't express myself v well or you are reading too much into my post. I am NOT inferring that children with medical problems are less likely to achieve but in SOME areas they may find it harder to achieve, in sport for example. We have a friend whose daughter has asthma and she does cross-country. She has never won, or even done that well, in a cross country competition. She will never win any awards for cross country. That doesn't mean what she's doing isn't fantastic; it is, just not recognised as such in that context.

Children who miss a lot of school, for whatever reason, may find it hard to keep up with the work and hence achieve less. But it depends how you define achievement.

And yes, a lot is down to genes. IQ, sporting ability, musical ability, art ability - often down to genes.