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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

100% attendance certificates at DS's school, aibu?

362 replies

BoobleBeep · 02/12/2011 10:57

DS's school has just announced they will be giving out certificates to children with 100% attendance in an assembly at the end of term..... This basically excludes any child who has been ill at any point throught the year, needed dental treatment or has parents who can't afford to take them away during expensive term time. Aibu to be a bit pissed off about this?

OP posts:
SardineQueen · 03/12/2011 18:16

Seriously?

You think that disabled children are not aware enough of how their conditions limit them and need to have it reinforced by increasing the number of things they are excluded from?

SardineQueen · 03/12/2011 18:17
Bunbaker · 03/12/2011 18:17

"Improving a school's attendance figures at any cost to the children is unacceptable."

I agree. Perhaps this is targeted at schools in areas where there is a lot of neglected children? DD's primary school was in a very "naice" area and attendance wasn't a problem, so they didn't have 100% attendance certificates.

Bue · 03/12/2011 18:18

"Sickly kids, up to a point, have to recognise their condition"

What does this even mean?? It seems these certificates are rewarding a hardy immune system more than anything else.

amerryscot · 03/12/2011 18:18

I wouldn't send mine with diarrhoea either. Did I sound like I was suggesting that? We have a 24 hours since last bathroom emergency rule in our household.

TBH, this is a rarity for us (in as much as I can't think of any incidents). I think it is a rarity for most families.

What the attendance awards are targeting is trivial illness and social reasons for not going to school. Why are people on this thread mixing these up? They are not to penalise chronic sufferers. These awards make no difference to the attendance of those students. If a particular child cannot meet the attendance criteria because of chronic illness, there should be other awards available.

Bunbaker · 03/12/2011 18:20

"I think it is a rarity for most families."

No it isn't. There is a horrible D & V bug going around the local primary school at the moment. Even the teachers are getting it. It is also going around the schools of my workmates' children. You must live in a bubble.

BeerTricksPotter · 03/12/2011 18:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tethersjinglebellend · 03/12/2011 18:22

"What the attendance awards are targeting is trivial illness and social reasons for not going to school. Why are people on this thread mixing these up? They are not to penalise chronic sufferers."

Well, at a guess- people on this thread are mixing them up because schools are mixing them up. Therein lies most of the argument Hmm

amerryscot · 03/12/2011 18:22

Tether, don't you think children get a whole day off after a visit to the orthodontist - yes, some do!

A lonely mum often does get her DD to stay off so they can have a trip to Westfield, Bluewater (far enough away from school that no one notices).

It is naive to think otherwise.

Is there concrete evidence? Well, no, because the parent says that the child is sick. No argument there. The paper trail goes cold. But most teacher-sleuths know exactly what is going on.

BeerTricksPotter · 03/12/2011 18:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

jchocchip · 03/12/2011 18:28

My Dd2 aged 13 has had one two years running. I know it's not their fault if they are off sick but lots of teenagers bunk the odd day off and I don't see the problem with a bit of paper for 100 %. Neither of my other dcs ever managed it so I am proud of her. Aibu?

amerryscot · 03/12/2011 18:31

The other thing to consider is when they are getting references for college or university. Their attendance becomes important.

In employment, reference requests often ask for days off 'sick'.

It's the reality of the world. It is never to young to learn this.

tethersjinglebellend · 03/12/2011 18:45

"Tether, don't you think children get a whole day off after a visit to the orthodontist - yes, some do!

A lonely mum often does get her DD to stay off so they can have a trip to Westfield, Bluewater (far enough away from school that no one notices)."

Do give me a moment to recover from this revelation, as it has shaken me to my very core. In ten years of teaching in inner London, this is news to me. thank you for removing the scales from my eyes Hmm

amerryscot, let's try again. Do the primary-aged children take the day off for the orthodontist? Or drive themselves to Westfield? Or, is it just possible that the decision to do either of these two things is taken by the parent?

Now, shall we move on to the child who doesn't come in because nobody woke him up because his parents were out? Or the child who is scared to leave her mum in case she starts drinking again? Or perhaps the child who has mental health needs and requires regular CAMHS appointments? Because they won't get an award either.

Oh, but the child who gets taken to school every day and hasn't fallen ill will. And the message given out to ALL of those children, including the award winner, is wrong.

jchocchip, I am only arguing against attendance certificates for primary aged children.

Whateveryousaymustberight · 03/12/2011 18:45

Sardine, not all primary school children are four. That's silly. If your child gets all the way to the end of year six without ever managing to pull the wool over your eyes about anything at all ever... No, forget that. It won't happen.
And BeerTricks, you make a valid point- you can talk to your children about these things and give them your own reward if you choose to. Luckily for me, it was just a certificate when my children were at school, and it was just nice if they got one, but not a huge deal. We don't give out major prizes at our school now either- just a token.
For the record, my grown up children are great, and I pretty much know what 'good parenting involves' Sardine, but over the years I did make some mistakes. You may do too. I had nights when I didn't know whether to call the doctor or not, days when I wasn't sure exactly how poorly my child was, loads of stuff. So shoot me.

tethersjinglebellend · 03/12/2011 18:47

Colleges, universities and employers tend not to ask for primary school attendance records.

SardineQueen · 03/12/2011 18:50

whatevery lots of primary school children are 4. They are also 5, 6, 7 and generally not in charge of getting themselves up and into school. That is down to the parents.

SardineQueen · 03/12/2011 18:51

Yes I forgot to mention that tethers I am also surprised that universities are interested in primary school attendance records.

SardineQueen · 03/12/2011 18:54

I doubt I will have times when I don't know whether to call the doctor or not. I call my parents and they come and tell me what's what. And the old line about doctors children not being able to get away with anything is true. A line I will take with my own children.

Again, it comes back to parenting.

I also don't know what relevance it is about wondering whether to call teh doctor. If a child is ill enough that its parents think it needs the doctor, then clearly it is too ill for school.

SardineQueen · 03/12/2011 19:17

So really what you are saying is that you think these certs are a good idea because you are the sort of person who might keep their child off school when there is not a good reason. So these would work for you.

While the people you are talking to on this thread are not the sort of people who would keep their children off school without a good reason and so think it is a shit idea.

cory · 03/12/2011 19:29

amerryscot, my main reason for disapproving of these awards is that they taught my (then) healthy ds that hard work and paying attention doesn't really matter as long as mummy gets him into school on time

call me bleeding heart, but I would rather the school had geared their awards to showing him that he was actually supposed to do something

in recent years he has been diagnosed with a health problem (to which his terrified reaction was "will they be angry with me?")

but unfortunately he is still struggling with a sloppy attitude towards work that was inculcated by a primary school that rewarded bums on seat above a good work ethic (and no, in my books turning up and doing sod all does not count as a good work ethic)

amerryscot · 03/12/2011 19:31

It happens in secondary for sure.

amerryscot · 03/12/2011 19:33

I don't really understand your post, cory

tethersjinglebellend · 03/12/2011 19:36

amerryscot, it has been said repeatedly that the objections to these certificates are for primary aged children, not secondary.

amerryscot · 03/12/2011 19:38

I think I have my fingers in my ears when it comes to your posts, tether. I just can't do negativity.

Tell me about Golden Boot and how you disapprove.

tethersjinglebellend · 03/12/2011 19:41

"I think I have my fingers in my ears when it comes to your posts, tether. I just can't do negativity."

Au contraire. You do it superbly.

It's following an argument you're not so hot at.

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