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

[BoobleBeep]

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?

YABVVVU.

Attendance is essential for success, you are not going to get top exam results if you aren't there to learn, you aren't going to get the job if you don't turn up to the interview, you aren't going to get the promotion if you never turned up for your job. It is the duty of schools to prepare children for the world they are going to be living in.

I suppose you also want to deprive children of the right to be rewarded for excellent grades in case it makes the stupid children feel bad about themselves, deprive the sporty ones for the right to be rewarded for their achievements so the physically incapable don't lose self esteem?

Why should a child with 100% attendance be denied recognition just to make you feel better? The type of education that refuses to distinguish between 100% and 50% isn't one.

@ tethersend

"This is so, so, wrong. Those parents you speak of who are completely disaffected with education rarely change because their child is excluded from a 'reward'. They need specialist support (fat chance, but there we are). Children from these families rarely get the chance to feel proud of themselves through attendance awards- in fact, the exclusion from school trips and other related rewards serves to compound and perpetuate the very disaffection which you claim they combat.

I work with children in care; often, children in abusive or neglectful homes have very poor attendance. When they are placed with foster parents, their attendance improves dramatically. What exactly is it that they have done which deserves a reward?"

Your experiences are obviously with the extreme cases of neglect and abuse and these are very sad, yes I agree that schools are limited and can not really do anything in these cases, this is up to special support nd social services. But thankfully they are not the norm in any school.

Again speaking from my own experiences, there are many parents who show contempt towards the teachers and the school, they may have had a bad educational experience themselves or just a chip on their sholder. But they still dress and feed their children, they don't neglect them and have no involvement with social services. Just a bad attitude. I hear moans about teachers, rules and the school in general a lot. But these same parents are the first to post their child's "bizarre achievements" up on Facebook saying how proud they are of their child.

Children themselves can also break this cycle by becoming more enthusiastic in school so even if their parents don't change their attitude then the child can still take pride in their achievements, whether people think they are meaningless or not, and make more effort. They will obviously have more of a mountain to climb than those with parental support but it is possible for children to better themselves and get out of the rut that their family may have been in for a couple of generations.

I worked in education for years before I gave up work to look after my children and I have seen children against all the odds go on to university and become a success. Sometimes it can take something small to motivat and change lives like an inspirational teacher, or a realisation that they are actually good at something, or a sence of pride in getting a reward! If this only works for one child then I think it is worth it. I really think we shouldn't underestimate the response to praise.

I think we are going to have to agree to disagree on this subject and maybe talk about something a little less controversial... Like politics or religion :)

"Your experiences are obviously with the extreme cases of neglect and abuse and these are very sad"

Jools, I have been a teacher for ten years and worked in a variety of settings; even high achieving mainstream. I have always been against attendance awards. My current position just strengthens my opposition to them.

I agree wholeheartedly with you about the power of rewards- but they must be for something the child has achieved, otherwise it makes a mockery of all other achievement awards.

Bring on the politics and religion

"They do this is another format in the workplaces too, give bonuses for those who haven't had a sick day - what's the difference?"

Primary school children aren't in control of their attendance- their parents are. Why not reward the parents?

Not sure who said it but my dd is being assessed for SN and has to attend various appointments which are often during school. THese appointments are hard to get and you have to take them when they are offered!!!

The problem with showing some children the reality of the grown-up world is that they may end up feeling they can't cope with it.

Dd tried to cut her wrists precisely because she had so many teachers and headteachers rub it into her that she won't be able to get away with her poor health as an adult. Dd knows her condition is incurable. So what solution is there except...

I wouldn't be upset by my children not getting an attendance award (neither would this year), I would see it as an opportunity to discuss how many institutions have to follow rules they know are a bit stupid and can't address complex problems, but do so anyway. I would also get them to reflect on what they think children should do when they need a medical appointment or are vomiting, and whether sharing this or worsening a condition is a sensible and appropriate response to this, or whether sometimes, again, institutions don't prioritise good values such as consideration for others or looking after oneself. I would also get them to think about the importance of attendance (for it is important), working hard and being persistent, and why those are important values irrespective of any certificate given for them.

There's lots you can learn from attendance certificates, almost as much as the walking to school ones.

Note to previous post: obviously dd didn't get into this kind of state through a few certificates being handed out; it was a result of a number of teachers/headteacher very frequently voicing the thoughts that have been voiced on this thread. A quiet certificate handed out to someone without a big song and dance would probably have had no effect.

Cory, apologies if that seemed directed at you, it's wasn't, more at the general trend towards certificates for pretty much anything (except being good academically at a subject, which at primary level anyway has to be hidden at all costs).

I feel for you massively if you have a child with a chronic/incurable condition, having fallen foul of the powers that be for having a child away for just a few days with a vomiting bug who didn't pick up immediately. It's incredibly unfair to persecute children who are ill or who have chronic conditions. Actually, you are not allowed to discriminate against adults with them in the workplace, so personally I don't think illness/sickness/medical appointments absenteeism should be counted in the attendance stats full stop.