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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:
minimisschief · 02/12/2011 11:16

i got several of these when i was at school and little rewards like stationary sets. yabu it is a nice thing

LizzieMo · 02/12/2011 11:17

YANBU- I can't stand them either. I think they alienate children who, like my own DD1 have an ongoing medical condition . My DD sometimes needs to attend hospital appointments in term time, and because of her condition her immune system is slightly under par and so she picks up every bug going and it takes her longer to recover . She has pretty much no hope of ever recieving an attendance award, which is entirely not her fault. However, when she is at school she works really hard and gets good results, and has not fallen behind despite missing school for the above reasons. She never gets any recognition for that.

LingDiLong · 02/12/2011 11:19

Whilst I do see your point, my DD got one last year and I was really pleased for her. She's the kind of kid who flies below the radar, average ability in class, bit shy so never gets the lead in class assemblies/nativities, not very sporty so never wins at sports day. It was nice to see her get something for a change.

voodoobarbie · 02/12/2011 11:19

YANBU ds 7 has just moved up to the juniors, he came home all excited and told me that he musn't have a day off so he could get a certificate, problem is he has ASD and throughout the year has at least two medical appointments. He will be upset when they are awarded and of course it will be my fault.

Original poster
BoobleBeep · 02/12/2011 11:21

DS has a child in his class who is off school a lot... He has a pretty hard home life from what I gather from his mum and I think things like this stand to alienate children like him whe really it should be something that is taken up with his parents

OP posts:
Sirzy · 02/12/2011 11:22

Exactly kayno.

I used to get certificates at school for achievement in maths but others didn't. I never got one for doing well in pe but others did.

It's just another way of schools giving some recognition to things in the school. Managing to be in school all term is an achievement and one I don't many get. I don't see why not getting the certificate should be something to cause upset. I certainly haven't been scarred for life by missing out on a few 100% certificates, I was at the time very proud of the ones I did get.

Sirzy · 02/12/2011 11:22

And of course you know the school aren't taking it up with his parents?

Original poster
BoobleBeep · 02/12/2011 11:23

I'm sure they are but it shouldn't be a reflection on him

OP posts:
startail · 02/12/2011 11:24

YANBU, including dentists is ridiculous!
Our orthodontist clearly states, appointments after 3 pm private patients only!

coraltoes · 02/12/2011 11:27

So much touchy feely sensitivity on here..it is a nice way to acknowledge some kids made it through the year withou a day off. We had them at my school, as well as punctuality ones. Both of those things teach children that striving for punctuality and attendance is rewarded....they aren't being told off if they don't get one are they? So seems a bit much to worry about a few kids getting a certificate when yours doesn't. Trust me, the majority will be certificate less! How many kids make it without a bug,nits, chicken pox, chest infection, d and v??very few!

Sirzy · 02/12/2011 11:28

Well then you don't reward anyone in school just incase they miss out because their parents dont help them enough.

You better stop sports days incase someone is unable to win in that.

ChristieF · 02/12/2011 11:29

Our school does these certificates. One of my sons even got one! The other never has-orthodontist, chest infections etc. I think the school does it to encourage attendance. That's fine, but who really cares? Two girls at a recent presentation got certificates for FIVE years of 100% attendance! Ours is a high performing school and anything that gets kids to attend is good isn't it?

marge2 · 02/12/2011 11:30

Our school did this for a while. (New Head Teacher). It was bloody stupid for all the reason above and they realised pretty quickly it thankfully. Now they just give out 'Excellent Attendence' awards. So if you have a day sick you don't lose out. However, they are still a bit daft in my oninion.

tiggerandpoohtoo · 02/12/2011 11:33

My husband gets a bottle of whiskey for 100% attendance at work each year. He doesn't moan if he has to have time off sick and doesn't get one. Its the way life works! It does encourage those who would normally take a day off because they want a shopping day to go in.

Perhaps this is the schools way of trying to encourage pupils who don't like attending school? There will always be pupils who miss out on one certificate or another.

Original poster
BoobleBeep · 02/12/2011 11:34

Sirzy - why the sarcasm? I think this is something that is entirely out of a child's control

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JugglingWithGoldandMyrhh · 02/12/2011 11:36

Yes, I don't like them either.
Don't give them too much attention is my advice.
What about the poor kids who are often ill and will never get one Xmas Sad
I always praise other things and think the teachers should too.
It's just because they're trying to get their attendance stats up.
Kids need to have time off and go to the doctor when they're ill.
So do adults come to that.
I don't like this work at all costs culture !

Sirzy · 02/12/2011 11:37

But ability at things in school is often out of a child's control. Nothing would have made me any good at pe but I didn't get upset when others got certificates for things.

It may well be that for one child in the class who plods on the only time they feel "special" is when they get the 100% attendance award.

TimothyClaypoleLover · 02/12/2011 11:40

If children are getting very upset over not receiving an attendance certificate their parents need to teach them some perspective. Its only a bit of paper and not worth paying too much attention to. I assume the idea of attendance certificates is only to try and encourage those kids (and parents) who take days off school at the drop of a hat.

CrunchyFrog · 02/12/2011 11:41

I was gobsmacked at high school when the Head Girl got a certificate for 100% attendance from p1 to Upper VI!

Seriously.

From my vantage point of sub-80% (I was a Bad Girl), it seemed like the stupidest thing to celebrate in the world.

My kids will never get 100%, DS1 has lots of appointments (SALT is always in school time for example).

Original poster
BoobleBeep · 02/12/2011 11:41

Sirzy - Yes that's true, I think it's a good thing for children to get awarded at what they are good at but I do feel this is different to things like reading & sports day

OP posts:
Serenitysutton · 02/12/2011 11:42

Yabu when I found out my school did these I made sure I didn't have a day of the following year to get one (got presented by the mayor!) it stopped me pretending I was Ill to have the day off which most kids do once or twice.

Bislev · 02/12/2011 11:42

I don't see what's to be rewarded though. Not taking a day off? What if those are the children who go in when they've been sick in the night, or are dropped off regardless of whether they're full of cold because their parents won't keep them at home. Well done little Johnny, 100% attendance, never mind the 29 other children who caught your sickness bug. I just don't see how it's something you can always measure as an achievement. You can't avoid getting ill or having accidents sometimes.

I'm actually not that bothered by it, I'm using this as a housework avoidance technique Xmas Grin, but I did struggle to explain the fairness of it to dd when she came home upset as she hadn't had one.

3WiseBoys · 02/12/2011 11:45

YANBU about everything except the holiday stuff.

I don't agree with the 'everyone's a winner' thing and I've voiced that quite strongly on many a sports day thread on here. However, attendance is something a child can control. My DS2 has had 3 operations in the past 13 months so has had nearly 9 weeks off school in total. It's not his fault he was born with his condition.

BalloonSlayer · 02/12/2011 11:49

Like someone else says, I wish there was one for teachers too.

"Three cheers for Mrs X Secondary Teacher who hasn't had a single one of her lessons this year taken by a supply teacher and therefore absolutely no work done in it Hip Hip . . .!!!"

Sirzy · 02/12/2011 11:49

But Booble for the child getting that certificate it's not different, it may be the one time they feel special.

And being able to go a term without needing to be off in an achievement. Ok a lot won't manage it for various reasons but that doesn't mean it's not something that should be praised.

If it stops children pretending to be sick (which all children do!) because they want 100% attendance then great!