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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

Luminescence · 02/12/2011 11:50

Yes, come into school and infect everyone else just so you can get a fucking certificate. Yabnu

MrsHoarder · 02/12/2011 11:57

We only ever got these in yrs 7 and 8, which struck me as the perfect time. It was rewarding attendence at an age were kids start thinking about skiving off, and recognising those who didn't.

I think only about 3% of the year group got them, and there wasn't a big stigma with not getting one because obviously some people were ill. Its an exceptional performance thing, and not giving them out because 1 or 2 people really don't stand a chance then this strikes me as an overreaction.

Miette · 02/12/2011 11:57

I told my daughter that they are silly certificates because they reward children either for being fortunate enough to be well all year, or for having parents who send in their child regardless of how ill they are, so they child can spread the illness around to the other children eg. D&V bugs. Most of the teachers in my dd's school wouldn't get a certificate anyway due to striking.

welliesandpyjamas · 02/12/2011 12:00

These certificates are not uncommon. But neither are geuine ill days. Schools are under pressure to keep their attendance levels as high as possible. The certificates are one way they can try and achieve this. It doesn't make you a bad parent or your dc a bad pupil if they are ill. Don't fret about it. :)

Tanith · 02/12/2011 12:00

When I was at school, a friend of mine was really trying to get a full attendance certificate and she managed to attend all year. Then her dad died and she was off school for the last week of the summer term, so missed out. Speech Day, when the certificates were given out, was really hard for her.

My personal feeling is that schools would be better off getting rid of 100% attendance certificates for the reasons already given. They seem to reward good health and luck more often than not. Surely effort is more deserving of reward?

starfishmummy · 02/12/2011 12:00

YANBU as far as sickness and medical appointments are concerned.

Wheere I work there is a letter sent out on the "anniversary" of your start date if you have not been off sick all year. It's totally daft. If you have been genuinely sick then you can't help being off. If you have been skiving, the fact that you you will not get a letter is hardly going to bother you.

tulipgrower · 02/12/2011 12:00

YABU
I wish my primary school had had these. I was exceedingly healthy, but also exceedingly average. At least I would have got something. It's not the only award handed out, is it?

neverfear · 02/12/2011 12:06

My 5yr old got one in july (end of yr1), I proudly congratulated her. But she said, "what's the big deal mummy, I have to be at school everyday and behave myself so I can learn. You can keep that one and this one (congratulations to the whole class for being good) in the kitchen and the rest to be hanged on the wall".

Basically don't make a fuss, the kids don't give a toss.

QuickLookBusy · 02/12/2011 12:13

YANBU

Being ill is not under anyone's control. The vast majority of DC can do nothing about their own attendance.

Also they don't give out certificates for 100% in anything else in assembly do they? A child doing well in a maths/language test would get a "Well done" in the classroom.
Attendance should be treated in the same way. A quick "well done to XXX for excellent attendace" in their own classroom whould be enough.

redskyatnight · 02/12/2011 12:13

My DC don't get the point of attendance certificates either - as they know they have to be in school unless ill. Which is presumably the message that the school is actually aiming for with attendance certificates.

Though I have to admit to being miffed the year that DS didn't get one despite being in every day, due to being 1.5 hour late one morning because of a hospital appointment (that couldn't be arranged after school). Ironically if we'd taken him in, registered him, and then taken him to the appointment he would have got a certificate - now that really is stupid.

DorisIsTheDarkDestroyer · 02/12/2011 12:14

I have said on the 100% certificate threads before and I'll say it again.

These certificates discrimate unfairly against those DC with ongoing and long term medical conditions or disbilities. who quite often have enough shit in their lives to deal with.

There is NO CHANCE of them achieving the 100% with clinic appointments only available when directed by the clinic, and in my DD's case CF related illness (she hasn't had a day of yet for that this term (fingers crossed)). Yes luck and chance come into play for most of the other children (encouraging those really too unwell to be in school at the same time) but there is no luck or chance for those in DD situation she will NEVER get one.

I will be talking it down at every available opportunity to my dc's (largely to prevent future upset) as it is a divisive and worthless piece of crap that does not reward effort.

barnowl · 02/12/2011 12:15

YNBU they are daft, DS1 got one last year only because the day he was off sick his teacher was on strike!!

cocoachanneloffestivecheer · 02/12/2011 12:16

YANBU (apart from the holiday comment).

Hooray! You've been sent to school to infect the rest of us, thanks parents not caught one of the many childhood bugs that are a normal part of growing up!

Why is it we have to find rewards for everyone and everything?

It's a complete waste of time, and ridiculous to reward the good fortune of not getting sick.

Having said that, I do like MrsHoarder's school's policy. As she says this is just when skiving without parents' knowledge may start, and when illness isn't so common.

cocoachanneloffestivecheer · 02/12/2011 12:17

barnowl

WorraLiberty · 02/12/2011 12:18

How else are they suppose to recognise the fact a child has managed to turn up for school every single day, even when it's the last thing they've wanted to do?

I understand they're very lucky not to have been ill, but I do wish people would recognise that it's ok to give a child a 'pat on the back' in the form of a certificate and that it doesn't necessarily mean it's a kick in the teeth to anyone who happened to have been ill that year.

Mishy1234 · 02/12/2011 12:18

YANBU.

I really don't see the point in them. 100% attendance is only possible if you have been extremely fortunate not to have been sick. It's not something under the child's control and no indication of effort made in the classroom.

I don't agree about the holiday part though. That is under a parent's control.

WorraLiberty · 02/12/2011 12:23

But part of it is often under a child's control

Often it's the difference between deciding that a mildly irritating sore throat is a reason to stay on bed...or getting up and making the effort to go to school.

I was a healthy child, but if I so much as woke with a mild headache I'd tell my Mum it was so bad I couldn't go to school.

These certificates are not given to exclude properly ill children, but to encourage those who can go to school....to get up and actually go.

Serenitysutton · 02/12/2011 12:25

I think you're taking it rather too seriously, its not discriminatory and you shouldn't base your whole policy on the needs of a minority. You get Ill you lose your chance to get a certificate- no big deal. I'm sure children understand it far better than some of the adults on here.

Children often sick or long term Ill will also suffer academically- it's just bad luck unfortunately. They don't deserve to get, for example, a lower gcse pass mark do they?

kreechergotstuckupthechimney · 02/12/2011 12:27

Holidays YABU, the rest? NBU. My DD started at a new school in September. By the end of the first week I had tears and snots over SATS and attendance.
The school has an assembly every Friday, the class with the least days absence gets a cup. Some weeks this is shared, other weeks the class will get it themselves.
One boy in DDs class is Polish. His grandfather died and obviously the family needed to to Poland for the funeral.
He was getting a hard time from the class. DD was shocked and so was I.

Sixyearoldwoes · 02/12/2011 12:36

The whole system of rewards is flawed as many are not within a child's control. Reading? Ability and support related. Sports day success? Likewise. As are a lot of things. The thing that irks some is that they are the kind of parents that do support and then they come up against something they can't win at. It is good to encourage attendance and a flawed reward is better than none. The bit about sending children in ill to get the certificate is a bit of a fly in the ointment.

hopenglory · 02/12/2011 12:45

ours school used to do them - but termly because it was recognised that a year without any sickness is a pretty tall order - and no song and dance was made about it, they were just given out on the last assembly of term, and as somebody already said, for some kids it's the only thing that they get recognised for.

Cartoonjane · 02/12/2011 12:54

YABU

I can't see what the problem is att all. Not everyone will get one sure and if some is upset by that they can learn from that. Yes people can' t help being ill sometimes but we all know there are people who take time off at the drop of a hat and that needs to be discouraged. If a child is taking off only what they have to then it's just tough that they don't get a certificate. My daughter won't get one one because she is off ill today for the only the second day in three years for illness. We have also taken 2 days' holiday. I can explain all that to her no problem.

And yes at my school staff do get them too. I have had one two years in a row but won' t get one this year because of the day off with daughter. I think i'll cope though!

SardineQueen · 02/12/2011 13:03

YANBU I think it is a bit of a kick in the teeth for children with ongoing health problems.

Also I think it is silly to reward something that the child has pretty much zero control over.

Might make sense in secondary school where children get there under their own steam and are able to bunk. But at primary school? It's just silly.

AngelDelightIsIndeedDelightful · 02/12/2011 13:13

Dd's school monitors this on a weekly basis - every week in the newsletter there's a mention if a class gets 100% attendance. So not only are you letting yourself down if you're ill, you're letting down the whole class

It's utter nonsense imo. Celebrate real achievement by all means, but celebrating not getting ill?? Ridiculous.

rockinhippy · 02/12/2011 13:18

They do something similar at DDs School too, something i've never like as itt doesn't allow for DCs with health conditions

YANBU - bar the holiday bit

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