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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think there is far to much emphasis on school attendance

393 replies

Starwisher · 21/03/2012 03:55

My dd1 is in year 1. I got a letter telling me off the other day as her attendance has only been 92% when it should be 95% to date. Apparently the educational welfare officer will be keeping a close eye on us...

For goodness sake, dd has been ill! They know this, yet I still get the letter.

Im sick of parents smugly telling me how they just "bung a bit of calpol in the kid and chuck them in school" so they dont need to miss out on the gym or shopping.

They are the one's getting everyone else ill and causing more problems so they can avoid a sick child, yet get rewarded with attendance certificates.

I try and do the right thing and stop dd spreading bugs and getting better at home- and get in trouble.

What is with OFSTED threatening to drop a schools rating if attendance is below some target figure? What if a particular nasty bug is doing the rounds- why should a school be penalised? (Another reason why OFSTED means nothing)

Im not saying attendance is not important but its becoming ridiculous!

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 21/03/2012 22:58

You can only agree the concept of duvet days. My understanding of them is that people would take them at short notice. If they could be planned for why not just use annual leave?

LibrarianByDay · 21/03/2012 22:59

Nah, because duvet days are agreed and expected. Not same thing at all!

In which case they are part of your annual leave allowance.

vesela · 21/03/2012 23:00

Librarian, I was thinking of the type of thing hopandskip described: "I've found that keeping him home that first day and having him sleep all day means way less days off than sending him in with the snuffles."

Original poster
Starwisher · 21/03/2012 23:01

No in addition to

Not included within

Let's call them personal days then

OP posts:
Sparks1 · 21/03/2012 23:01

*School is not a job.

It's just a school.*

Yes, i can't possibly think of the importance of the latter on one's attitude to the former....

Heswall · 21/03/2012 23:02

Well whilst we are on the subject a relative of our is a public sector employee and they consider the sick leave allowance is to be used after the annual leave has been taken.
But yet again the obvious needs stating these are little children nobody is relying on them and to my knowledge they are not being paid are they ?

vesela · 21/03/2012 23:04

Jobs don't give out certificates for 100% attendance. You're encouraged to follow your own and your doctor's judgment about your state of health and to bear in mind all the circumstances in making the call whether to come in or not. That is what children should be taught to do.

ilovesooty · 21/03/2012 23:04

Starwisher whatever you call them they'd cause gross inconvenience in many workplaces. At school I don't think they're a good habit to get into - making a considered decision to rest in the early stages of an illness to prevent long term absence has to be a very personal call.

I still think a pupil in meltdown at 6.30 in the morning re possible lateness is anxious in an extreme way for which school policy can't be held responsible.

bejeezus · 21/03/2012 23:05

By accepting Duvet days and factoring them in, they do become annual leave. The reason Duvet days are comforting are because they are last minute unarranged days off that give unexpected respite from the daily toil

It's a bit of a middle class construct huh? Us common folk call that 'a sicky'

LibrarianByDay · 21/03/2012 23:07

Heswall - I think there are 2 different conversations here. Starwisher (I think) suggested that full time workers should all be entitled to 3 duvet days and many of the posts (mine, anyway) are in reference to that. Not about children at all.

vesela · 21/03/2012 23:07

I don't mean children should be making the decision as to whether to go into school or not - just that they should be being taught how to take a sensible attitude to it, not being dicked around with by 100% attendance certificates etc. which don't encourage them to think. That's the way to end up with slackers who get hung over.

ilovesooty · 21/03/2012 23:07

And, of course, one person's unexpected respite is someone else's additional stress and workload.

bejeezus · 21/03/2012 23:08

vesela hopnskips dc has underlying health problems though

Sparks1 · 21/03/2012 23:08

Jobs don't give out certificates for 100% attendance

What they do do is take sickness records into consideration when considering redundancy.

A sobering thought when your job and income is on the line...

ilovesooty · 21/03/2012 23:09

Having been there recently, very much so, Sparks1

Original poster
Starwisher · 21/03/2012 23:10

One day when I'm prime minister and duvet days are legal, and there you will happily enjoying a family duvet day down the beach or having a day in the spa that finally erases all your stress, or simply snuggled down by a roaring fire with hot chocolate you will say:

"that starwisher. What a genius. I love her"

:)

OP posts:
Heswall · 21/03/2012 23:11

My last boss would have been given a 100% certificate for attendance she was never off, bloody useless, sat in the toilets nursi ga hang over look

Heswall · 21/03/2012 23:12

Looking at Facebook on her phone but yes like a trooper she always came in

spg1983 · 21/03/2012 23:12

Is it worth making the point that in a lot of jobs, annual leave is around 4-6 weeks per year, whereas a schoolchild gets a week off around every 6-7 weeks so unless they are ill, have been ill recently or are coming down with something, is a duvet day to "recharge their batteries" really necessary? Children do show signs of becoming more tired and grouchy towards the end of term (as do teachers!!) but as they get older, they build up more stamina and resilience which is surely useful in the workplace?

ilovesooty · 21/03/2012 23:13

That's different. There's good attendance/work ethic and presenteeism.

cornsilksit1 · 21/03/2012 23:14

I just want to apologise to Mother Inferior for jumping on her post...I was more than a little bit cross by the smug judgemental posters on this thread who like to lump everybody into the same category

bejeezus · 21/03/2012 23:14

Also vesela earlier in the thread, we discussed that these policies are in place to protect the kids where the parents arent or arent able to teach their kids how to make that judgement themselves. With addict/abusive/depressed parents as an example or parents who would take kids on extended trips abroad to visit family

Which is why it is not unreasonable to expect the supposedly functional/balanced and reasonable parents to suck it up a bit if they receive a blanket letter for genuine illness

spg1983 · 21/03/2012 23:16

Just to complicate things...my MIL was given a letter recently congratulating her on 100% attendance at work over the last year and was rewarded with...an extra day off! I was going to call it a duvet day but thinking about it I recall her having to name which day it would be in advance so I guess it doesn't really count as a duvet day.

bejeezus · 21/03/2012 23:18

Good point sparks. Sickness record is also looked at, when you apply for a new job

LibrarianByDay · 21/03/2012 23:19

Giving this some more thought - surely the ability to take a 'duvet day' with no notice is the sign of job that is pretty dispensible. Isn't it?