Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think book vouchers for 100% attendance is an issue?

342 replies

DancesWithWoolsEnPointe · 20/07/2012 17:17

DD2 had 100% attendance at school this year. DD1 had a tummy bug and stayed at home 1 day.

DD2 got a certificate in assembly. Fine with that.
But she also got a £5 book voucher. Not fine with that.

DD1 is jealous and cross with me that I made her stay at home for 24 hours after vomiting, as per school policy. She says that next time she is sick, she is going to school anyway. So what lesson are they trying to teach here?

OP posts:
ItWasThePenguins · 20/07/2012 17:19

I don't see a problem. Yes it's unfair if you're ill, but so is life. They're teaching that full attendance is good, and obviously your dd knows that, so it's working.

OlymPicture · 20/07/2012 17:19

Totally agree with you. Really pisses me off

MulberryMoon · 20/07/2012 17:21

I totally agree with you. Attendance certificates are a rubbish idea that has been dreamed up because attendance affects OFSTEd results but it is not in the best interests of the children.

MulberryMoon · 20/07/2012 17:24

If someone is fortunate enough not to be ill all year, then they don't need a reward for that. Being healthy is reward enough. The fact that life is not fair is no justification for doing something unfair. Otherwise the teachers could kick the children and justify it by saying that it may not be fair, but life isn't either.

MulberryMoon · 20/07/2012 17:25

If someone vomits and then goes to school anyway to spread it around, then they especially don't need to be rewarded, but that is what the policy is encouraging children to do.

LindyHemming · 20/07/2012 17:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MulberryMoon · 20/07/2012 17:27

If a child has to go to the diabetes clinic then they don't need to be punished by seeing their healthy friends receive vouchers and not them.

Annunziata · 20/07/2012 17:27

I disagree, I think it is an achievement to have 100% attendance and it should be rewarded. It's not like it was a massive treat either. Are you cross because of the prize or because it made your DD2 jealous?

MulberryMoon · 20/07/2012 17:27

Wish we could have a MN campanign to get rid of them.

poorbuthappy · 20/07/2012 17:28

£5 cash at our school.
I am really not happy.

orangeandlemons · 20/07/2012 17:29

I think it's discrimination by the back door. "Oh you've been ill, well let's make you feel a bit worse then, by not giving you a prize/certificate, even though you may have worked harder than someone who has 100% attendance"

I hate it for adults too. It's not like we can actually help being ill, unless the aim is to breed a super resistant type of person who never catches anything.

Didn't it used to be called eugenics? Rewarding the fit and healthy?
"

fanoftheinvisibleman · 20/07/2012 17:29

Our attendance scheme really pisses me off. Kids are given a free ticket for local football team. All excited and it's then left to parents to explain why they can't go if they can't afford the bloody adult ticket you then need to take them!
At least it was a voucher this time as was actual ticket last time but ds knows what it is. I think it's quite manipulative at infant level as kids just think they've been given a ticket and can go.

fanoftheinvisibleman · 20/07/2012 17:29

Our attendance scheme really pisses me off. Kids are given a free ticket for local football team. All excited and it's then left to parents to explain why they can't go if they can't afford the bloody adult ticket you then need to take them!
At least it was a voucher this time as was actual ticket last time but ds knows what it is. I think it's quite manipulative at infant level as kids just think they've been given a ticket and can go.

LindyHemming · 20/07/2012 17:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MulberryMoon · 20/07/2012 17:31

At our school they only count attendance until the end of May, as that is when OFSTED count it until. So kids who go on holiday during term time after May still get a certificate. There was a boy who was on holiday when his certificate was awarded. Two children who attended a funeral, but before May did not get one. Confused

Annunziata · 20/07/2012 17:32

It's a minor reward. Is it fair to have maths or language prizes because children who are hopeless at them will never win?

msrantsalot · 20/07/2012 17:33

YANBU its WRONG to penalise children for being ill

SoupDragon · 20/07/2012 17:34

Of course it isn't bloody discrimination.

Tee2072 · 20/07/2012 17:34

Must be the end of the year...

LindyHemming · 20/07/2012 17:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MulberryMoon · 20/07/2012 17:36

Children don't see it as a minor reward. At least with academic prizes a child could get one by making lots of progress, putting lots of effort in, without necessarily being the best. A child with health problems has no chance of getting an attendance prize.

Sirzy · 20/07/2012 17:37

I think 95% would be better, but if you start getting rid of awards because some children stand no chance of winning you don't give any awards out.

flowery · 20/07/2012 17:38

Its discrimination in my view because a child with a disability is far far less likely to be able to get a prize.

LindyHemming · 20/07/2012 17:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

YouOldSlag · 20/07/2012 17:39

Annunziata- but you can give awards to children who have made progress without that child being the best in the school. Awards are something they can work towards.

Illness is something they have no control over.

My son got 98.2% attendance and felt excluded form the 100% certificate ceremony.

It sends out the wrong message: that illness is weakness, that you will get more approval if you are super healthy, that sick children aren't as "good" as non sick children etc

It also encourages children to maybe hide sickness and go in anyway just to get the bloody prize.

My DS also has asthma- what a loser!*

NB *sarcasm

Swipe left for the next trending thread