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

[DancesWithWoolsEnPointe]

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?

Ours get a certificate every term for 100 % attendance

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

It is not discrimination. There are lots of things that not every child is able to win/do/achieve that have nothing whatsoever to do with disabilities. Should we ban everything in case not every child is able to achieve it?

(And no, my children's school doesn't do attendance stuff and no, mine wouldn't have achieved it anyway)

I still think ii's discrmination, it's discrmination against those who are sick or ill, ie weaker than the others.

Why should someone be treated differently becasue they have been ill?

This might be the only thing a child who isn't bright, isn't sporty and isn't anything else is able to achieve.

But they could be rewarded for trying? Working hard?

Of course you can't control your illnesses, but you can't control your talents either. No matter how hard she tried, my DD2 was never, ever going to win a maths prize. She isn't a loser either.

Every prize is unfair.

Its discriminatory and disabilist. Anyone with a health problem is guaranteed to be left out of the award.
If you have a vomiting bug, or virus, thats one thing, you have the same chance as everyone else of being ill.
If you have an ongoing medical condition, then you are screwed!
If you are asthmatic, or epileptic, or need regular trips to the hospital, thats not your fault.
Im all for 'work towards' awards, but the playing field has to be completely even!

Annunziata- you've misread my ironic use of the word loser. I never got maths prizes either ( and didn't care as I hated it) but I would have felt very upset for not getting a prize because I was ill. It's almost like being punished for it.

If they couldn't do this legally in a workplace then they shouldn't do it in a school.

Yes there are lots of things that have nothing to do with disabilities. And no it's not a case of banning everything in case every child can't achieve it.

But this particular reward is to do with disabilities in that a child with a disability is at a distinct disadvantage.

Plus the discrimination issue aside, I'm not sure managing to get through the year without catching anything should be classed as an 'achievement'. As has been said, it is entirely outwith the child's control.

(I'm OP) I don't have a problem with the certificate so much as an actual book voucher as a prize. This is they only prize the school gives (they are in year 3 and reception). They both got certificates for not getting any consequences all year, but no reward, just a certificate. I think this is a far greater achievement and I will certainly buy them each a reward. I am surprised the school holds 100% attendance so high.

I must admit that if they had done this when my son was at school I would have given him a certificate and money myself. This is because he spent a lot of time at hospital so had no chance whatsoever of attaining 100% attendance.

Op- that's a lot batter- a while year without being in trouble really IS an achievement that all pupils have a chance of working towards and is much more valid than whether they were ill, or have a chronic illness or not.

Yes, I think the rewards for no consequences is much better

YouOldSlag, do you not see it as the same thing though? (no attacks, just curious). Why do you feel punished for bad attendance (which isn't your fault) but not for being bad at maths (which also isn't your fault)?

AFAIK they do celebrate no sick days over x years in certain workplaces too.

YANBU

I've just explained its about luck, not trying so it's not a valuable award.

Definately think anything other than a certificate to prove the luck is outrageous.

I have just seen that one little girl at our school who has cancer, and clearly couldn't get an 100% attendance award, was given a 100% bravery certificate by her classmates :)

Oops, cross posts with OP. I agree better behaviour should be better rewarded than attendance.

Actually it is discrimination. If workplaces give prizes/bonuses/rewards for good attendance, they have to discount any absences related to a disability, like attending a diabetes clinic. Otherwise they're falling foul of the Disability Discrimination act. And that Act applies to schools too.

I have no idea if our school does Attendance Awards (must ask children ...). They do random Awards all year though, as the teachers see fit. They come home with certificates saying things like "Special Award for being very polite to Mrs Lollipop Lady this morning" .

I want those, too. Special Award for Wrenching Self off Mumsnet and Doing the Washing Up.

Well a child who has a disability has less opportunity to get one (in general, I know there are many people with disabilities who are not sick) which AFAIK is the definition of discrimination.
Not sure where I stand on this tbh. There are a number of solutions to make it workable but they'd all require time and money

I want to know when they started handing out vouchers/cash? My dd came home with £2 today as she'd won a handwriting competition, now this is great, she has tried so hard with her handwriting but she would have been just as happy with a certificate!

Oh and OP YANBU!

They don't do anything like that at my DD's primary school.

Just as well . . . I KNEW she hadn't had a single day off this year and when I got her report I looked at the attendance bit, poised to say "Look at that! 100% Woo hoo!" but was perplexed to see it was actually 95%.

Apparently going on the school residential trip counts as absence

As does G&T workshops held at other schools [double ]

They were listed under another category, but still, she WAS doing a school thing, just not on school premises.

WTF?

Thats ridiculous Balloon