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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:
YouOldSlag · 21/07/2012 08:59

Your child isn't loosing anything by not getting the attendance reward so why is it an issue.

Read that back to yourself. He is losing something by not getting an attendance award. He is losing out on "the attendance reward". You've said it yourself.

Sirzy · 21/07/2012 08:59

Ghostship do you really think its fair that the school gives a monetary reward to those who attend school but only a certificate for those who are being given awards for achievement/effort?

I don't have an issue with attendance awards as such, I do have a problem with basically making them seem more important than any other award.

ll31 · 21/07/2012 09:03

Have no issue with attendance awards-in same way as academic, sports, etc awards not every child can win any particular one -if they could there would be no awards-is that what we want?

GhostShip · 21/07/2012 09:04

youoldslag the child would because the rewards are instated, if they were removed now because people find them discrimatory then yes they would be losing out.

Sirzy I think the rewards should all be the same, not money mind. I think it's nice when schools make up little achievements for kids. Because we don't get rewarded much as adults.

tethersend · 21/07/2012 09:06

As a teacher I feel it is more about reminding parents of the importance of attendance. It does have a significant impact on GCSE grades."

As a teacher, I know that parental/household income has a greater impact on educational outcomes than almost any other factor. Why not reward children whose parents earn over, say, £30,000pa? By that logic, it would encourage parents to earn more money...

"It's an achievemnt to get yourself out of bed, make your own breakfast and walk to school when your alcoholic mother is lied in bed away with the faries"

Leaving aside the fact that a five year old could not do this... What of children in care whose attendance goes up dramatically as soon as they are placed with foster parents? What was it they were doing wrong before?

YouOldSlag · 21/07/2012 09:07

I think it's great when kids have rewards they can work towards. My DS had one for showing kindness, one for helping a friend, one for writing a poem etc, but the one thing he could never win was an attendance certificate, no matter how hard he tried.

tethersend · 21/07/2012 09:08

Rewards should be something the children actually want for a reward scheme to be effective. Ideally, they should be chosen by children. I have no problem with money being used as a reward.

GhostShip · 21/07/2012 09:09

School ages are above the age of 5...

What about them? What is your point?

AttilaTheMeerkat · 21/07/2012 09:10

I know of someone who got 100% attendance in Junior school and that parent did send their child in sick on more than one occasion.

Many adults for many and varied reasons still drag themselves into their workplace even when they are too unwell to be really productive. My employers were pretty poor on so many levels but if any of us were off sick we were told to stay home and not return until we were fit to do so. This was also because if other staff members were off sick at the same time the branch (I was one of six workers) could not fully function.

Sirzy · 21/07/2012 09:11

I don't have a problem with money being used as a reward as long as the same is used for all the awards. To only give money to those with the 100% attendance is unfair because that is one award which is out of the grasps of too many children. At least rewards for effort is something everyone can aim for.

Vagaceratops · 21/07/2012 09:13

balloon - I know the thread has moved on but we have had the same. DS hasnt been in school full time this year because the school did not have enough support in place to have him in full time, so THEY requested that he only attend mornings which stopped in April and he went full days. This was against what I wanted but I also understood what would happen if I sent him in unsupported.

He has been in every session they have accepted him, yet his attendance on his report was 68%.

libelulle · 21/07/2012 09:16

Ghost, did you read my post? These certificates don't reward those who struggle to get to school against the odds. If they did, that'd be great. A child could struggle all year, have one unfortunate sick day and for that reason have all their hard work go unnoticed, for a reason they had absolutely no control over. If I were that child, I'd think 'fuck it, why did I bother'.

Vagaceratops · 21/07/2012 09:22

JumpingThroughHoops your post this morning at 08:20:33 is really nasty. You are either stupid or just plain horrid.

So just because a few people who have disabilities or illness can excel in a sport, that means all disabled/ill children can and should.

Can you run as fast as Usain Bolt, swim like Rebecca Adlington? Cycle like Bradley Wiggins? Thought not.

IawnCont · 21/07/2012 09:25

YANBU. This year, DS' teacher actually thanked me for keeping him off when he'd been vomiting the night before. "So many people send them in ill, and it's very unfair."

libelulle · 21/07/2012 09:26

And ghost, school ages are below the age of 5. Kids start reception at 4. What 4 year old has any control whatsoever over whether and when they get to school?!

TandB · 21/07/2012 09:31

I agree with Vagaceratops. inclusion is incredibly important for self-esteem. I have no issue with prizes and competitive sports, and I think it is important for children to learn that they can't win/be good at everything.

But without inclusive activities/races/whatever, some children with disabilities or SN will learn that they can't win anything.

Many children without SN may not be naturally talented at anything in particular, but they always have the option of working hard and practicing to improve. It's never going to be a totally level playing field, but without active inclusion, some children will never even be allowed onto the bumpy playing-field - they'll have to sit by the gate and watch.

Attendance certificates are discriminatory because some children can never ever get them. They can't try harder, they can't get lucky one year, their parents can't find a way round the issue. I don't see why pre-arranged medical appointments can't be discounted.

Vagaceratops · 21/07/2012 09:34

OT/paed/Consultant/CAMHS/Physio/Ed Psych/SALT appointments arrive and you are told when to attend.

Its not like picking up the phone to the GP and asking for an appointment.

I once needed to rearrange an OT appointment because it clashed with an Ed Psych appointment in school. They couldnt offer me another for 3 months.

jamdonut · 21/07/2012 09:46

WE have improved attendance, 95% attendance (National Average reached) and 100% attendance. So a good chance of getting something.
WE have our behavioural scheme awards: termly and yearly. Those who have not had a red or yellow card all year become gold, and are given an in-school reward.(party)
We have sports awards, cooking club rewards, you name it there is usually a reward. So children will usually get something, somewhere along the way. You can't win everything. If you have a child with a health issue, then you will surely have explained that they are not likely to win that particular award.

Or we could go with not rewarding anyone for anything..at all...ever.Sad

Sirzy · 21/07/2012 09:51

I like the improved attendance award idea.

SummerRain · 21/07/2012 09:56

Same here, all the clinics ds1 attended this year were school time only, and we have a two hour round trip to get to most of them so he missed a whole day for every OT, ENT, PAEDS, etc appointment.

Explain how this is my fault? And it certainly isn't is!

As I've pointed out I had one child with 100% attendance this year but poor ds1 missed tonnes of days.

Another point to note, even if we wanted to we can't send ours in sick.... They get sent home if they so much as cough in class so in the end it's often the teachers decision whether or not they're there 100% of the time.

tethersend · 21/07/2012 10:01

Jamdonut, all the other rewards you mention reward something the child has control of- surely you can see the difference? In fact, attendance awards devalue other earned awards.

I don't believe in rewards for all. I do believe in rewarding children (and adults for that matter) for something they have actually done.

orangeandlemons · 21/07/2012 10:17

Actually ghostship the two points you mentioned are discrmination. Both activities need to be adapted to include dyslexic/disabled. This is inclusion which is one of the lynchpins of education.

My dss 18 has dyslexia he has just applied for and been awarded the student disablilty grant to enable him to access his course in the same wayas other students.

So a sports day could have events for disbaled students, and a spelling competition could have extra time for disabled. To deny thses is actually breaking the law.

Th two examples above are about not discriminatingand giving everyone equal access regradless of disability. This is not the case with attendance awards, and I do think it is an issue that will be addressed at somepoint and these pointless rewards will disappear. It is clear discrimination

GhostShip · 21/07/2012 10:20

Extra time for those who have dyslexia, how much extra time exactly? Why can't people accept that we cannot cater every situation for every individual. I've just read that out to my brother who is 17 and dyslexic and he laughed at how patronising it is and said he'd not take part. He wouldnt want people making things easier for him just so he has an equal chance of 'winning'.

GhostShip · 21/07/2012 10:20

I missed the point a bit there because I can't believe the mindset that people think we should have to do things like that do people are 'equal'.

JumpingThroughHoops · 21/07/2012 10:20

Can you run as fast as Usain Bolt, swim like Rebecca Adlington? Cycle like Bradley Wiggins? Thought not.

Not these days no, but both my husband and I played sports at competition levels. highly sports orientated household. with a disabled child.

Your next thick question is?