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?

Perhaps some of those rolling their eyes at the word discrimination being used don't believe the relevant specific groups should receive the protection they get under the Equality Act. Maybe they think that protection is over-enthusiastic political correctness. I don't know.

If so, that is a valid opinion but it doesn't change the law. If someone with a protected characteristic is put at a direct or indirect disadvantage because of that characteristic, that is illegal discrimination, like it or not.

And comments about "does that mean all prizes should be banned" are missing the point that being a bit rubbish at drawing is not a protected characteristic.

If Isabel works hard at maths and gets a maths prize, she won't directly reduce the mathematical attainment of all her classmates.

If Isabel is insistent she wants the attendance prize, and traipses to school with a vomiting bug, she does directly affect everyone else's ability to learn. All over MN, people complain about people with no idea about infection control (such as chicken pox). I don't think brainwashing the nation's youth about the importance of attendance is going to improve that, in the long-term.

A child who is genuinely ill is unlikely to be worried about the attendance prize at the end of the year - they will feel shit and want to stay at home.

It's nice to reward those who come in every day.

There's a 24 hour rule for vomiting and diarrhoea, though, isn't there? Child feels well, but could be horribly infectious.

Also, I do NOT believe that these children who managed the whole of primary/secondary with 100% HAVEN'T been genuinely ill during term-time, at ANY point.

A child who is genuinely ill is unlikely to be worried about the attendance prize at the end of the year

Don't agree, when I was at primary school i was so determined to get attendance awards (we did 95% and 100%) I would often pretend to be well when I wasn't. I had an operation and was meant to be off school for at least 2 weeks but after a few days I was pestering to get back into school.

Just wondering - for all those of you carrying on again (at this time of year) - if a child was to attain 100% attendance for the full 5 years he/she is at high school; should he/she be rewarded in any way?

Where I work we only give certificates for attendance, although I would certainly like to have given a mother who kept her Year 11 twins off for 4 days in May because they would get too wet in the torrential rain something else! Perhaps it might feel unfair but sometimes it is the only award a hard working, well behaved, middle ability child will get even though that in itself does deserve something. Although family income is crucial so is attendance and a wealthy child who has low attendance will also underachieve.

5 years' not being ill ever, during term-time? Either they're amazingly lucky, which is its own reward, or they did get ill, and passed it on, surely?

YaNbu

People just expect their children to be ill. And it baffles me. And they also think that the slightest illness needs medicine and time off school. If it's D&V, of course keep them off, but feeling a bit off.....No'

thebig jessie - 5 years not being ill during term time. Suffers from 3 conditions (non contagious). Disliked school due to a spat of bullying and a 'bad' teacher.
Should they be rewarded?

Don't quite understand you Seeker. Children do get ill; I don't expect constant illnesses, but I do anticipate some.

People just expect their children to be ill. And it baffles me. And they also think that the slightest illness needs medicine and time off school. If it's D&V, of course keep them off, but feeling a bit off.....No'

I don't know anyone who keeps them of for being a bit "off", I don't think that's the type of absences being discussed here.

Rewarding any child for attendance, however superlative, is still going to encourage other children to come in when they shouldn't. Hence the OP. One of her children had to stay home because of vomiting, and bitterly resents it now!

"It's nice to reward those who come in every day."

Yes, we should reward those who make the effort and set the alarm early enough to chivvy children out of bed, get them dressed, washed and fed with enough time to make lunches before ensuring you leave the house adequately protected against the elements and walk or drive to school in time for the bell.

Because that's what five year olds do, right?

Hang on.

Our (normally sensible) school is doing a day out for those children lucky enough (and lets face it its nothing more than luck) to have 100% attendance.

Wtf?

Where is the money coming from for that then - or the book vouchers...?

No chance here (chicken pox). But real sympathy for the poor child in the class who has not only had surgery this year but is now effectively being penalised.

There must be so many achievement rewards that could be achievable by anyone - best improver, hardest worker etc

Ok why not just performance manage it on a class basis? By Oct half term the teacher sets a realistic but ambitious target with the agreement of the class, parents and the teacher's line manager. This could be based on past performance, performance of children of the same age in similar schools etc but also take into account individual circumstances, eg a child who attends regular hospital appointments. Then incentives for all pupils in that class to reach the target. Would that be workable?

Ok why not just performance manage it on a class basis? By Oct half term the teacher sets a realistic but ambitious target with the agreement of the class, parents and the teacher's line manager. This could be based on past performance, performance of children of the same age in similar schools etc but also take into account individual circumstances, eg a child who attends regular hospital appointments. Then incentives for all pupils in that class to reach the target. Would that be workable?

Ah yes, that's right, knock schools for trying to reward good things. Schools are all out to try and make life hard by encouraging silly things like attendance aren't they!