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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think school attendance parties and certificates are a good idea?

164 replies

Liketochat1 · 11/12/2012 08:53

I've been having a discussion about school attendance initiatives such as parties at the end of term for 100% attendance or bronze, silver and gold certificates for varying levels of attendance.
What do you think about these initiatives? Are they a good idea? Do you support schools' decisions to implement them or do you think they are unfair as sometimes children are absent for sickness and can't help that? Does that possibility mean those children who have made it in everyday should not get recognition and a scheme which stresses the value of school attendance and aims to support parents in getting their children to school should be scrapped?
What do you think? AIBU?

OP posts:
ArbitraryUsername · 11/12/2012 09:21

(I know it's a journalist, but sometimes it's still worth pointing out how utterly stupid and lazy attendance awards are).

DS1 has had loads of them because he's never ill. He's just lucky to have a really effective immune system. The rest of the family all get ill, and DS1 is always absolutely fine. I have no idea how he manages it. He thinks the attendance awards are stupid too, and doesn't expect us to be 'proud' of him for being unusually healthy.

pleasesleepallnight · 11/12/2012 09:21

The way DD's school does it is the class with the best attendance of the week gets an extra 5 minutes of playtime. At least this way there's not too much pressure on individual children and the whole class benefits from the reward.

EmpressOfTheNorthPole · 11/12/2012 09:24

AYBU to what, Liketochat1? You've done an opening post which sets out both sides of the argument and doesn't give you own opinion, then not posted again.

I remember your thread where you asked why everyone thought you were a journalist. This is why.

Whistlingwaves · 11/12/2012 09:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CaptainVonTrapp · 11/12/2012 09:33

a scheme which stresses the value of school attendance

should read

"a scheme which stresses the value of school attendance for sick children who then spread their illness to other children and staff, and are sick on the carpet"

And really who would support a scheme like this?

Hope someone can come along in support of these lazy inititatives attendance rewards to give your article some balance. But to be honest I rarely hear people speak positively about them

catsmother · 11/12/2012 09:37

This may well be a journalist but I'm afraid their smug "making it in" (like, they walked 9 miles through waist high snow or bravely fought off flesh eating zombies en route) attitude does persist in some schools who reward kids with 100% attendance whilst making no allowance for illness, unavoidable hospital appointments, dental treatment (which can't be booked at other times e.g. national health dentist only attends practice at set hours) and so on.

The kids who attend 100% are either lucky enough to have kept in good health all year - which is a reward in itself is it not ? ..... or they have irresponsible parents who've sent them in despite overnight vomiting (for example) in of most schools' 48 hr policy for D&V.

Wasn't there a fairly recent thread where kids who'd not "achieved" 100% attendance were banned from a party ? ....

Thankfully this isn't the case at my child's school but I'd be kicking up one hell of a stink if it was. As everyone else has said you can't go about rewarding attendance in simple terms when there are so many genuine reasons for absence. It's very unkind to kids, especially primary age.

Original poster
Liketochat1 · 11/12/2012 09:38

You ladies are obsessed with journalists!! What has happened to you?! Lol! I haven't been back for a while as my nanny just slipped in the bathroom and is now on her way to hospital!
My opinion is obvious from the title surely! Anyway, looks like I may have to concede my opinion is wrong. Ouch!

OP posts:
catsmother · 11/12/2012 09:38

(should read)

"in direct contravention of most schools' 48 hr policy"

CaptainVonTrapp · 11/12/2012 09:45

Well tell us more OP. Why do you think they're such a good idea?

CaptainVonTrapp · 11/12/2012 09:48

And here are some better ideas for awards that are actually achievable and wont automatically exclude some children from ever winning them.

Hardest worker.
Most improved.
Biggest contribution to class/team.

The sort of things that are really important in their school career. Not insisting they should go into school when they had D&V in the night.

ChunkyPickle · 11/12/2012 09:52

I Hate them.

Punishes kids who are sick, punishes kids who have parents who don't care enough to get them to school, encourages sick kids to go to school and spread it around, and will do nothing for truants who don't care anyway.

Besides, at primary school they're so young that it's not the kids problem usually if they're off anyhow (I didn't even think of truanting until secondary).

If my DS's school does it I shall be telling him and them what I think of them, even though I know that undermines the school, and generally I'd actually want to be supporting them.

bradyismyfavouritewiseman · 11/12/2012 09:53

Op you have been told before that your style is journo. You even said that you could see and wanted to change it as you genuinely wanted to chat.

Di you really chat to people in this way?

echt · 11/12/2012 10:00

Attendance awards = bollocks for the many reasons mentioned.

Also hardest worker - how the fucking fuck is that assessed? Harder working than whom?

Most improved - OK, as long as objective baseline criteria are established, but oh, hang on, what about those who kick in at top level but can't improve as much as this who are assessed at the lowest?

multivac · 11/12/2012 10:02

The OP is almost certainly not a journalist.

I'd like to know, however, what it is about this site that means fewer than forty messages can convince her that she "might be wrong" when 28 pages on her other stomping ground didn't shift her an inch.

I think it's Evil Magic.

Arthurfowlersallotment · 11/12/2012 10:05

As someone who worked in newspaper journalism for many years, I can tell you a good angle is parents forcing sick kids to school in order to get certificates.

:o

Whistlingwaves · 11/12/2012 10:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Goldmandra · 11/12/2012 10:25

"Are we sure it isn't someone from "the wright stuff" ? They seem to use us to fill out their show."

Who cares if it gets a few more people thinking about what a pointless and cruel thing policy this is?

ChristmasInTheSnowsBest · 11/12/2012 10:39

this is the exact opposite of my october thread :( DS and half his class couldn't go to the Halloween party due to a recurring illness. One look at his face would have answered your question.

What do you hope to acheive?
children not getting sick,
sick children coming to school and suffering whilst spreading illness and causing staff illness (great for education),
Th few 'lazy'/over protective parents won't change anyway.

ReallyTired · 11/12/2012 10:43

Why does it matter to you if little jonny gets a certificate for 100% attendence. My son's school has certificates for no unauthorised absence. Even a child with special needs can manage that. They also have certificates for punctuality.

I think we have to stop caring about "fairness". It hardly prepares our children for the working world. Not all children get GCSE certificates. My son's friend got his 5 metre swimming certificate before him. Should we give all the non swimmers a 5 metre swimming certificate so they don't feel bad.

Rewarding children wiht 100% attendence is not punishing the non attenders anymore than not giving a 5 metre swimming certificate to a kid who can't swim.

MsElleTow · 11/12/2012 10:46

YABU,

Both my DC have chronic illnesses and have never achieved 100% attendence, it didn't stop DS1 being in the top 3 of his school's GCSE achiver's though!

There was something being talked about at DS2's school the other day, where they said only people with 100% attendance could,go to some event. Ds2 asked if teacher X was banned from the Staff Christmas party because she has been off for most of the past term!

threesocksfullofchocs · 11/12/2012 10:48

yabu
it discriminates against disability and illness

larrygrylls · 11/12/2012 10:52

Reallytired,

Your post is contradictory. If we don't care about fairness, what is the point of a 100% attendance certificate? People at uni can attend zero lectures and still get firsts. People at work are allowed to manage their own time to a greater or lesser extent. So why reward an entirely false virtue?

Where lack of attendance is a problem, it should be addressed. If there are no academic issues, it is really a non issue, provided no extra teacher time is required. And perfect attendance is just one of those things. Nothing special at all, so why reward it?

notnagging · 11/12/2012 11:02

Not 100%
My ds has never had a day off in 3 years. He was sick ystdy so won't be able to get his certificate this year. That is hardly fair when it's not his fault. He was struggling to go in even when he obviously wasn't well enough.

12ylnon · 11/12/2012 11:02

I think it's an awful idea. If a child is ill, then they're ill, theres nothing anyone can do about that. People, especially children, need to rest if they're ill.
What about if they had a long term illness- can you imagine how awful that child would feel for not being able to attend?
Anyway, if a child in DSs school is ill, i'd really prefer for them to keep it at home and not be encouraged to attend if they're sick.

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