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

[Liketochat1]

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?

[ArbitraryUsername]

DS1 has a copy of Giraffes Can't Dance with a perfect attendance certificate from primary 1 or 2 stuck onto the inside cover of it. He already had a copy of the book, and I couldn't help but feel that the book would have been much better given to someone else in the class. The school had a very deprived catchment and the kids whose parents couldn't manage to get them to school on time or at all (for a variety of reasons, including heroin addiction) were probably the kids that would have most benefitted from the gift of a book.

[Goldmandra]

If a child doesn't win an attendance prize- they might win an achievement or effort one, the prize for being the most friendly, well mannered, most organized and so on.

By that token you could also give out prizes for the child from the cleanest house, any child who has never had headlice, the 10 children who have grown most this year and the child who's mum made the best cakes for the summer fete. these would all be just as fair and warranted.

[autumnmum]

My DD didn't get one because my dad (her grandad) died and shock horror I took her out of school to go to the funeral. The school said it couldn't differentiate between types of absence.

[ArbitraryUsername]

You know, there are probably quite a lot of parents who'd delight in those awards goldmandra!

[CaptainVonTrapp]

But getting headlice is pure luck goldmandra - just like attendance.

Well mannered/ most effort are things that any child has the potential to achieve. And perhaps a different child every year. Not just the one blessed with the super immune system.

[Panzee]

A boy in our school used to have a hell of a time. A rubbish early life leading to problems with schoolwork, friendships, everything really. Got stick from pupils and less sympathetic teachers.

But he came every day. He battled on every day. Even though he must have hated so many of those days he came in anyway.

He got a certificate and earned it every day he was there. It would have been so easy for him to fake illness or truant, but he didn't.

[SantaWearsGreen]

Yabu. I was always a bit about kids who were ALWAYS at school, never a day off. Why don't they get sick? Are they robots? A girl in my secondary school had 100% attendance for the five yrs we were there wtaf.

None of us were impressed by the 100% attendance kids and I don't think they really wanted a big song and dance making about it either. Why be proud that you never missed a day of school? Its just odd.. and its punishing kids for being sick or going to appointments too.

[travellingwilbury]

I think its an odd thing to reward .

Well done for being in the building ! Yay for you .

The fact that your presence spread the norovirus to twenty children is by the by .

Bloody stupid award .

[OscarPistoriusBitontheside]

I think it's a terrible idea. You're punishing illness an encouring presenteeism which perpetuates illness and responsible parents having to take more time off work.

Poor ds1 has been the victim if selfish wankers once too many is term and I'm fucking sick of it. Parents bragging about how they send their kids in delete d&v and tonsillitis, etc!

So no, to reiterate, 100% attendance parties or certificates are a crap idea.

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

I am really torn on this. On one hand, I don't want children to be sent into school when they shouldn't be, and I don't think it's fair to make children miss out because of genuine illness.

On the other, I have been staggered at how many parents take their dc out of school for ridiculous reasons since I've worked at a primary school. There are usually a couple of children a month who are taken out for holidays, or because they have stayed with family for the weekend, or they are celebrating a family members birthday. So many parents phone the school and lie about their children being ill when the child will happily come in the nest day and tell us all about what they have really been doing. Something needs to be done to discourage this, because it really is disruptive and it's something I personally think is very wrong.

At least when a child comes in when they shouldn't they can be sent home or isolated.

[JassyRadlett]

There is a dreadful culture of presenteeism in workplaces in this country, which is fed by this similar nonsense in schools.

Every workplace I've ever been in, people drag themselves in when they're ill because they think it's expected of them. They aren't that productive, their illness lasts longer than if they'd stayed home and they usually manage to infect other people. Terrible for productivity and for people's well-being. Largely the fault of employers (and now I run a team of 20 I spend a lot of time sternly sending I'll people home) but also a wider cultural issue that's self-perpetuating.

I wouldn't give an adult employee a reward for perfect attendance as it's either due to luck or irresponsibility. Same should go for kids.

[Fakebook]

I think it's a load of shit. 100% attendance doesn't mean anything.

[Goldmandra]

But getting headlice is pure luck goldmandra - just like attendance.

That is exactly the point I was clearly unsuccessfully trying to make.

If we are rewarding children for 100% attendance, why not for other ridiculous pseudo-achievements too?

[XBenedict]

I think it's an awful incentive, it has nothing to do with effort or achievement and has everything to do with luck!

[HoHoHokeyCokeyPigInAPokey]

Ours only does certificates for 100% and if you have no days off in a school year the head takes you out to a soft play place for an afternoon.

I think it's a load of old rubbish.

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

So what should schools do to discourage parents from taking their fit and healthy children out of school and lying about illness?

[Goldmandra]

At least when a child comes in when they shouldn't they can be sent home or isolated.

It's too late by then. They've already infected lots of others and they probably feel pretty awful too.

I think it's a ridiculous policy which has little effect, the only purpose of which is to show that HTs are trying to increase their attendance.

I have had a conversation with a HT who told me she only does it to appease the governors. She knew it wasn't achieving anything.

[XBenedict]

I think it's a ridiculous policy which has little effect, the only purpose of which is to show that HTs are trying to increase their attendance.

I think you're spot on there! And I have to add as a parent governor, if this policy was suggested I would fight against it!

Appropriate attendance would be a better approach - how you would achieve this I am not sure

[tethersjinglebellend]

It's a ridiculous practice which rewards and punishes children for something they have no control over.

At primary school, parents make decisions about attendance, not children. Throw them a party.

[tethersjinglebellend]

"If we are rewarding children for 100% attendance, why not for other ridiculous pseudo-achievements too?"

Exactly. In fact, one of the biggest factors in a child's academic success is parental income- why not reward the children whose parents earn over, say, £40,000?

[thebody]

Well at dds middle school the school trip ended in the death of a fantastic teacher and disablement and injuries if many of our girls who all had good attendance records before.

The school have been fantastic and supportive and we have supported the teachers right back.

That's achievement that deserves praise.

[XBenedict]

thebody sorry to hear that

[lola88]

My sister sometimes doesn't send DN to school because she can't be bothered to walk up she has mental health issues and some days just decided to opt out why should DN be punished for her mothers mistakes, she is 5 and can not go on her own.

There are a lot of children who are not taken to school by their parents more than you would believe it is not their fault.

[thebody]

Thanks x