Fucking BIKES for 100% attendance?? Has the world gone mad??

[FizzyCherry]

I know this is the whole 100% attendance thing again, but I have literally seen it all now.
Not one but TWO people on my FB time line have posted pics of their kids with brand new bikes awarded for 100% attendance. AIBU to think that's taking the piss now?

The weird thing is, it's not the same school, not even the same county - they don't know each other, one parent is an old school friend in the South West, the other a former colleague in the north.

In each case, every child with 100% attendance was given a raffle ticket, the prize was a new bike. Only one prize, apparently, so none of this whole class goes to the zoo thing.
Both are primary school age, one Yr 2, the other Y4.
So these are two that I know of, how many other children are being given something that some of their peers is can only dream of, just for turning up?

My school dropped attendance certificates this year as they were felt to be divisive. How divisive is spending £100 on just one kid?

Am I missing something here, or what?

Unfortunately attendance is a target set for schools in the U.K. and they have to do what they can to reach this target. It is my opinion that 100% is unrealistic. It is also my opinion that children should not be rewarded for their attendance. However, I think rewarding 96% is better than 100%. At DD school they reward 100% and she is unlikely to ever get this as normal illness such as a cold cause her blood sugars to spike and she therefore has to have time off where she wouldn't have needed to before diagnosis. However, I still say she's off because of a cold rather than T1D so it counts in absence %. I don't think schools are in the wrong for trying to reach their target however, there should be leniency which should be discussed on an individual basis.

@MrsJamin It is an awful system. Making it such a huge deal. I've emailed the head and the governors, but they just brush it off as something they must do to encourage attendance. I think attendance awards are pretty low anyway, but our schools system takes it even further

Wonder what Harveys story is?

Soz wrong thread

Be interested to hear from some teachers, I've read several times on this site about how many use their own money to buy art supplies and so on as schools are too strapped for cash.

I just don't understand how many parent (even of the kid who won the bike) or teacher thinks this is a good use of budget.

My dc is not old enough yet for school but I dread all this sort of nonsense.

clueless
Quite a few of us have been onto their thread saying we think 100% attendance awards are a waste of time. I'd much rather did a 95+% certificate in assembly (for primary, secondary can get over it in my opinion) and then spend the money from the awards on chasing those parents who keep their child off routinely for no reason (I've heard some stupid reasons but the best was officially called in as sickness and the runs but only off 1 day, spoke to the child and they'd tidied their room on Sunday so were tired and mum felt they needed rest!!)

The reason I think money goes on attendance is because ofsted check attendance whereas they don't check that we have enough glue. But then if nothing is glued in then we get battered in work scrutiny even if school haven't done an order in 6 months.