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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

356 replies

FizzyCherry · 20/07/2017 22:38

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?

OP posts:
JiggyTuff · 21/07/2017 16:57

My son is very clever but has ADHD, dyspraxia and is being assessed for ASD. I say very clever because despite these difficulties, he is in top sets.

But he doesn't get academic awards (his concentration is poor and his handwriting is dreadful), he doesn't get attendance awards (because he has paediatrician appointments and is often awake for hours in the night (because of the ADHD), he doesn't get sporting awards (because of the dyspraxia) and he doesn't get model pupil awards (because of all the difficulties).

He spends the last few weeks of term watching his peers getting celebrated over and over again.

Having his school celebrate children not for being good at swimming or running or maths or writing or music but just for being healthier than him makes my blood boil. I am so, so angry.

IwannaBeDelgadaEnMiPrada · 21/07/2017 17:01

Why on earth do people let their blood boil? It's not as though every child in the class apart from your own will have won an attendance prize.

They were the only think my son ever had a chance of winning when he was younger. He's grown in to his abilities shall we say. But there was a time when he won nothing except, maybe, and not every year, an attendance prize. Parents with more conventional children were always the ones slamming the prize that my son might win. They'd no objection to any of the prizes or awards their own child might win. Odd that.

JiggyTuff · 21/07/2017 17:12

Did you actually read my post Iwanna

My son won't even get an attendance certificate.

NoqontroI · 21/07/2017 17:18

Awards for 100 percent attendance is crap. My child didn't get it because he's been ill and had family issues this year. Obviously the school wouldn't a child to go in sick. And most would prefer that life went well with no family issues to have to deal with. It's nothing clever or special to manage to avoid bad things happening or being sick for the year. Just luck.

mrsRosaPimento · 21/07/2017 18:42

What if you're ill? So unfair to dcs that get ill.

toosexyforyahshirt · 21/07/2017 19:21

Why on earth do people let their blood boil?

I dunno, why do you think we might get angry and upset at our children being discriminated against for having additional needs? Wanna try a guess?

Icantstopeatinglol · 21/07/2017 20:14

100% attendance awards are like getting an award for managing to not trip over on the way to school or managing to not step in dog shit. It's pure luck so how can that be rewarded? The child has done nothing to achieve it, literally nothing.

Icantstopeatinglol · 21/07/2017 20:17

I had to collect my dd aged 6 from school and she was spewing into a carrier bag in my car crying on the way home all because someone sent their kid to school after being sick! 16 other kids came down with it so that's 16 kids off school due to 1 child. Who might then go on to get an award, well done that child Hmm

Hulababy · 21/07/2017 20:39

We got rid of attendance certificates a while back. Pretty much all staff were against them so when the old head left we scrapped them. They're discriminatory and ridiculous an primary when children aren't even involved in most decision making as to whether they go to school or not.

Most children miss some school due to illness (and the subsequent 48 hour exclusion) at some point and it's generally caught at school too - probably from a child who had been sent in whilst ill, who then gets their 100% attendance reward too! These rewards can also end up encouraging children to go in when ill, and that is NOT good for anyone.

Dd's missed school this year - two funerals, a wedding and an illness. It's just one of those things and, even though she's now a teen, none were reasons that she could control. I've also missed time at my school this year for the same reasons - though different times re illness, and mine WAS caught from a child at school who was sent in obviously ill.

Good health is mostly down to luck.

Hulababy · 21/07/2017 20:43

FATE - so reward children for things that they are actually responsible for. Effort and perseverance in various curriculum areas, something they've worked towards themselves. Not just for being lucky enough to not get ill, or not have a medical condition or disability, or having a death in the family, or even simply that their parents made the decision not to send them to school for whatever reason. It's very unusual for a primary school and child to be responsible for whether they go to school or not. Maybe it should be a prize for the parent instead?

NataliaOsipova · 21/07/2017 21:11

Fairness or unfairness aside, it just seems bloody stupid to me to encourage people to send kids who are ill - and potentially contagious - into a public place. Madness.

HalfShellHero · 22/07/2017 08:14

Totally agree natalia x

DesperateToMoveOn · 22/07/2017 08:56

At least a bike is a 'needn't option. At DDs primary school they had a raffle for an Ipod!

She's at secondary now and although I'm not over keen on attendance awards I think their approach is pretty good - they don't have 100% awards, but hold a 'festival' for anyone who's achieved 98% attendance or more. It's basically cake and lemonade on the school field with a few live performances from musically talented former students supplemented by pop music played over a PA system.

They also celebrate improved attendance throughout the year with certificates etc.

Unfortunately DD has picked up more bugs than ever since starting secondary so she's not been involved in any of them this year but at least 98% is a slightly more manageable target (and she's not especially bothered in any case).

DesperateToMoveOn · 22/07/2017 08:58

needn't?

'healthy'

MsHarry · 22/07/2017 09:56

I disagree with rewarding 100% attendance. Children get sick and shouldn't be made to feel like they've done something wrong. A bike as a reward is totally over the top for the child just being lucky enough to not get ill!!

GraceGrape · 22/07/2017 10:03

I work in a school and it is completely discriminatory against children with poor health. My DD missed two weeks of school after a quite serious accident. Nothing we could have done about it. She had to sit in the celebration assembly and watch her best friend get certificates for 100% attendance, being a school councillor and being part of a club that was open to invited children only while she got nothing.

Schools know who the persistent attendance offenders are and no amount of reward certificates will make a difference to them.

toosexyforyahshirt · 22/07/2017 10:07

they don't have 100% awards, but hold a 'festival' for anyone who's achieved 98% attendance or more. It's basically cake and lemonade on the school field with a few live performances from musically talented former students supplemented by pop music played over a PA system

Lovely, the healthy kids get a party! What do the sickly and additional needs kids do while those lucky enough to have good health have a festival?

I am actually baffled as to how anyone can possibly think this is ok, be it parties, bikes, trips, even just getting singled out with certificates in assembly.

Floggingmolly · 22/07/2017 10:30

A festival to celebrate kids showing up for school Hmm. They'll be paying them next...

Didiplanthis · 22/07/2017 10:52

Ours does £5 gift voucher for 100%. I don't think they should. I dont mind the certficate so much as thats termly for over 97%. One twin got the voucher the other didn't because on one day he had a temperature ! I have had to remind him he had a lovely day at home with mummy. I don't think that's what school had in mind as he has now remembered this and wants one next term !

MycatsaPirate · 22/07/2017 10:55

It's discriminating against kids who have life limiting illnesses and other health issues which mean lots of hospital appointments and stays. Really unfair.

Sorry kid, you don't get an award because you have cystic fibrosis and have to keep going into hospital.

DD2's attendance was 99% or something ridiculous. I really don't bother too much. She had a couple of days off after throwing up and one hospital appointment which meant she missed afternoon registration.

They don't do awards at her school. They operate a rewards system which runs all year and every time they do something good they get a merit. This can be for good work, making effort, being kind, bringing in something interesting from home, helping other children or just taking extra time on a project. Every time they hit a target (50, 100, 150 etc) they get a Pass which allows them to wear non uniform for the day, eat lunch in a different class or watch a DVD at lunchtime with some friends. At the end of the year the top 20 kids in the school with the most merits go on a trip - this year it was to the local ice rink and they were out of school for a couple of hours. I feel this is a much fairer system and encourages them to make effort with every part of life, rather than just 'turning up'.

Boredwithmyname · 22/07/2017 10:57

I don't think any prized for attendance should be used, but if a school is going to then I like a raffle better because at least then they don't have every child with 100% (or whatever) getting a prize and every child without not.

Eebahgum · 22/07/2017 11:17

I know I'm going to regret posting because I'm going to get flamed - but I really don't get why there should so much anger towards attendance incentives.
There are lots of rewards for things in school that children have no control over. For example, I never won a sports day medal because I'm not talented in that area. There was no way, no matter how hard I tried, that I would beat the fastest runners in school. Did this mean they shouldn't be rewarded for it? No.
Schools have a wide range of rewards and incentives so children can be praised for all kinds of things. If your child is not getting praised for anything talk to the school because that's not right. And if you get nowhere, move elsewhere. You're child deserves better than that.
But if your child gets rewarded for other things and just not this one thing, try to be broad enough of mind to realise today it's someone else's turn.
Just because your child has an excellent attitude to learning and turns up every single day they're well enough doesn't mean all children do. Some children tell their parents they don't feel well because they don't want to go to school that day. Some parents keep their child at home because they'd like a nice day out with them. These children are helped by attendance incentives. I've seen it happen. And from a school perspective if an incentive helps these children get through the door more regularly it's absolutely worth it.
And I'm sorry that upsets you, I really am. Mainly because that upset passes directly to your child. But please stop demonising schools and school staff for trying to help every child in their care.

ForalltheSaints · 22/07/2017 11:20

The OP is right to be offended and I think a certificate should be the most given.

And as said on another thread, I would prefer one for being on time, not just being there.

toosexyforyahshirt · 22/07/2017 11:26

You're not getting it, at all.

But please stop demonising schools and school staff for trying to help every child in their care

How are they helping children who have no chance of getting these rewards? Do you really not understand how hurtful it is to children who already disadvantaged compared to their peers, to see them lauded for pure luck?

Instead of thinking of the abstract, think of this scenario: you have a child with a chronic illness. They have illness, and hospital visits that mean missing school. They have painful procedures. They can't join in things like sports day and swimming lessons, they need adjustments for school trips. They can't always play with other kids. they don't get invited to parties.They fall behind in their work even though they work very very hard.
Now, after a full year of that, of having to work twice as hard as everyone else to catch up, to have got through pain and sickness and troubles you can't even imagine, after all that they have to see the healthy, happy, happen to have gone to school everyday kids GET A FUCKING PARTY OR A BIKE, just because they were so much luckier than yours in the first place?

And you think that's just fine?

Eebahgum · 22/07/2017 11:29

But with the greatest respect, you would only prefer one for being on time because your child would get that one. People who regularly bring their children to school late don't say they'd prefer a reward for punctuality.
Everyone wants rewards that their child can achieve. I get that, I really do. But schools can't reward every child for everything. So long as they're rewarding every child for something try to accept that there are some rewards for other children - not yours.