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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To disagree with 100% attendance awards

120 replies

user1498912461 · 20/01/2018 10:34

I completely disagree with 100% attendance awards. They reward the kids who are lucky enough not to get sick and punish the ones that are unfortunate enough to get ill. This year DS has had a nasty bout of flu, a vomiting bug and he banged his head very badly on the concrete in school so we had to keep him off. None of this is his fault but he will never get one of these certificates. What about kids who have to go to hospital or have a condition? It just seems unfair. I have also overhead many mums talking in the yard about how their child was crying all night with a ear infection or was up with D and V and they still send them in! So aibu to hate the things?

OP posts:
Didntcomeheretofuckspiders · 20/01/2018 10:36

Some kids are never going to get achievement awards though are they? Nice to give them a certificate for something?

MrsPestilence · 20/01/2018 10:38

YANBU

Schools do it to staff as well. You haven't vomited for 3 hours, you are good to go. Sad

ASauvignonADay · 20/01/2018 10:38

Until Ofsted and the government stop putting pressure on schools re attendance and results, they probably aren't going to stop.

For some kids, an attendance award is all they ever win or achieve.

Fruitcocktail6 · 20/01/2018 10:39

While I agree the whole concept isn't great, in the school I work in children get awards and certificates for all sorts of things, so the non-100% children are hardly being punished, they just don't get that particular certificate.

Parents sending in sick children in the hope they get a flimsy certificate are absolutley pathetic. If they are ill we will just send them home.

LaContessaDiPlump · 20/01/2018 10:39

I completely agree op, and challenged it when my kids qualified for them last year. Head made the point that for some kids this is an achievement, which is true, but for my kids it's really not. Feels like it devalues the achievement for the others if you give my kids an award for zero effort.... I feel similarly about exams tbh (and I did well in those).

I ended up letting them go to the picnic as they were excited, but DS1 crowed about it to the extent that I won't let him attend this year. It turns him into a right dick.

TeenTimesTwo · 20/01/2018 10:40

YA sort of NBU

But what about the pen licenses and dyspraxic kids?
Or the time tables tests certificates and the slow processing kids?
Or the confident kids with starring roles in all the shows?
Or the bright kids getting to go off to fancy high achievers things at the local secondary school?
etc

The only certificates my DD2 regularly could have a hope of getting at primary were the attendance awards. yes she wasn't ill. But she didn't stay off for a week with a cold, and she got ready for school nicely so we were never late.

ThePinkOcelot · 20/01/2018 10:41

YADNBU!
I hate them. Totally pointless award!

BigBaboonBum · 20/01/2018 10:41

My mum fosters and her kids had 99.9 percent attendance so will miss out on the award... and only because they had to miss register to see their social worker. Seems harsh

Falconhoof1 · 20/01/2018 10:49

I can see why they do it but also agree that it punishes genuine illnesses. But they are only a certificate (plus "party" at our school-see below) and my DD, who never got one, agreed that she would rather be tucked up on her bed while sick, than get a certificate for being at school every day. Although my DS has been awarded one several times, they often have a pizza party too and he hates pizza so doesn't even go!

girlwhowearsglasses · 20/01/2018 10:53

YANBU

LemonShark · 20/01/2018 10:56

YANBU. It makes kids who have health problems feel shit and lesser than.

meredintofpandiculation · 20/01/2018 10:56

Attendance awards don't just go to those who won't get awards elsewhere. For some kids, they won't ever get an achievement award and then they miss out on an attendance award as well (while seeing the kid who is top of the class and getting the sports awards then also walk off with an attendance award...)

If you want awards for kids who try hard but don't have a chance of any other awards, attendance awards are not the most efficient way of doing this.

PandaPieForTea · 20/01/2018 10:58

My DD’s school give these based on the whole year. They sent DD home in September when she fell on her face in the playground. She didn’t need to come home really, so I was pretty pissed off, and the incentive (if there was one) is gone for the year.

Nanny0gg · 20/01/2018 10:59

They're awful.

Punishing the child and not the parent who doesn't bother and punishing the child who can't help being ill.

Dreadful things.

JassyRadlett · 20/01/2018 11:00

For some kids, an attendance award is all they ever win or achieve.

And for others, it’s yet another award they have no chance of getting.

Particularly if attendance is linked to achievement, as claimed.

It’s illogical to rewa

JassyRadlett · 20/01/2018 11:04

It’s illogical to reward children for something they can’t control and that is largely based on luck. It is no more logical to support the system because some kids who don’t get other awards might get one of these. What sort of message is it conveying? ‘Well done! You were lucky!’ It’s like giving out certificates of achievement for winning snakes and ladders.

Our school, so far, is careful to ensure that all kids get a certificate for something across the year, and the awards are linked to the school’s values and behaviours. A bit ‘all must get prizes’ and probably a tad patronising, but far better than ‘hurrah for you! You didn’t get D&V! Come to a special party!’

eenymeenymaccaracca · 20/01/2018 11:07

YANBU.Those things are shit.

Either it's a reward for being lucky enough not to get ill, or it's a reward for going into school when you're ill (and infecting everyone else). Neither of these should be rewarded.

My kids are sad enough when they get ill without being sad about missing out on an attendance award as well.

Saying that it might be the only award some kids get is a stupid argument. The school could and should just as easily start doing other awards - helpfulness, kindness, etc. Something the kids actually have some control over, and which could be awarded more than once a year.

Snowysky20009 · 20/01/2018 11:07

Ds2 has had 3 x sickness since September, 1 x viral infection. His last sickness, he was sent home from school on the Tuesday after being sick in school, was not sick again, but had the runs on Wednesday night, and when I spoke to school Thursday, nope he wasn't allowed in Friday either. So 4 days off, when he was only actually sick once in school (he did have the runs Tuesday, but nothing Wednesday until the evening). School said 'please do not send him. Kids and teachers are dropping like flies'. Yet I know now to expect an 'attendance letter...' He's never had a 100% attendance award, if something is going around he will catch it.

lessthanBeau · 20/01/2018 15:52

We don't have them at dds school. we have awards for everything else though, even just trying hard gets a certificate, so every child gets a chance to achieve something. My dn school has just started the attendance reward and my sil was telling me how her ds will go in when ill then she'll go and fetch him home, so he'll still have his mark in the register. Crazy!

ChoudeBruxelles · 20/01/2018 15:53

Yanbu

lljkk · 20/01/2018 15:56

yr9 DS gets invited to the annual awards evening. So he can get an attendance award. I grit my teeth & try to smile. He sits with his friends. They all get awards for highest effort/attainment in math, science, overall, this, that, other... and DS gets a single poxy attendance award. It feels Fing ridiculous. And I feel inadequate. Hate it.

grasspigeons · 20/01/2018 15:56

Can you look at the attendance rate for the governors on your school website. If there are any with less that 100% attendance I suggest you organise a small thank you for the governors - something small - but only give it to those with 100% attendance at the meetings. It might make them query the effectiveness of these type of awards.

Attendance is really important. Are the awards the right way to do things though.

Evelynismyformerspyname · 20/01/2018 16:00

Prizes for presenteeism, how silly.

Has there always been this prize giving culture in British schools? I struggle to remember, but I'm sure my primary didn't do it... I wonder if it has been shown in any clear, unambiguous studies to achieve anything positive...

Mol1628 · 20/01/2018 16:02

Yanbu

My son didn’t get his certificate this term because he’s had to have two consultant appointments at the hospital. Apart from that we are there on time every single morning 🙄

Tumbleweed101 · 20/01/2018 16:07

While the parents control attendance I don’t think there should be certificates ie in infant/Primary school. Might have more impact for older children who do take more control of their attendance levels.

I agree with the idea of certificates for helpfulness, kindness etc as this is something the child is control of.

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