To think it's time to scrap 100% attendance awards

[ParadiseLaundry]

DS came home from school today with a certificate for 100% attendance this term.

This surprised me as his school is not one that uses reward/punishment charts or has 'star of the week' etc.

What does it actually achieve? You can't help it if you are ill, and if you are you should make sure you stay away from others. It isn't really an 'achievement' to not get ill and it's definitely not an achievement to get ill and then go into work/school and spread it around. Surely COVID has highlighted this?

Aibu to think it's time they scrapped this, particularly in schools.

Agree with you - I think send out completely the wrong message this year.

YANBU at all, they were an awful concept pre-COVID but now it’s just madness.

YANBU at all. DS missed out on an attendance award last year because he missed one session over the whole year - for a follow up paediatrician appointment about his congenital genetic condition. It’s not like he was skiving FFS! Enrages me.

YANBU. I've always thought they were pointless and unfair.

For what it's worth I'm an EWO and I don't agree with them

Do schools seriously still do this? I thought it was a strange thing to celebrate when I was at school. The children have no control over their attendance, particularly this year

YANBU and I’d go so far as to say this should be the next MN campaign. Utterly, utterly ridiculous and covid has highlighted that.

They’re so ridiculous. Soldiering on while spreading disease is nothing to celebrate. If your child is lucky enough to have stayed completely healthy for a year surely that’s reward enough.

Yanbu my son who's 17 now didn't get one for a few years missed out on trips too in junior school for 100% attendance all because he was in GOSH very unwell for 4 years on and off 😪

School league tables next year will be based on attendance %, not academic grades or progress. It’s been awful (I teach in a secondary SEMH school) trying to support students and families whilst keeping the overlords happy.

YANBU. They are a disgrace especially in the current climate.

YANBU. I find it particularly ridiculous at primary level where it's basically 100% down to parents to make the call about kids going in anyway.

They are totally ridiculous.

Yanbu I never agreed with this! Our school has now scrapped this thankfully it's a really unfair reward system!

School league tables next year will be based on attendance %

Wtf?! I didn't know this and I'm a teacher.

They discriminate against children who have chronic conditions or disabilities that require appointments
They encourage ludicrous presenteeism amongst competitive parents
I would be very surprised if they incentivise feckless parents
Even if they incentivise kids, most kids can't do anything about their attendance - it is down to the luck of their health, or the decisions their parents make.
It is simply bad luck if you catch COVID or Norovirus or get tonsillitis - why reward something that is out of a child's control?

I've always hated them - because I object to rewarding kids for not being disabled, like the child next to them.

I've just got DCs report with 98% attendance and I have no idea where that 2% went, I'm almost certain that they've not had any time off at all this term. I feel cheated!
I know it's all bollocks though, it means nothing.

They should scrap awards and treats for 100% though, it's either penalising people for being sick or rewarding the dickheads who send their kids in regardless of what nasties they're spewing and spreading to everyone else. 🤢🦠

I'm horrified that children with on going conditions get penalised for missing school for hospital appointments. I had no idea about that. That is ridiculously unfair.

I have to agree even though my daughter usually gets this award. She has got 2 really poorly children in her class, one has a chronic heart disease and the other has had a liver transplant so if anyone in the class gets ill, these two have to isolate and this goes back years, way before Covid. Very demoralising for those children.

blueemeraldagain: you have misunderstood what's planned for next year: I quote: The Department for Education has announced today that test and exam results will not be included in performance tables for the 2020-21 academic year.

Instead, the government will publish data on the subjects taken at GCSE and A-level, destinations of pupils and attendance data, which will include context on the impact of coronavirus.
Routine inspections will be aused until at least Easter next year.
I am not pro Attendance figures being as a method of praising or chastising either children or schools. I feel this dated back from the start of complulsary education, where children were 'expected' to show their gratitde by being good little antendees, but, as I've shown, this is not the case here.

I work in a school and I'm very glad we don't do this. It would be discriminatory and unfair on the kids who have chronic physical health issues, weekly CAMHS/physio appointments, reduced timetables due to their Mental Health needs or those who have taken time off due to bereavement.

DDs school have changed it. They now have a golden box that goes each week to the class with the best attendance. They get to choose rewards like extra play time or a disco in the hall. It still annoys me a bit as DDs class are clearly never going to get it due to 2 children who are basically never in, but I think it's a better system.

Yes! As a parent of a child with a chronic condition that requires several, not very pleasant hospital appointments each year, it is so unfair that he misses out on getting a certificate with his friends, he misses out in a lot of the normal things they can do as it is. These stupid awards just make him feel worse about himself.

My dd has had a day off sick this year and was so happy as she said it means that she won’t be on the tv screen in reception with the other pupils who have 100% attendance. She says it’s embarrassing being shown on there.