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Original poster

To think this is fucked up (school 100% attendance)

523 replies

cricketmum84 · 07/09/2021 16:35

Recieved this letter from school before the start of term tomorrow.

I have a lovely, well behaved and studious year 8 girl who would love to attend 100%. However she had a bowel condition that causes extreme pain 2-3 days per month, enough so that she is unable to attend school.

Unfortunately she doesn't have the "resilience" needed to get these rewards.

Utter twats.

OP posts:
tsmainsqueeze · 07/09/2021 20:19

@itsgettingwierd

Simple email.

Dear HT,

Thankyou for the letter about how students with 100% attendance will get regards and a badge to wear with pride.

Please inform me how the students with long term health problems and disabilities who won't be able to achieve this will earn the same privileges as their peers.

You've forgotten to outline the reasonable adjustment for these students as you must by law to ensure equality under the equality act 2010.

Im sure all these students are parents will be grateful to see this policy set out as clearly.

Regards

Xxxx

Quite simply they cannot deny a student a reward because a disability prevents them from achieving the same targets.

And I bloody hope they also outlined this doesn't mean attending with covid (pretending tests are negative) just to get a reward.

Brilliant .
unsure111 · 07/09/2021 20:19

I would also be absolutely fuming if I was In school and a smug kid pushed in front of me in the lunch queue flashing their badge.

Liverbird77 · 07/09/2021 20:20

Yep. When I was teaching, it was the same for the staff. cancer treatment! Pah. You're just not resilient enough!
Absolute fucking bullshit.

lightand · 07/09/2021 20:21

Our school realised it's error on this. Back in the year..1999
Surprised it is still a "thing" in 2021.

Imanessexgirlgetmeoutofhere · 07/09/2021 20:21

As a child with a health condition award like this really piss me off. Like many, DS will never get 100% attendance because as his parent I make the decision not to send him in when he is struggling to breathe.

I'd respond to the school and propose they remame it the "lucky as fuck club" as let's be honest luck is what it comes down to

Scarby9 · 07/09/2021 20:26

A few years back I was in a primary school end of year assembly, the day before the last day of term.

The headteacher announced that there were 'now some very special awards for some very special children. These are children who really value their education and understand how important it is to be in school EVERY DAY so they can learn. These children have been in school EVERY SINGLE DAY this year. They have never ever missed a day or been late to school. They have never stayed at home because they couldn't be bothered to get up in time or because they didn't feel like coming. If they had a bit of a cold, they didn't stay off; they understood that they were still well enough to come into school and get their education. These special children - and there are only 21 of them in the whole school - as well as getting their 100% gold badges, will be getting a McDonald's voucher each! So let's be ready to give each of them a HUGE round of applause.
And the first person with 100%attendance is... Sam Brown!!'

  • Pause-

'Sam, where are you? Come and get your prize!'

A child's voice from the back of the hall:
'He's in Portugal on holiday - went last night'.

Ironic applause from the parents...

ThankYouStavros · 07/09/2021 20:27

You’d think after covid etc, this shite would be knocked on the head, it’s toxic and just encourages people to go in even when they’re sick. Idiots.

NameChange2PostThis · 07/09/2021 20:31

@cricketmum84
Make a formal complaint to the head and governors.

This is discriminatory based on the protected characteristic of disability (direct and indirect discrimination), both physical and mental.

It also encourages pupils to breach the law regarding COVID isolations.

Post on local Facebook groups.
Cause a stink generally.

Your poor DD. This bullshit is inhumane, nasty and plain ignorant.

Contact a disability rights group for support.

Staryflight445 · 07/09/2021 20:33

Mental health is so important, they’re really teaching the opposite with this. I hope I never have to be faced with it.

BuffyFanForever · 07/09/2021 20:38

How ridiculous! In the year after a global pandemic as well...go in 100% of the time even if ill or lose your “privileges” . Good on you OP for saying something to the school! They are unlikely to change it but should be thinking about how negatively this can impact on pupils! Doesn’t take into account young carers, those with long term medical needs or those that might need mental health support (and I’m sure many other things I can’t think off off hand!)

Moonface123 · 07/09/2021 20:38

This proves schools don't give a toss regarding your child's wellbeing.
They just want their attendance figures, no matter what cost.

suredsun · 07/09/2021 20:39

That's appalling. I would be speaking to the Head about this and taking it to the Governors if not satisfied with response.
It's rewarding the children who are fortunate enough to not to be sick and penalising those who are ill.
Also, completely the wrong message to be sending in times of Covid, when we absolutely shouldn't be rushing in to work and school if we're not feeling quite right.

JanglyBeads · 07/09/2021 20:39

Just wanted to add my support to you OP! Might be worth contacting a disability charity for some extra support? They may have a sample letter to governors or something.

Moonface123 · 07/09/2021 20:40

Schools are run like big financial companies now, your child is just a number.

littlepieces · 07/09/2021 20:41

Horrendous concept in normal times... but to put this nonsense out in the middle of a global pandemic is beyond belief.

canonlydoblue · 07/09/2021 20:44

As a teacher I hate this! I've seen children come into school very unwell because they didn't want to miss out on their attendance award. In the middle of a pandemic, the school should be ashamed of themselves.

GratedRed · 07/09/2021 20:44

Who the fuck wants to wear a 100% attendance badge??
One single GP or hospital appointment would mean this doesn’t happen let alone anything else.
And surely if a kid has covid symptoms, any symptoms they’ll miss say half or one day of school waiting for their PCR results to come back?
Or do schools not want symptomatic kids to get tests anymore?

MsMoody · 07/09/2021 20:46

Could never quite manage 100% attendance because I was always picking up illnesses from the germ-ridden school! Can’t believe it took a global pandemic to get them to start wiping a few door handles now and again…

84Win · 07/09/2021 20:47

My daughter was in reception last year. The only school time she missed was when she fell over at school, smacking her face on the playground and I had to collect her and take her to minor injuries to have her nose cauterised due to a blood clot forming.

At the end of the school year, she was certain she was going to get the 100% attendance award. She sat there waiting and her name was never called. She asked why, and because she missed the afternoon when she hurt her face, she was told she wouldn't be getting one.

She was gutted. So I told her it was utter rubbish, and took her out for a treat to cheer her up.

BeenHereForAges · 07/09/2021 20:50

What a pile of shite.

EarringsandLipstick · 07/09/2021 20:55

@Starlight86

what an absolute pile of shite

" must be worn and displayed at all times"

Fuck Off

👏👏👏

As so often happens, the first reply nails it.

(Off to read thread in full now).

RumblyMumbly · 07/09/2021 20:57

Whorever thought that up needs to hand back their pin! Awful.

During a pandemic!

ddl1 · 07/09/2021 20:58

This is fairly disgusting. It is really unfair to those with chronic health problems; and also risks encouraging children to go in when unfit, and spread their germs to everyone else: a bad idea at any time, and especially during a pandemic. I think that certain local authorities press schools to achiever perfect attendance, and this sort of thing is the result.

CorianderBee · 07/09/2021 21:00

I think them getting queue jump at lunch isn't fair... what if loads of kids get it and then the kids behind keep getting pushed back and back. Basically punished when they're just hungry like everyone is

ejhhhhh · 07/09/2021 21:00

I'm a teacher and I agree this is awful. Wtf has resilience got to do with illnesses? You can't avoid getting sick with "resilience". And is now, when you're supposed to isolate with symptoms that look like a cold until you get the results of a PCR test, really the time to be encouraging this soldier on through I'll health bullshit? I thought the message last year was we'd all need to be a bit more careful and stop going into work when ill? But it's OK for a child to go to work when ill for the sake of 100% attendance? Not to mention the unfairness on those who have chronic conditions so will never achieve 100%. Why is this still a policy?