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

[cricketmum84]

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.

@Canigooutyet
you should be proud of your dc!
with a argument like that they should do well if they go to uni!
crikey I went to convent school eons ago & they were actually more sensible about most things (nuns & all!!!)

@Ritasueandbobtoo9

It is very discriminatory and in my opinion where children have a disability probably a breach of the Equality Act

Yes, when my sons advertised theres in his first year I did ask what reasonable adjustment was being made for his disability.

I don't mind small rewards on the last day of summer term for those who've had 100% attendance - there's only a few who achieve it and plenty of students receive awards when others could just be as eligible.

But this is disgraceful! Having to return the badge if they have a day off! Even during normal times that's terrible but encouraging those unwell to present themselves after the last 18 months of a public health crisis is completely irresponsible.

Someone was paid to come up with this idea. I hope enough people complain and the school backtrack.

Wtf! What about girls who have really horrific periods and are in too much pain to go to school? I have awful periods and thank god I WFH because two days a month I can't move and have to have a water bottle in my lap all day. And what about children with disabilities or chronic illnesses?! Or what about childhood cancers? Sorry you're booted out of the club because you were too busy having chemo when you should have been prioritising your school attendance. Shocking. Completely discriminatory.

It's discrimination! I have a child who has medical problems that means she has lots of hospital appointments and she's cried many times over not getting a 100% attendance certificate and non uniform day as a reward!
Boils my pi&& that schools think this is acceptable!

I am another that would complain and have done before.

My DS was doing really well one term, till he came down with a really horrible sickness bug, turns out most the class came down with it, because one child, either didn't want to lost their 100% attendence or their parents didn't want/or couldn't take the days off.

Personally as a child I would never have wanted to wear one of the badges - what a way to draw attention to yourself and make yourself a target for bullies. Especially getting to skip queues at lunch time etc , surely you want to queue with your friends?

Imagine working there and having to take a badge off the boy whose sister died. The girl who had to go to court so custory could be transferred to her older sisters because her mum's mental health problems mean she can't be cared for by her any more, or the child who is a young carer and just can't manage school and home life to 100% satisfaction of this nasty leadership team.

Everything about this is just so awful. And what a ridiculous scheme to bring in during covid times.

Can’t see being allowed to barge ahead of other pupils in the lunch queue is a good way to encourage manners either. And I’m sure many club members would be too timid to do it anyway!

What a stupid, dickhead thing for school to do.

I'm not normally one to advise complaining but I really think you should in this instance. Look up the complaints procedure and follow it to the letter. If the school can't resolve it (and they won't) you can then escalate it and eventually it will go to the chair of governors.

As it's an operational thing, the governors may not even know about it (apart from parent governers).

You should check if there's a SEND link governor and safeguarding governor. The chance of kids ignoring Covid symptoms makes this a real issue.

It's utter madness.

This is horrendous. You need to complain to the school but to be honest the fact that they can’t see for themselves that it’s terrible is a massive red flag. It would be different if authorised absences for illness or bereavement etc were disregarded but that is not how the letter is worded.

Not fair at all. I complained tot he school when dd missed a 100% treat. She had a hospital appointment for her disability that I cannot change and missed half a day. They soon changed the policy to not count medical related absence as part of the conditions for the treat

How to make sure a virus spreads as far and wide as possible in one easy step! You'd have thought the pandemic might have taught them something

Letting them jump the lunch queue?

that's a bloody hideous letter

Madness encouraging a load of virus swamped kids to spread their germs around school on the promise of a lunch pass.
Get some pin badges made - the un-resilient club. She can hand them out to people who’ve had a day off and they can wear them proudly.

Well, that sounds very Covid-safe not

This is actually quite chilling

It's indirectly discriminatory against disabled kids, and also kids of non Christian faith. We had this a few years ago, and I queried it with the Equality Advisory Support Service, who confirmed the school would need to demonstrate reasonable adjustments for it.not to be discriminatory (and we couldn't think what those would be!). I told the school this in no uncertain terms and (as a qualified solicitor) pointed out to them that the school's trust might want a lawyer to look at it, but they wouldn't reach a different conclusion. Funnily enough, NONE of the schools in the trust seem to run this fucking idiotic 100% nonsense anymore

Have to say I find these awards infuriating. Worked as a children's nurse years ago and think there completely discriminatory. Hope your little girl knows to be very proud of herself. The idea that illness leading to days off is some home a failing is quite frankly archaic

My ex-boss probably came from a school where they had attendance rewards, as she would always drag herself to work, ill with who knows what, barely able to stand and spreading germs all over. Achievement my arse.

Sorry, forgot also prob sex discrimination cos period.absences! Nearly full house 🤣

Is this shite still going on?
I'm raging that this lazy, discriminatory load of utter bollocks is even allowed in this modern inclusive society we are supposed to be living in.
It's just kick in the teeth for parents of children with ongoing medical needs for whom 100% attendance is simply not possible.

I had similar with my daughter. After lockdown she had a lot of anxiety surrounding going back to school. She'd seen her older sister have time off for her health condition and, although I could get her to school in her uniform, she often refused to go in. I've even been told to take her home because they didn't have the staff to deal with her.

School introduced attendance stickers, so when she managed to attend, she had a big red sticker put in her planner, which has to be on display in lessons. It got to the point where, even if she attended every day from that point onwards, she could never get a green sticker. She did bloody amazing and managed to get her attendance back up, but there were no rewards for that.
I complained and pointed out that if she'd have had the same amount of time off at the end of the year, rather than the beginning, she'd have got a green sticker and every reward going. The school sent me some shitty policy document and continued as they were.

@Clymene

And at a time when Covid cases are going through the roof, it seems particularly unwise to encourage children to come to school when they're unwell

I would actually email this comment to them. Seriously I hope no one accepts one of these awards if they are offered, imagine taking one off a child if they are off ill after October.

@ChikiTIKI
Exactly that. Sadly there are kids who’s parents die whilst they are at school. Or are surviving other terrible situations. Can you imagine the utter heartlessness after coming back to school to have your badge stripped off you.
This is one of the worst things I’ve read I ages. Totally inappropriate in the middle of a fucking pandemic. I’m outraged for you OP. I hope a load of people complain (and keep complaining till it’s stopped)