To hate "perfect attendance" awards

[EllieRosesMammy]

Surely after going through a pandemic perfect attendance awards should be scrapped? I refuse to believe any child can go an entire year without being ill atleast once, so essentially schools are rewarding the ones who have been sent in to school to spread their germs around.

And then articles like this:
lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hulldailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Feducation%2Fhull-boy-not-missed-day-7300887&h=AT15pbp4zAEVNauE8SDiHV7nuGzjlB9PVwvxfhka2nSCw-fUJHOIxI50ErMwsi96rnXaVdNlk-5HQsPc1agljITptxr5RX-ZjnYAfri6FdNPKn8NIxmThMtnLPlpKaQ1u7hR_L29GLjDoZuRVqbvtw

7 years and he hasn't been ill once? Give over 🙄

attendance awards are really no different to many of these awards given out and it’s very sad that some parents just have to find a way to take something away from a child just because their child might not win it.

Yes, they are different. In a properly run school that operates properly and gives prizes for effort as well as achievement, it is reasonably possible for every single child in that school, including the disabled, to win a prize. But it is never going to be possible for the disabled child who has to attend regular termtime medical appointments, or who gets regular seizures or flare-ups of conditions like diabetes, psoriasis, asthma or arthritis to win that attendance award. I can't see why it's so difficult for people to understand that.

What makes it worse is that attendance prizes are often in the form of treats or attendance at special parties or outings. It's miserable enough for a child having a condition like rheumatic arthritis, imagine how they feel seeing their friends going off for a special treat from which they are excluded for the crime of having an incurable medical condition.

Yes, we had two who never missed a single day of their schooling. Another only 4 days and it wasn't that uncommon

And my daughter with dyspraxia seeing sports awards when she practiced for years to catch a ball and never managed it. But got her 100 perc attendance award and was proud to get it.

I agree!

my foster son didn’t get one this year as despite not missing a single day at school he joined late in the year, you know because he was undergoing the trauma of being removed from the only family he’s ever known and being sent to live with strangers miles away. Totally outside of control and was traumatic for him but the school is happily punishing him for this.

Many years ago I used to get prizes for good attendance at Sunday School. I was so pleased I can remember the titles of the books - King Purple’s Jester and Teddy’s Button.

There was a boy in ds class in primary who had 100% attendance right through primary. In reality his mum sent him to school when he was practically dying, she sent him to school with chicken pox & denied he had it, all because she had a very important job as a bank manager & refused to take time off. She went back to work practically the minute she gave birth & the day after he started school she went back full time putting him in wraparound care from 7.30am - 6 30pm.

Its ableist crap and ripe for a challenge under equalities legislation.

Given the pandemic they are also beyond stupid.

I'd judge any teacher or indeed parent who supported them.

I'm not in the UK so never heard of attendance awards. Sounds a bit dumb as this kind of empty gesture is unlikely to entice the children who skip school for no good reason. They're not gonna care.

If they absolutely must have attendance awards then I'd suggest they limit it to unjustified absences and not sanction Keith who was off two weeks with appendicitis or Joan who had covid and missed ten days straight. Or else I'd be tempted to send in sick DC and if the school calls me I'd tell them I want the award ! Just to make them understand how ridiculous it is.

(obviously I wouldn't as I wouldn't want DC to be miserably sick in school just to make a point).

That said I don't think you're gonna make these awards disappear OP so next best thing is to not give a shit and not attend the awards ceremony. (I'm pretty like that).

Ultimately, fulfilling the basic legal requirement of attending school every day at an age where its actually on your parents to ensure you get there and any absence would be seen as their responsibility, is not an achievement.

If you've got a child who school refuses who does a whole term, by all means reward. That's an achievement.

If you've got a child with a chronic condition who has appropriately worked to come into school more often when they're borderline unwell, by all means reward. That's an achievement.

General kid with no issues doing the legal minimum every day. Not an achievement.

What makes it worse is that attendance prizes are often in the form of treats or attendance at special parties or outings
Are these schools that struggle with attendance issues for one reason or another? Literally never experienced this sort of fanfare, and I had three in three different primaries for a (mercifully brief) time.

But they do work for some kids

My DC will never win one but I am all for other children getting rewarded for things. I hate the attitude 'ohhhh, my wee precious Amelia can't win this (sports day, singing contest, attendance award, whatever) so nobody else should'. It's a chance for a child to realise it doesn't matter if other people are recognised for things. It really is no big deal.

If you've got a child who school refuses who does a whole term, by all means reward. That's an achievement.
Not sure I'm on board with school refusers being rewarded for showing up, tbh.

Some other acknowledgment, perhaps, but not an attendance award.

My son is also reliable and will show up every day. He also has had sick days where I've kept him at home. That does not stop him being reliable and showing up every day that he physically can. Attendance awards are punishments for people who are genuinely sick, great that your kid is never sick but that does that mean kids who do get sick are any less reliable.

Attendance awards are punishments for people who are genuinely sick
Oh, of course they aren't . If every child had perfect attendance there'd be no need for it to be acknowledged at all.

I agree. It's something entirely oputside the children's control and encourages a sentiment that attendance is more important than wellbeing. And then people complain when adults turn up to the office clearly ill.....

Or adults not turning up for work

i was thinking the only time attendance might actually be an achievement. If you've got a 7 year old who hates school and is chronically late and they manage a term of on time, or constantly playing up so much parents struggle to get them in and then they work through a whole term with no missed days, that's an achievement. give that kid a certificate for his improved behaviour / attitude. But your average kid who's never sick and who goes to school compliantly, that isn't an achievement, that's a basic minimum.

one thing he was good at was showing up every day and being reliable, so some kids do deserve these fucking awards and the other kids get something else.
No one is "GOOD" at having a good immune system, they just do, it isn't something he works hard toward, it isn't an achievement. Going to school when you're well is the basic requirement, it isn't something special he goes out of his way to achieve. If he's reliable and the teachers can depend upon him to be a good team player, then that should be acknowledged through behaviour certificates as that's a different issue because that isn't to do with attendance or immune system. He won't be less reliable tomorrow if he gets D&V tonight.

Well it’s not 100%

Pure luck she wasn’t a poorly child. And I never took her out of school just because the sun was shining. I was chuffed that she got it, DD not so much.

I don’t like them. I also don’t like children being excluded from prom. It shows a lack,of understanding and empathy for the different home situations, physical and mental health, children are facing.

DS had three (non consecutive) years of 100% attendance in primary school. He genuinely was not ill on a school day in those years. As a not particularly high achieving, middling sporty child they were the only awards he got in primary school.

That's great bitterboy