To dislike school's attendance competition

[PostmanPatAlwaysRingsTwice]

Our primary school's latest newsletter contains the usual lines about attendance at school being important, which it is. It then goes on to show the attendance statistics since the beginning of term, I think, for each year group. A year contains one or two classes. It's titled 'Attendance Race' and congratulates the class with the best attendance that week.

AIBU to think this is ineffective, unfair and discriminatory? In primary, it's down to the parents to get their DC to school - the children have little to no control over it. If a child is reluctant, it's up to their parent to deal with that and ask school for help if need be (I've been there). Most kids are off because they're ill. What are they expected to do about that? Others are off because their parent didn't get out of bed to take them. The child can't change that. Why make the children get in a race they can't compete in?

Also, it means that children with long term conditions who are more likely to be off may be blamed for their class not winning the race - 'we're not going to be the best because X is in our class and she's off a lot with her diabetes/asthma/Crohn's disease'. Or 'why is your class the worst, Jimmy?' 'because Y is off all the time. We'll never get it because of him.' It's none of the children's business to talk about why one of their class is off. I have skin in the game here - my DD was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes this year and was off sick for a while. Sorry for losing the race for the class 😒Some children will be worried that they're ill and losing their class's position.

Children are off because of health (temp or longer term) that they can do nothing about, or because of additional needs leading to difficulties at school (that the school have a responsibility to help with), or because of difficult family situations such as being refugees/EAL, domestic abuse, mental health or addiction. Those families need support, and are not going to suddenly change because of this attendance race.

School need to focus on children who are persistently absent and work effectively and sensitively with families to support them to get their children into school. Not do this.

AIBU?

Ya absolutely nbu I read a post today on a Facebook group I am part of for a condition my dd has. The person who posted has a child with the same condition and has been told by their school they need to do ' something about their condition ' as it's affecting their attendance! Wtf! My dd always felt sad she wouldn't get any awards for attendance as she would miss a lot of school for appointments or for when her pain was high.

The 100% attendance obsession is inherently discriminatory against all kids with health issues who might need hospital visits, YANBU

YANBU, my daughter's school had a raffle for kids who got 100% attendance and they had the chance to win a bike and a tablet. Absolutely ridiculous, I made a complaint about it not least because my daughter has a health condition meaning she'll never have 100% attendance, yet she was always putting in a huge amount of effort with her homework, behaviour etc and none of that was rewarded with such big prizes

I mean it would be interesting to see it challenged under the Equality Act

It's bollocks and should be ignored. It really doesn't matter.
I've interviewed college age kids before and they all put their attendance % on their CVs now. Total lunacy.

Why not decide that it isn’t the competition you intend taking part in and aren’t going to win?

Im not a marathon runner but I’m pleased for those who take part and win.

I couldn’t win a standing still competition for live nor money.

Find something they are good at and focus on winning that!

If it helps you to know, teachers often hate it all too. It comes from the LA or Ofsted.
My school have staff attendance certificates as well 😒 I’m fairly sure that is discrimination!

Why not decide that it isn’t the competition you intend taking part in and aren’t going to win?

Because the school is enforcing it

It's discriminatory against the most vulnerable children in the school. Twice I've made that point to a HT (once my child's school and once a school I've worked in) and both times they've changed it to an effort based award system that recognises that Mary with her 47% attendance has actually made as much, if not more, effort than Billy who had the luck to dodge all of the bugs going around.

It also encourages people to send unwell kids to school - especially near the prize giving. We had a class drop like flies in one school I worked in because a kid with a nasty d&v bug insisted on coming in as he wanted to win one of the prizes. The pregnant teacher ended up ill as well.

Absolutely would wouldn't it?;DD's school (secondary) rewarded kids with great attendance to treats like an ice cream van visit,a cinema experience etc

It made my DD feel crap;she has a life long serious condition which on a bad day leaves her bed bound;all of her absences were condition related;she had 79% attendance for year 11;she's classed as disabled because of her condition;what the school has done;it falls under section 28A of the disability discrimination act (schools not discriminating against doing disabled pupils).

Anyway she's much happier in college who have put into place accommodations for her.

Because the school is enforcing it

They also ‘enforce’ Sports days, maths tests, spelling tests, talent shows, lead parts in plays, you name it.

Same thing winners and losers.

DD's primary school published attendance percentages for every class in the weekly newsletter scoring them from high to low.
The SENCO was also the attendance person. She treated me like utter shit on her shoe since 2017 in attendance meetings due to my child's at home behaviour (school refusal, suspected autism, physically attacking me on a daily basis etc with audio and video recordings provided by me). The one referral she finally put in last year at my insistence was rejected because DD doesn't present at school (typical masking) only at home. Hence the issues. The way she spoke to me was absolutely vile whenever it was a one on one conversation and often left me speechless. Of course she never behaved that way when I requested another staff member being present.
Thankfully DD just started secondary. Hopefully we'll receive more support.

I would be asking to see the Equality Impact Assessment. It's so discriminatory and stupid when Covid is still a thing.

Oh, and another thing ask them what's the attendance record of school staff with all their strike action.....

Yes it is unfair if some cldc have conditions that mean they will be off school more frequently. My DS went all the way through secondary education and did not miss a single day. He was unwell once over the Easter holidays for 3 days. He was presented with a certificate and football by the Mayor. We thought it was really hilarious because he absolutely hates football.

This shit infuriates me. Send a complaint and don't buy into it.

I complained a lot about attendance competitions at school. I did manage to achieve some watering down of the rhetoric.

There is genuine reason children are off school and also parents who think school is optional therefore the kids don't think it's important, and where do they learn that from?

I'm unsure with this one, some kids never win any awards, sports days etc.. but they have a chance at this

A decent school leadership can ensure their pupils all have the chance to win something without directly discriminating against children for having hospital appointments, disabilities, health conditions and lazy or abusive parents.

Especially when the prizes in many schools for the attendance awards are considerably bigger/better than any other prizes given.

Yanbu. It's ableist and vile. And almost certainly means the school don't understand the implications of the Equality Act.

And it's stupid. It encourages people with contagious illnesses to still attend school which of course means they spread the illness to more students and more staff.

Profoundly stupid.

Agree op.

Our school do the race and the winners each year get a fancy trip.

There's one lad on DSs class who misses loads of school and he's struggling with autism and coping with school. Entirely not his fault, and his parents are doing their best. Amazing lovely kids who just accept it's him, but could quote easily lead to him being bullied for dragging them down. Similarly several kids with medical conditions that require appts, and you can't always get there / back around registration.

They also do win a bike where you get one ticket for every full week of attendance. So not affecting anyone else but same kids still have less chance of winning.

And shorter ones where they get a book and certificate for a half terms attendance. Same kids miss out.

I'd love DS to spend less time at appts or his peer to be happier I'm school so come every day. But you can't control every thing and person

Isn't that why school dish out those ridiculous student of the day type certificates?

But you're talking a certificate Vs a bike or a whole trip out to Alton Towers.

It's discriminatory & should be banned & I say that as the mother of a child who most years has had 100% attendance.
The years when they haven't had 100% attendance because of illness has made them feel upset as they feel they are letting the school down.

YANBU