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?

I appreciate there are children who are just fortunate not to get ill often

But equally there are children like DSC whose mum sends them in when they are clearly ill and contagious just because she is fixated on 100% attendance awards (I suspect undiagnosed autism). .

Completely agree. My little boy is an amputee and will never, ever have full attendance!

The thing is for the children who are fortunate enough to never get ill that in itself is the reward. They don’t have to miss school and they don’t have to cope with the many challenges that come with illness especially chronic illness.

This all came in 20 plus years ago while I was teaching in primary school. At the end of term the children with 0 absences got a certificate in assembly. Utterly ridiculous- encouraging children to come in and spread their germs when ill and penalising those whose parents couldn’t /wouldn’t get out of bed to bring them. Makes a bit more sense for kids in Secondary schools who might be tempted to truant but I doubt that it works to any great extent.