Page 6 | To ask what you think to attendance assemblies

Sunshine193 · 2025-07-22T15:32:29+00:00

DD school did certificates in assembly for those with 100 % attendance. And they all got a £10 voucher too. What do you think to this? Heard some parents complaining about it to each other

ARichtGoodDram · 23/07/2025 00:18

JazbayGrapes · 23/07/2025 00:01

Dragged herself to school every single day that she was capable, and on a few that she really shouldn't have. 65% attendance and threats of fines...

Threats of fines are surely a much bigger problem than awards. Because that's the actual punishment

The threats of fines were the punishment for me - and were my fight to have as an adult.

Had my DD gone to the other school locally and had to watch her sister and other children go off for their day at a theme park as a reward it would absolutely have felt like a punishment to her.

Isitreallysohard · 23/07/2025 00:18

ARichtGoodDram · 23/07/2025 00:16

Yes but that's a legitimate reason. Now there is a culture of non-attendance mostly due to parents who don't care, and why schools do give out fines now. If so many people weren't so useless, it wouldn't even be a thing.

Yes, and dealing with the parents for unnecessary or neglectful non attendance is how it should be dealt with.

Attendance awards have been a thing for donkeys years - they're not new because of a change in parents. They're a lazy throwback to when it was perfectly acceptable to discriminate against children with health issues, disabilities or neglectful parents. Thankfully most schools have moved past that and reward effort rather than attendance stats.

Effort, that's why we are now the land of mediocrity. Everyone gets an effort award, hurrah! 😜

ARichtGoodDram · 23/07/2025 00:19

Of course not, but I don't really get why it's even such a big deal. You get one, great. You don't, ok. What's with the outrage. Ita not like you're going to berate your child for being sick 🤨

So if your work gave out a random attendance bonus and the only days you missed were when you had chemo you wouldn't be pissed off?

And even if you are ok with that thought as an adult, you'd have felt the same when you were a child?

You'd have been happy to see your classmates go off to a theme park or win pizza or £10 and you missed out because of your ongoing issues with MS or narcolepsy?

ARichtGoodDram · 23/07/2025 00:21

Effort, that's why we are now the land of mediocrity. Everyone gets an effort award, hurrah! 😜

No, actual effort should be rewarded.

Not the lazy reward of simply looking at the attendance stats and assuming that 100% attendance = the most effort.

We're in the land of mediocrity because some people cannot actually see what effort really is.

Isitreallysohard · 23/07/2025 00:24

ARichtGoodDram · 23/07/2025 00:19

Of course not, but I don't really get why it's even such a big deal. You get one, great. You don't, ok. What's with the outrage. Ita not like you're going to berate your child for being sick 🤨

So if your work gave out a random attendance bonus and the only days you missed were when you had chemo you wouldn't be pissed off?

And even if you are ok with that thought as an adult, you'd have felt the same when you were a child?

You'd have been happy to see your classmates go off to a theme park or win pizza or £10 and you missed out because of your ongoing issues with MS or narcolepsy?

I'm assuming if I had ongoing issues like that, a £10 voucher would be the least of my problems. I'm really not meaning to be harsh, but there are all sorts of awards and most don't get any, ever. Maybe for those who aren't good at sports or academics, this might be the only award they get? Maybe for someone from an underprivileged background this is a good incentive for the parents to et them to school? Or does that not matter either? Fundamentally I don't think the concept of attendance is a bad thing, and I don't understand the faux outrage.

Isitreallysohard · 23/07/2025 00:26

ARichtGoodDram · 23/07/2025 00:21

Effort, that's why we are now the land of mediocrity. Everyone gets an effort award, hurrah! 😜

No, actual effort should be rewarded.

Not the lazy reward of simply looking at the attendance stats and assuming that 100% attendance = the most effort.

We're in the land of mediocrity because some people cannot actually see what effort really is.

No we're the land of mediocrity because everyone wants an award or complains about someone getting an award if they don't get one 🤷🏻‍♀️

Masmavi · 23/07/2025 00:27

It’s strange to award a certificate for being lucky not to get ill. Stranger that no one thinks it’s strange.

ARichtGoodDram · 23/07/2025 00:29

No we're the land of mediocrity because everyone wants an award or complains about someone getting an award if they don't get one 🤷🏻‍♀️

no, we're in the land of mediocrity because we give out awards based on randoms stats rather than actual effort or achievement

At least it nicely sets the kids up for the bollocks of presenteeism in so many workplaces where the folks in for the longest hours are seen as better than the folks that actually do the most work 👍🏻

Isitreallysohard · 23/07/2025 00:36

ARichtGoodDram · 23/07/2025 00:29

No we're the land of mediocrity because everyone wants an award or complains about someone getting an award if they don't get one 🤷🏻‍♀️

no, we're in the land of mediocrity because we give out awards based on randoms stats rather than actual effort or achievement

At least it nicely sets the kids up for the bollocks of presenteeism in so many workplaces where the folks in for the longest hours are seen as better than the folks that actually do the most work 👍🏻

There's something wrong with your workplace, I've never worked anywhere where someone who is in the office and does nothing is seen as a good thing, and more valued than someone who is doing all the work. But I digress and think you might be projecting a wee bit.

OonaStubbs · 23/07/2025 10:06

It is not discrimination for some children not to win a prize. You might as well ban sports day because some children can run as fast as others. Or any kind of academic awards because some aren't as smart as others.

JazbayGrapes · 23/07/2025 10:06

Isitreallysohard · 23/07/2025 00:36

There's something wrong with your workplace, I've never worked anywhere where someone who is in the office and does nothing is seen as a good thing, and more valued than someone who is doing all the work. But I digress and think you might be projecting a wee bit.

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Almost everywhere i worked, you were supposed to come to work every time. Take too much time off and you'll not have a job anymore.

Amberlynnswashcloth · 23/07/2025 10:42

Would this be tolerated in the workplace? Imagine how it would feel if a colleague was awarded a bonus purely on the basis of not being off sick and nothing to do with performance, when you worked your backside off but were denied the bonus because you were off two days with flu - that you caught from said colleague.

JazbayGrapes · 23/07/2025 11:04

Amberlynnswashcloth · 23/07/2025 10:42

Would this be tolerated in the workplace? Imagine how it would feel if a colleague was awarded a bonus purely on the basis of not being off sick and nothing to do with performance, when you worked your backside off but were denied the bonus because you were off two days with flu - that you caught from said colleague.

work bonuses aren't always completely fair either. thats life. do you demand that nobody gets a bonus because you didn't?

Themomentsheknewshefkedup · 23/07/2025 11:06

Mayflyoff · 22/07/2025 16:45

I've never liked the lauding of attendance that is out of the control of a child. There are so many reasons why a child might not be able to attend school and children who achieve 100% attendance are usualy just lucky. Lucky not to be ill, have long term health issues, disabilities or chaotic family lives.

My DDs usually got 100% attendance certificates at primary school, but one missed out due to attending her grandfather's funeral. I thought that was callous.

This and also I don’t think it’s a fair expectation to put on children. It breeds adults who don’t have time off work when they are sick because they don’t want a day off. It isn’t healthy

JazbayGrapes · 23/07/2025 11:18

Themomentsheknewshefkedup · 23/07/2025 11:06

This and also I don’t think it’s a fair expectation to put on children. It breeds adults who don’t have time off work when they are sick because they don’t want a day off. It isn’t healthy

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on the other hand there is no shortage of people who take days off because they partied hard on weekend and then have a hangover.

Weshallwearpurple · 23/07/2025 11:21

I think they're wrong, and outdated. Does anybody know if they're mandatory, or a decision of the headteacher? They are really discriminatory of those with disabilities, or who have been genuinely unwell, hospital appointments etc.

They should be banned, and aren't productive. It is the same dcs that are responsible for spreading viruses in the first place. Primary school children are reliant on their parents taking them to school as well; it is so wrong.

JazbayGrapes · 23/07/2025 11:50

Weshallwearpurple · 23/07/2025 11:21

I think they're wrong, and outdated. Does anybody know if they're mandatory, or a decision of the headteacher? They are really discriminatory of those with disabilities, or who have been genuinely unwell, hospital appointments etc.

They should be banned, and aren't productive. It is the same dcs that are responsible for spreading viruses in the first place. Primary school children are reliant on their parents taking them to school as well; it is so wrong.

Edited

should all the academic, arts, sporting and good behaviour awards be banned too? they surely discriminate against the disabled.

HarrietBond · 23/07/2025 11:53

Can’t disabled people do any of those things?

Fearfulsaints · 23/07/2025 11:55

Everywhere I've have worked has had sick pay and sent you flowers of you are in hospital.

They sometimes have meetings with you if you have 5 episodes of sickness in a given period but that's way more lenient than 1 day off in a year.

You have to be punctual but by the same token if I had an appointment with a consultant they'd just suck it up.

They wouldn't put up with general flakiness though.

Weshallwearpurple · 23/07/2025 13:22

JazbayGrapes · 23/07/2025 11:50

should all the academic, arts, sporting and good behaviour awards be banned too? they surely discriminate against the disabled.

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No, because it isn't dependent on attendance for a child every single day, a child who has hospital appointments, things they cannot help. It also affects children who are off with things like chicken pox etc. It isn't something that they can help! I don't believe in getting awards for being healthy, coupled with parents getting them to school. A 6 year old for example cannot do that alone!

Munchiemunchie · 23/07/2025 13:37

Vivienne1000 · 22/07/2025 17:45

Well as parents complain about everything, I guess this comes as no surprise. What about those who get bonuses at work, is that fair? How about rewarding those pupils who consistently strive to do their best and come into school even when they are feeling below parr? They are often ignored. But they are the ones achieving their best. Driving up standards. You know the schools you MN users look for.

Coming in to school when you feel ill and passing around whatever bug you've got shouldn't be commended. You've believed a lie.

CrispieCake · 23/07/2025 13:42

My child's school doesn't have this nonsense, but if they did, I'd be dropping them off with a high temp/D&V/whatever and telling the school I couldn't collect because it would impact my child's attendance record and that would upset them.

Not really, but I'd be sorely tempted 😆. I'd also take it as "permission" from the school to send in a child who was borderline.

Munchiemunchie · 23/07/2025 13:42

NeverDropYourMooncup · 22/07/2025 18:02

Ah, yes, the Congratulations on not having a Dead Dad Assemblies. Also known as the Well Done for Not Having Cancer Awards.

Many staff absolutely despise them, especially the ones who have a moral centre an understanding of both Statistics and common decency.

This is exactly it! I used to like it to a basic lottery, no effort or skill or integrity required, just lucky to avoid illness or misfortune. But I shall henceforth call it the 'congratulations on not having frail relatives' award!

And I shall send my actively vomiting child in next time. I will tell her to try and puke directly on the kids who won it last year.

Munchiemunchie · 23/07/2025 13:44

Making small children responsible for the decisions of adults is abhorrent, and has no place in schools

CrispieCake · 23/07/2025 13:49

It would be a huge advantage for working parents if we moved to the position that kids, however ill, should be in school to achieve their 100% attendance awards and the staff will care for them there.

I had to take a week off when my older one had chickenpox and it was one of the worst weeks of my life. He was a complete pain with it! Dropping him at school and running for work would have been infinitely preferable.

I've never thought it was the school's job to care for sick kids, but I could definitely be persuaded to change my mind on that.