Is this unfair? School

[AnitaB9]

My DC age 6. Their primary school does a ‘name and fame’ thing every week, where they can earn points and be awarded with extra play time or something like that. The same DC has got it 4 weeks in a row now. Parents are saying this isn’t fair. What do you think?

Life's not fair and the sooner these six year olds learn that, the better.

Did they get it because

• they genuinely earned it
• they are teachers favourite
• the teachers are using it as a motivation tool for the children whose behaviour needs improvement

If they genuinely earnt it - fair enough.
My daughter was the child who got it 3 weeks out of 6 in her first half term. And there were some rumblings it was unfair. But the only person who actually knows if was fair or not is the teacher.

What is the criteria for being 'named and famed'?
Seems a bit redundant if its the same kid who can earn points for priveleges

It sounds like an unhelpful policy that will make a lot of kids feel negative.

I'd make a complaint - positive behaviour management is important but this sounds flawed.

They dont need to be taught by school through a shit behaviour management policy, though. Life will naturally teach them.

This is how we used to do things. Guess what? Nobody died.

Id make a complaint, its clearly flawed if the same kid has had it every week for a month! I remember as a kid everyone had the opportunity to earn “golden time” two hours on a friday afternoon doing an activity of choice, you had to earn it but it was pretty fair. schools nowdays make it really unfair & focus to much on attendance!

It's a shame, in most schools it's shared around.

I think that everybody should be getting more playtime not just one or a few children

DC school has lots of rewards for good behaviour and I think it's a good thing. And they don't just cycle it around the children, which would make it pointless. They do, however, have rewards for lots of different things - kindness, respect, sports, learning, etc. Or it's a group effort with house points and class awards. It gives all the kids a chance.

Why? Rewards are for good behaviour

The kid is probably a badly behaved little shit so they do it to placate them.

Oh God I hated all the star of the week drama when mine were in primary school. It's fine to reward positive behaviour, but if that's what they're going to do for small kids then they need to find something positive to reward for each child over the course of the year. It's awful that the same child has had it so many times in a row.

I think it’s fine not to “share it round” but reward actual good behaviour/ achievements.

However, schools need to have an open mind about what is good behaviour/ an achievement- if it’s one kid getting it all the time, it suggests that they’re being a bit narrow in their definition.

However you say “playtime or something like that” suggesting your child isn’t overly bothered, it’s just the other parents. If so I wouldn’t worry about it.

Whilst this is true - both points don’t seem very relevant. Progress is about doing stuff better than in the past and ‘not dying’ is a pretty low bar for good behaviour policies.

In dd's school star of the week has to change each week, which means by the end of 28 weeks in school all children will have had it. Then for the last weeks some children will win it a second time. I still see parents complaining on the group chat thet their child hasn't had it and it isnt fair, despite the fact it is only possible for 7 children to have done so so far. The chat groups of parents just seem to wind each other up about nonsense.

I think just let it go, as parents we need to trust that the teachers have reasons for the way they do things and we don't have all the information and background they do.

How is it decided what and how extra points are given?

Does every child have the opportunity to earn points in their own way and at their own level, or is it just set things they get points for that some kids may struggle with, and never get the opportunity to earn these extra points?

How many children are chosen each time? Do other children see who is likely to win?

In some ways if all the others know certain children have the most points, then they won't see the point in trying as they will feel that they won't catch up.
However if the points can be awarded to everyone fairly, then I don't see it's an issue e.g. for young children maybe getting a point if they collect all their stuff for going home. Everyone can achieve this potentially.

This rewards crap needs to be binned as it’s only ever rewarding the kind of behaviour that should be the minimum standard.

Are you sure it’s the same child OP? Are the names published on the school newsletter or something?

In primary school, every child has something about them that can be celebrated, the school just has to work out what. I'd say the school isn't really trying if the same child is celebrated frequently.

I have one DD who a teacher said 'I could make her star of the week every week'. But they didn't and that was the right thing to do. I have another DD who struggles with SEN at school and her school have been great at working out what her strengths are and celebrating them. School is undeniably harder for her than my other DD, and effort has to go in from the adults in her life to mitigate this where possible.

Nobody here can possibly know.

Maybe every single other child in the class is a complete horror?

To those saying ‘complain’ the op hasn’t said if it’s her child or not.

Waiting patiently to see which way this goes. Come on @AnitaB9 tell us about the child who has won it. Did they deserve it?

Who is doing the naming?

Of course it's not fair. Absolutely awful by the teacher.

Like a pp said, at that age there's something to be celebrated about every child and that teacher is doing a shit job.

It’s points for being ready, listening and following rules, points for good reading/writing. Anything like that really. The names and photos are published on the parent app every Friday and it’s definitely the same child each week. They have a ‘name and fame’ assembly too so all children know who has been awarded it.