to think that this was a really crappy way to reduce school absenteeism?

[itsmeolord]

DD aged 9 came home from the childminders yesterday very upset.
There had been an assembly held in school headed by a lady from the LEA. She called the assembly "Lazy or poorly?"

She gave a talk on absenteeism and told the children that they were going to hand out fines to parents from now on for children being off school. (£50).
She then read out some names and called the children to the front, these children had 100% attendence this year and she told them they were going to get a treat.
Then she called out some more names including dd's. They were called to the front and asked to explain why they had missed school. After each explanation the woman asked the rest of the children to put hands up for "lazy" or "poorly".
DD said that she had missed a week because she had had german measles, she then burst into tears. Apparently quite a few of the other children were in tears as well.
Alot of children were putting hands up for "lazy", I think this is because they haven't got a concept of what is a good reason for absence or not and it wasn't properly explained.
The lady was counting hands up but not then saying, ok so we have x who think this is lazy , it is/isn't because x y z.
So dd was labelled as "lazy"
At the ned the lady then said something to the effect of "all children who were lazy this term are going to have to find a way to pay back mum and dad that £50...."

I'm really cross with this lady and the head as well for thinking this was a good way to deal with absence.

1. The school has very low unauthorised attendance.
2. There are a fair few children who have medical conditions which require regular time off school and will never get 100% attendance.
3. If there is am issue why not speak to the parents rather than make an example of children in front of their peers?

1. "Lazy or poorly" is a really shitty way to talkm about absence. People are absent for different reasons, bereavement, pre bereavement, family illness, whatever.

Surely there is a better way to differentiate between authorised and unauthorised.

Any ideas on what to do next would be gratefully received. I am thinking speaking to the head firts to clarify exactly what happened is best......

anyway isn't it rather patronising to say this is how they reward sen children? just turning up? is that all they can find to praise them for?

sounds like a cop out to me. I can totally believe that this assembly took place.

Itsme good for you - keep us posted.

BTW all this attendance crap for 100% attendance does not prepare children for the real world as you do not get rewarded for 100% attendance!

IsLooking'Forward'ToWhenTheCubStartsSchoolHonestTiggaxx

Weel Itsme, keep at it.

I also agree about this 100% thing being crap.

DD1 was sent home a couple of times last year with apparently a temperature, I got her home - no temperature, a bit under the weather but not ill enough to stay off school imo, however with all the panic about swine flu, I can see that the school was doing the responsible thing. As was I when I kept DD1 off schooll when she was ill - didn;t want to spread it around her classmates. So she missed out on the school trip to the panto.

I can see why they are trying to raise attendance and to stop those paretns who take the children out of school on a whim - its a lovely day we're going to the park, beach, museum, birthday treat whatever. What about children who have a long term illness or who have to have regular check ups, therapist appointments etc.

As well as the children who missed out on the disco due to taking time off when their dad died, there was also the storylast year of a girl who'd broken her leg but dragged herself to school so as not to miss out on the trip to Alton Towers, very noble but couldn't shehave caused some long term serious damage?

DH is talking about taking DD1 out of school for a couple of days to go away and celebrate his mums 60th - lovely idea but I think its wrong, there are plently of other times to celebrate her birthday (its already taken place but we were unable to get there).

Sorry rant over!

Hope you manager to get to the bottom of all this Itsme

The kind of world this prepares the children for is one where they daren't tell their boss that they aren't coping so they soldier on until the GP signs them off on permanent sickness benefits at the age of 45.

Dd is there already. She sacrificed the whole of her private and social life last year to achieve 83% attendance despite severe health problems: she did literally nothing else all year, didn't meet any friends, didn't have any hobbies, went straight to bed after school. But attended school and got excellent results. She made no new friends at secondary: now in Yr8, everybody is very kind to her, but she has missed out on all the friendship groups. This year she is school refusing and just wants to stay in bed.

I've seen it happen to people three times her age.

cory

Cory that's just heartbreaking.

Well, Itsme we now know I think that the story is true. You are right to try and get clarification in writing.

I would copy letter to everyone immediately.

I think you have handled it brilliantly thus far. The danger now is that having established (or as good as) that the account of your dd was accurate, ie this really happened, you need to work out what you want to happen next.

I would worry that people are going to try and 'forget' about the incident and brush it under the carpet. But that's not really good enough.

Main thing is that the LEA woman needs stopping Right Now before she perpetrates this kind of hideous scenario again in other schools.
I'm not wise enough to know how to stop that happening but she must have superiors and I think I would be going to them as well as the HT of the school, and demanding some kind of inquiry/report - making a formal complaint in other words. She needs suspending or something. I don't think it's within the school's remit to make this happen.

I've been watching this thread with interest and
So Cory about your situation, too.

isitme - I agree with Street that you should go above the head at this point. You had your conversation with her. Nothing happened. She basically just justified the occurrence. I would go above her for a meeting and put something in writing.

This is just absolutely apalling behaviour.I am a teacher and if this were to happen in my school I would also be making a complaint about it to the HT and above simultaneously once sure that the story is correct. How awful for your DD

Have to say, I am utterly horrified by this situation, but not at all surprised. As a person who had lots of ongoing helath issues at school myself, I experienced all too well how damning teachers can be of absence. At one pointed I missed a half term of school with a long illness, the first half of the summer term in year ten. I was disallowed to take triple science GCSEs as a result, despite easily being 'top of the class' at the time. Apparently they were worried about the "stress" I would suffer during one of my favourite subjects. I was furious when my results came back with A*s in the subject, because they cheated me out of a GCSE I could easily have gotten. So I know how bitchy schools can be about absences.

You definately need to send a copy of this letter to the govenors now, before the head butters them up. Though I wouldn't be surprised if others have already contacted them. Make sure this doesn't get forgotten, and if the head duck out of a meeting with you again, clear your schedule, present yourself at reception and announce that you are not leaving until you have seen them. (My mum did this when the school picked on my younger sister and it worked a treat. She just sat in the reception until someone was sent to see her, all smiles and apologies for keeping her waiting.)

This whole situation is scandalous. How dare this woman humiliate your child in front of everyone. What do they want children to do? Come in with swine flu, temperatures, etc.... and spread it around, so that half the school are off as well? I'd love to know if this woman has a 100% attendance record in her job..! There are SO many reasons why children can be off school and I know there are children that play truant, but not ALL children. And how about rewarding children not just for 100% attendance (which obviously I'd like to see abolished)!, but for plain and simple things like: consistent good behaviour/kindness to others/consistently doing homework/attitude to teachers and students/good EFFORT in class (even if they don't get top marks), etc... makes me want to home educate.... Hope OP gets the result she deserves.

I am , definitly make some noise and take it to the LEA or MP if poss this is unacceptable. Your poor dd, would they have liked her to come to school and infect everybody then!

Every so often a school unwittingly lets a complete LOON into the building and the staff sit aghast as aforementioned loon lets rip on the kids.

For example a teacher friend of mine recently cam home from school shellshocked because an army band had come in (music school) and the band eader had -

• slagged off the German kid in the class
• sat on the head teachers knee (grinding implied)
• been totally racist (over and above the German incident...)
• made a series of inappropriate sexual remarks to both pupils and staff.

It is highly unlikely that the school is unaware of the complete inappropriateness of the situation but, having checked the facts, please put in a complaint so that this particular envoy of the LEA can be dealt with ASAP.

One of the most bizarre experiences I have ever had was an attendance meeting about my dd during the old regime.

Dd had had a higher level than usual of absences during a chronic and extremly painful joint disorder which often left her unable to sit up without screaming with agony. She was treated like a truant by the meeting, with gems such as "she refused to walk up the stairs" (she was in a bloody wheelchair, you idiots!). The head had previously told me in private conversation that "of course we accept that corydd is ill BUT YOU CAN'T EXPECT US TO BE HAPPY ABOUT IT".

The meeting was attended by the head of admin who had happened to fall and break her arm a week previously and had had several days off in consequence. You wouldn't believe how they fawned on this woman and what a fuss they made of her accident! You'd think nobody had ever had an broken arm in their life before. How brave of her to come in! Was she sure she was all right? We were all so sorry to hear about her accident! Noone suggested that it was intolerable of her to have broken her arm. She was an adult, and dd was a child.

Presumably staff absences don't count towards your Ofsted.

and for you cory: i can't believe they can get away with that in this day and age.

Cory, your stories are just unbelievable ? except that they?re not because I believe every word. So sorry your DD isn?t having a happy time in Y8.

Itsme, please don?t let this one drop. For the sake of all of us who have to put up with this shit. DD has a chronic medical condition which requires regular visits to specialists. Not only does she have to sit through ?attendance assemblies? in the knowledge that she?ll never be called up to the front to receive a certificate, but she also knows that her class will never get the class award. It just makes her feel as if she?s being punished for being ill.

Your situation is even worse and in your shoes I?d definitely escalate this to the governors and the LEA. We?re all behind you.

Just come back from a meeting at dd's secondary school- and it was amazing! This is not the school that caused the problems, these are the people who have to pick up the pieces. And they are immaculate! Counsellor, local CAHMS team, deputy head all turned up at very short notice, all very supportive, all perfectly ready to accept that 100% attendance is never going to be an option, all talking as if this were about dd rather than about the school's prestige. I can't fault them.

Am still scared shitless at the thought of another day tomorrow and dealing with taxis and dd getting up and all the rest of the shit- but at least they know that I am trying and dd must know they are trying.

Why can't everybody be like this?

Pixie, that is a solution I wish was available, but dd is dependent on disabled taxi, as I can't drive, so if she is not ready on the dot, that's the whole of her school day gone. Unless I take her up in a cab, but I can't afford to do that often, and I can't manage the logistics when I'm working.

But of course this adds hugely to the stress (very enmbarrassing conversation with taxi driver this morning as he had already loaded wheelchair when I had to come out and tell him that actually, I'm afraid you'll have to unload that, she's not coming).

School are trying to see if taxi can come later, but of course it depends on his route/other children. SN is crap, it messes up everything

But thanks for the suggestion; I know it's a good one.

good news cory

good grief, I have always always thought 100% attendance certificates a dreadful thing but this is all absolutely incredible. I hope all turns out well and that the whole thing serves to show how wrong it is to reward attendance. Just because something increases attendance doesn't make it right.

not at all offended, Pixie, it was a good suggestion, just RL that got in the way

apologies to itsme for hijacking

and we are still waiting to see the LEA burnt at the stake!

KeepingAnEyeOnThisThreadTiggaxx