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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

The wearing of Kumon medals in school should not be allowed!

56 replies

grants1000 · 20/09/2013 09:08

It's an out of school activity, nothing to do with school. Its nothing other than boasting and one upmanship.

If parents want to do it, great, but it is unrelated to any school work/reward system. Wear it at home and in non school time.

DS2 upset he had no medal, he does not need to do kumon. He can't understand why he does not have one to wear in school, he's 6, and I have explained that some of his friends do something separate outside school, now he wants to do it! £55 a month for being talk the same as school, no!

So I will have him upset again tonight as there was a lot of medal boasting in the playground this morning!!

shall I talk to the teacher?

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measuringcup · 20/09/2013 23:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NiceTabard · 20/09/2013 23:07

How does that fit in with uniform policy?

I've never seen a child at DD's school wearing any kind of medal or badge. Just normal school uniform. Bit confused!

simpson · 20/09/2013 23:11

DD was very proud of her medal she got for doing the summer reading challenge (she has a very sporty older brother who is always getting medals/trophies) so she wanted to take it into school to show her teacher. She did not wear it all day though as far as I know.

I think it is a lesson learnt that not all kids can have a medal in everything.

That said, kumon is not for me though....

Norudeshitrequired · 21/09/2013 08:26

The school is an awesome state primary school that has great results, I have no idea why they feel the need to do it. If anyone is struggling they really help at school.

Are the results raised because lots of the children do kumon / have tutors. A high percentage of children doing kumon would lead me to question whether the school is lacking something that the parents are concerned about. Results and league tables are just statistics and don't always give the full story.

Re: the medal issue. Kids bring in all sorts of awards to school to celebrate out of school achievements and I really don't see why it's bothering you. I can understand the wearing it all day long might be annoying, but unless the child has PE or swimming he is best wearing the medal as it prevents it getting lost after putting it in the child's tray and then the child getting upset.

Sparklingbrook · 21/09/2013 08:31

What do the teachers think?

claraschu · 21/09/2013 08:36

Just tell him it doesn't matter. Kids get used to not having the same things as their peers. That's life. If you don't care about it, neither will he (eventually).

Sparklingbrook · 21/09/2013 08:37

I would say that the children with medals need extra help with their maths and DS doesn't. They are getting medals for catching up.

Norudeshitrequired · 21/09/2013 12:05

I would say that the children with medals need extra help with their maths and DS doesn't. They are getting medals for catching up.

Most kids even in year 1 are well aware of which kids need extra help and which ones are the most able. I don't think parents should be encouraged to tell their children lies just to appease them. I think its much better to be honest. In this case the honest response is that those children have got medals for achieving something at classes they do outside of school. Nothing needs to be said about the ability of those children.

Sparklingbrook · 21/09/2013 12:14

It isn't a lie though.

My DS had a home tutor in Year 2 but I didn't go about advertising it.

NiceTabard · 21/09/2013 12:29

The kids doing Kumon might not be catching up though, they might be miles ahead.

I agree with norudeshit TBH, idea of telling a child that their classmates who do X are basically a bit thick is not nice.

Sparklingbrook · 21/09/2013 13:15

I am glad all this is behind me TBH. You don't get medal wearing/boasting assembly in Middle and High schools.

So I will never have to tell my two what Kumon even is.

My two have loads of medals for football but it never crossed my mind to send them to school wearing them.

lborolass · 21/09/2013 13:25

I don't think they should allow any kind of medals to be worn all day, apart from anything else they're likely to get broken or get the ribbon caught in things.

If I was the teacher I'd be asking myself why so many parents feel that their children need to have extra maths coaching and I would be a bit sceptical of the school's KS1 results.

lollylaughs · 21/09/2013 13:31

My dc don't get medals, but badges. They usually just attach them to their kumon bag. Just because four children from that year do kumon, doesn't mean they are behind. It could be they go for acceleration purposes. It is very good for grasping the basics though.

Agree with claraschu, not every child will achieve the exact same things during their lives.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/09/2013 22:54

Can't you just say the old faithful? "Each family has different amounts of money and each family choose how to spend their money. They like to do Kumon and we love..."

Sparklingbrook · 21/09/2013 23:08

....not doing Kumon".

JiltedJohnsJulie · 22/09/2013 12:35

Exactly sparkling

Phoebe47 · 24/09/2013 18:43

At six years old your son is old enough to understand that these children brought a medal they had gained at an out of school activity in to school to show the teacher and their classmates. He does not do this activity so does not have the medal. In the future he might do a different activity and have certificates or medals to show at school. He needs to begin to understand that different people do different things and that this is OK. Does seem odd to have let the children wear them all day though.

MiaowTheCat · 24/09/2013 19:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Norudeshitrequired · 24/09/2013 19:24

they show it - well done - pop it in your tray till hometime so it's safe type dealie.

The school tray has to be the place where most things go astray. I do agree that they don't need to wear the medal all day long, not because of the thing around the neck as lots of kids wear ties anyway, just because it isn't necessary to wear it all day long. Best thing to do is show it off and then give it to the teacher to look after / put it in the school office until home time.

Sparklingbrook · 24/09/2013 19:35

I do find the thought of medals for maths a bit odd. Badges/certificates yes, medals-a bit weird.

morethanpotatoprints · 24/09/2013 19:49

I think you sound , its good for their friends to see and give their respect. Most dc do something that deserves a badge or certificate. perhaps you should concentrate on educating your own son on why we don't all get a medal when somebody else does.

Sparklingbrook · 24/09/2013 19:57

Oh dear. I wondered when someone would say the OP was jealous. They have already said their DS doesn't need Kumon.

FormaLurka · 28/09/2013 09:19

Maybe not jealousy but there is obviously some
kind of negative emotions involved.

Sparklingbrook · 28/09/2013 09:25

I don't think it's negativity. It's just not necessary to wear the medals to school.

ILoveMakeUp · 28/09/2013 09:27

Oh FFS. Just blatant showing off. And a bit insensitive towards the school. Like saying the school isn't good enough, so the kids have to do Kumon.

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