To have to pay for an attendance reward?

[Karenisbaren]

My friend and I were talking before and she was telling me that she thought it was really unfair that her daughters school had an incentive of 100% attendance and they get a school trip in July, however she is very annoyed that she has to pay for this trip, she said the way she figures it she has sent her child into school, so why should she have to pay?, I did say to her at least the child was getting a day off but then she started getting a bit irate, is she right? I mean in all fairness she has been pretty skint lately so maybe that is what the problem is really?

She doesn’t have to send her child on the trip.

It’s pretty standard in most secondary schools and was even around in my day , some 16+ years ago.
There is always the option of just keeping your child off or refusing to pay for the trip

MissMarks, I said that to her but she still would not have it, saying that she can be very argumentative at times.

It's always worth talking to the office, they often have things in place for less well off students. But to be fair the trip is in July, surely she can ask to pay in instalments. How expensive can a day trip be. She should be grateful they're organising anything at all. Maybe she had a bad day.

DD2's school does 3 activity days in the last week. Some activities are free (ok for sporty children who like to kick a ball around a field) others are up to £250.

Ha. I love her logic.

She has sent her child into school, so why should she have to pay

It's hardly a great achievement is it, sending your child to school?

There is no way the school should pay, their budgets are for education not jollies and even then there isn't enough to go round. I suspect it's not an attendance award trip but an end of year trip with the condition that they have good behaviour.

We run a similar trip for good behaviour, attendance and effort.
There's a choice of 5 trips ranging from £5 to £35.

There's no way the school can pay but what a shit choice of attendance award. If you don't send your child because you can't afford it, your child gets no award. Daft choice.

I don’t think any pupil should be rewarded for 100% attendance. They are the ones who come in when they are clearly too ill to and then make everyone else ill

@PPopsicle or are lucky and don't get ill.

It’s hardly a ‘reward’ if you have to pay and it’s a bit cheeky of the school to assume parents will be onboard. It’s also disappointing to children who can’t go for whatever reason.

If they offer reward incentives they should be free to the attendee.

Can you imagine if you got a call ‘DS has won this weeks Star award.... that’s £5 pay by Friday’

I kind of see her logic. I’d be annoyed to be told I’d won a prize only to find I had to pay for it. I hate attendance awards though. I find them discriminatory. Kids can’t help it if they break their arm/nana dies/suffer anxiety, bullying etc.
They reward the wrong thing.