[news] It's not just the law that's an ass!

[laserblazer]

Some school management lack common sense.

 

BBC News - Girl refused school trip for attending mother's funeral

[localzuk]

The school is also trying to shift blame to the "government system" which is nonsense. They produce their own reports using their own data with different types of codes used for absences. So, it is entirely the school's fault and has nothing in the slightest to do with the government's system.

[truebluesteve]

Yes a very poor excuse indeed. I just wish they would own up and say they got it wrong. Apologising but saying it wasn't our fault isn't an apology at all.

[witch]

The teachers could take a minute to run their eyes down the list of children who didnt get 100% attendance - surely the form teacher would know immediately whether the child had been absent for a good reason or not.

It is also unfair on children who are genuinely ill - it isn't their fault and yet they are penalised for it

[Ephelyon]

I wonder what this "government-backed system that all schools use" might be?

[laserblazer]

It's not as if it's a huge school, seems like it's another case of SLT with heads to far up their own whatnots. Our kids get a certificate for 100% attendance but jollies are dependent on behaviour. The school can think itself lucky that it's holiday time.

[jdoyle]

schools should be teaching kids to take responsibility for their actions; schools should do the same.

 

Teachers' Standards :

 

- encourage pupils to take a responsible and conscientious attitude to their own work and study.

 

- communicate effectively with parents with regard to pupils’ achievements and well-being

[sted]

The teachers could take a minute to run their eyes down the list of children who didnt get 100% attendance - surely the form teacher would know immediately whether the child had been absent for a good reason or not.

It is also unfair on children who are genuinely ill - it isn't their fault and yet they are penalised for it

but of its not 100% i was in a school a few weeks ago and some parent was upset that their kid diddnt get the 100% prize as its not the kids fault they took them on holiday where do you draw the line?. There are always going to be edge cases and judgement needs to be used but unless you give nobody praise for doing well whats the solution? are you not allowed to praise good behaviour\attendance\work etc because it might make "less able" kids feel inadequate. im sorry i firmly believe everyone needs to fail from time to time to learn how to deal with it and if thats sometimes unfair so is life and thats not a bad lesson

[JSchlackman]

100% attendance rewards are terrible idea for exactly this sort of reason. Many kids have legitimate reasons for not being in school one day, so it continually baffles me when school leaders think they are in any way fair, and I'm not even sure what they aim to achieve with them in the first place.

 

When I was in secondary school myself, one year I missed the 100% award due to 2x half-day absences for medical appointments. Hilariously, on the day they gave out the awards, half the recipients who were called during assembly were absent that day as there was a flu bug going round and they were off sick!

[truebluesteve]

but of its not 100% i was in a school a few weeks ago and some parent was upset that their kid diddnt get the 100% prize as its not the kids fault they took them on holiday where do you draw the line?. There are always going to be edge cases and judgement needs to be used but unless you give nobody praise for doing well whats the solution? are you not allowed to praise good behaviour\attendance\work etc because it might make "less able" kids feel inadequate. im sorry i firmly believe everyone needs to fail from time to time to learn how to deal with it and if thats sometimes unfair so is life and thats not a bad lesson

 

Who actually failed here then? The girl who went to her mothers funeral? Yep maybe rewarding those kids whose mothers didn't have the audacity to die in term time is a great idea.

 

This is simply a case of laziness or incompetence on behalf of the school and blaming it on a government system is just breathtaking when the whole situation could have been avoided as Witch suggested.

[Bananas]

This is disgusting, disgraceful for the school and the government who created this situation.

 

Not content with creating meaningless league tables for schools (and hospitals) they then have this 100% attendance crap.

 

You shouldn't be rewarded for doing what you're supposed to be doing. This is setting kids up to expect rewards for doing the bare minimum. Surely just turning up every day isn't a reason for a "bonus"?

 

It's not far removed from bankers bonus.

[AMLinington]

The teachers could take a minute to run their eyes down the list of children who didnt get 100% attendance - surely the form teacher would know immediately whether the child had been absent for a good reason or not.

It is also unfair on children who are genuinely ill - it isn't their fault and yet they are penalised for it

 

^ This

 

A common issue that crops up in the workplace is the Attendance incentive. Many businesses offer incentives for 100% attendance which means that many people who SHOULD be off sick and NOT spreading their viruses through the workplace are coming into work. Which means that others, with perhaps compromised or generally weak immune systems are being exposed to all sorts of nasties that we really shouldn't be. The same goes for schools.

 

All this bureaucratic attendance nonsense around schools at the moment is making me so mad. IMO Schools should be open all year the same as a private sector workplace and pupils are given a holiday allowance (the same as in the private sector and in addition to bank holidays) that they can request (the same way private sector workers do). That way families can book their holidays at convenient times together avoiding the 'School holiday price hikes'. Working parents aren't stuck for child care because there are 3 other parents off during the summer holiday period. In the same way as the private sector can (and does) do, certain times of year can be declared a holiday embargo except for extreme circumstances. So a year 11 pupil couldn't book time off during the GCSE exam period, but a year 8 could (for example).

 

Add a two week 'sick leave' allowance (although obviously there are no penalties to going over) and you have a system that effectively introduces kids to the world of work and helps them become responsible for their own absences.

Edited July 29, 2014 by AMLinington

[foofighterjim]

IMO Schools should be open all year the same as a private sector workplace and pupils are given a holiday allowance (the same as in the private sector and in addition to bank holidays) that they can request (the same way private sector workers do). That way families can book their holidays at convenient times together avoiding the 'School holiday price hikes'. Working parents aren't stuck for child care because there are 3 other parents off during the summer holiday period. In the same way as the private sector can (and does) do, certain times of year can be declared a holiday embargo except for extreme circumstances. So a year 11 pupil couldn't book time off during the GCSE exam period, but a year 8 could (for example).

 

So when would teachers and support staff get time off then? Schools would need to employ more staff to ensure there would be enough cover for teachers on holiday. What about ICT support if you're a one person department?

[laserblazer]

Also, a pupil has two weeks off at the start of a module, so comes in half way. How are they going to catch up? Most parents who take their kids out for extended holidays (visiting relatives abroad etc) do it at the end of term, so the kids just miss playing games and watching films.

[Hawkeyez]

My nephew missed out this year on 100% (would have been 3yrs in total), but was off 1 day. This was when the school told his mum (my sister) not to bring into school, as they suspected pox (it wasn't)

 

If I child has a genuine reason to be off, it shouldn't go against them.

[Ephelyon]

Also, when would you get all your summer upgrades done if the school has to be open all the time?

[Bananas]

My son had conjunctivitis the other day. In the words of the gp "highly contagious" phoned the school they checked the "book" and said conjunctivitis attend school.

 

Took delight in telling them they need to administer refrigerated eyedrops every 2 hours

 

At which point they said errr best keep him home then. Well perhaps if the child that brought it to the school in the first place had been "off" my boy wouldn't have had to suffer ffs