School attendance

zand

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With respect, I dont think you read my post correctly. It is a system in all ALL schools set by the Government not by individual 'inflexible' schools.
Students in primary school cannot truant as they cannot get outside the school without a parent. In secondary school the register is often taken every lesson. It is definitely taken after lunch, not a lot of point in going missing for a couple of hours and very likely to be missed.
The incentive scheme is just that, to encourage students to come in every day. It is just as unfair on a student who gets very unwell and cannot attend school through no fault of their own.
I did read your post correctly. I understand that all schools have to report these figures. I understood that before you posted. It is the award scheme that I am questioning. Is it really mandatory for a school to have such a scheme? And why does the scheme have to be set up so that it ties in exactly with the way the school has to report to the LEA? So the school gets marked down because the child misses registration. Fine. The school could still give an attendance award for the child if it was for an appointment such as this which cannot easily be moved. It seems like the school just wants to pass on the black mark to the child who is coping with a difficult health condition.

What happens when a school bus is late? 40 or so children get a black mark, again through no fault of their own? So the school gets grief from the LEA unfairly but that's no reason to unfairly pass that onto a child. Seems a childish tit for tat to me.

On the upside though this daft system does teach a life lesson. Life is unfair sometimes no matter how hard you try.
 

Catlady19

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I did read your post correctly. I understand that all schools have to report these figures. I understood that before you posted. It is the award scheme that I am questioning. Is it really mandatory for a school to have such a scheme? And why does the scheme have to be set up so that it ties in exactly with the way the school has to report to the LEA? So the school gets marked down because the child misses registration. Fine. The school could still give an attendance award for the child if it was for an appointment such as this which cannot easily be moved. It seems like the school just wants to pass on the black mark to the child who is coping with a difficult health condition.

What happens when a school bus is late? 40 or so children get a black mark, again through no fault of their own? So the school gets grief from the LEA unfairly but that's no reason to unfairly pass that onto a child. Seems a childish tit for tat to me.

On the upside though this daft system does teach a life lesson. Life is unfair sometimes no matter how hard you try.
LOL why would a school want to deliberately black mark a child with a long term health issue? How would you keep track of every childs attendance if not through a management system? How can it be childish? It is what it is, which is a legal requirement.
Perhaps the award itself is wrong? Awarded to a child who is lucky enough not to have been ill that academic year. Oh well, not worth crying over if you don't get it.
 

zand

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LOL why would a school want to deliberately black mark a child with a long term health issue? How would you keep track of every childs attendance if not through a management system? How can it be childish? It is what it is, which is a legal requirement.
Perhaps the award itself is wrong? Awarded to a child who is lucky enough not to have been ill that academic year. Oh well, not worth crying over if you don't get it.
I assure you I DO get it. It is a legal requirement for the school to report absences from registration to the LEA. It is NOT a legal requirement to deny an attendance award to a child who only has time off once a term for an appointment which is necessary to ensure that she doesn't need extra time off unnecessarily for an existing health condition! That's just bonkers. And it IS worth crying over if you, who obviously has something to do with the education system, don't get that.
 

Redshank

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I agree with @zand
Reporting attendance is a requirement
Having an award system is not a legal requirement. If a school chooses to have one, the criteria are the decision of the school
 
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Catlady19

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I assure you I DO get it. It is a legal requirement for the school to report absences from registration to the LEA. It is NOT a legal requirement to deny an attendance award to a child who only has time off once a term for an appointment which is necessary to ensure that she doesn't need extra time off unnecessarily for an existing health condition! That's just bonkers. And it IS worth crying over if you, who obviously has something to do with the education system, don't get that.
If you get it, why are you flogging the issue?This is getting boring now.
I don't make the rules, just explaining how it works.
When all said and done, if they are that worried about getting a certificate, there are ways to ensure that happens!
The question of whether it is morally correct is another issue entirely.
 

zand

Master
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If you get it, why are you flogging the issue?This is getting boring now.
I don't make the rules, just explaining how it works.
When all said and done, if they are that worried about getting a certificate, there are ways to ensure that happens!
The question of whether it is morally correct is another issue entirely.
At last we are getting somewhere. The school has a morally incorrect award system.
 
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Catlady19

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644
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Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
I agree with @zand
Reporting attendance is a requirement
Having an award system is not a legal requirement. If a school chooses to have one, the criteria are the decision of the school
Yes of course, but a simple solution to the criteria is to choose pupils with 100% attendance on the report, that way everyone gets treated the same, regardless of what their appointment is for?
 

KK123

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I assure you I DO get it. It is a legal requirement for the school to report absences from registration to the LEA. It is NOT a legal requirement to deny an attendance award to a child who only has time off once a term for an appointment which is necessary to ensure that she doesn't need extra time off unnecessarily for an existing health condition! That's just bonkers. And it IS worth crying over if you, who obviously has something to do with the education system, don't get that.

Zand, I absolutely agree with you. We are talking about children who fall into a disabled category and can do nothing about that. We are talking about children who KNOW they will have to miss school at some point because they must attend appointments to monitor their health so will never reach the absence targets because NO adjustments are being made. Same as in the adult world, some people have no choice about attending clinics long term and for the rest of their lives. When people bleat about 'treat everybody the same' it really makes me smile and shows they have no idea about the realities facing people who are disabled, they simply put them into the category of 'what about others who have to have a day off for sickness', as if this is somehow the same. I get that the 'computer says no' but so what?, any individual with an ounce of common sense can manually factor disabilities into the system to ensure that a person isn't subject of EXTRA penalties or treated less favourably than anyone else not to mention that being unlawful under the act. As for the people who say 'I know, it's terrible but it's the system', well they are complicit in my view. It's not just time off for appointments either, it's any illness directly attributable to their condition. It's bad enough trying to get Employers to abide by the Disabilities Act but to deny a child what a non disabled child may be entitled to because of the 'system', to effectively tell that child that 'you don't deserve an attendance certificate or access to a party because you have a medical condition' simply heaps further shame & pressure on them that is disgusting and reinforces that they are 'different' in some negative way. Just my opinion of course. x
 

KK123

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If you get it, why are you flogging the issue?This is getting boring now.
I don't make the rules, just explaining how it works.
When all said and done, if they are that worried about getting a certificate, there are ways to ensure that happens!
The question of whether it is morally correct is another issue entirely.

Are you seriously questioning whether giving a certificate to a disabled child who apart from time off addressing their disability may otherwise have hit the target is 'morally correct'?
 

zand

Master
Messages
10,784
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Diet only
Zand, I absolutely agree with you. We are talking about children who fall into a disabled category and can do nothing about that. We are talking about children who KNOW they will have to miss school at some point because they must attend appointments to monitor their health so will never reach the absence targets because NO adjustments are being made. Same as in the adult world, some people have no choice about attending clinics long term and for the rest of their lives. When people bleat about 'treat everybody the same' it really makes me smile and shows they have no idea about the realities facing people who are disabled, they simply put them into the category of 'what about others who have to have a day off for sickness', as if this is somehow the same. I get that the 'computer says no' but so what?, any individual with an ounce of common sense can manually factor disabilities into the system to ensure that a person isn't subject of EXTRA penalties or treated less favourably than anyone else not to mention that being unlawful under the act. As for the people who say 'I know, it's terrible but it's the system', well they are complicit in my view. It's not just time off for appointments either, it's any illness directly attributable to their condition. It's bad enough trying to get Employers to abide by the Disabilities Act but to deny a child what a non disabled child may be entitled to because of the 'system', to effectively tell that child that 'you don't deserve an attendance certificate or access to a party because you have a medical condition' simply heaps further shame & pressure on them that is disgusting and reinforces that they are 'different' in some negative way. Just my opinion of course. x
Well not just your opinion as it's mine too. :)
The problem is that in my experience, it's so hard to teach a teacher.
 
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Catlady19

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Are you seriously questioning whether giving a certificate to a disabled child who apart from time off addressing their disability may otherwise have hit the target is 'morally correct'?
Please!!!!! You two are getting ridiculous now. Byeeee
 

Catlady19

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Well not just your opinion as it's mine too. :)
The problem is that in my experience, it's so hard to teach a teacher.
FYI, not a teacher! And as previously explained, not my rules!
Why bother having awards at all? It is always going to be unfair to someone who has a disadvantage of.some discription. As you said previously, life is unfair.
 

SilverK

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One of my local secondary schools has worked out a system with a massive shopping centre not far away. A trip is organised and pupils have to have achieved a certain level of attendance in order to be able to go (applies to the school prom too), then, depending on their attendance they’re given discount vouchers for participating shops - 100% attendance gets you 20% off, 95% gets 15% etc. Not sure if I agree with that or not. (It’s in a very socioeconomically deprived area and school engagement can be an issue.)