Giving students an award for perfect attendance has been around for many years. The size of the award has changed from a nice certificate and the privilege to write it on college applications to cars, vacations, and computers.
Some experts agree that this is not a good trend. How many students attended school when they should have stayed home? What about teaching the students that attending school isn't about getting an education but about a chance to win something?
Supporters say that this is an excellent way to make parents make sure their students are in class. So the only reason a parent should care is because they could win a car or vacation? When a parent sends their child to school they usually expect them to be there.
I spoke with parents recently who were angry with the school because their child had been skipping class but the school wasn't telling them. For all the schools fancy record keeping on who's in class and who isn't they don't bother letting the parents know if their child isn't there. This student was failing her classes and the parents had no idea. No calls, no e-mails, no letters in the mail letting the parents know that their child was falling behind because she was skipping classes. The parents thought she was in school and had no reason to believe otherwise.
Some may argue that when you work and get paid you are awarded for your work. No, you are not. You are paid for services rendered, something that shouldn't be out of the ordinary. You do a good job in order to keep your job and because it is what you would expect from those working for you. An award is what you get when you have achieved something exceptional. I have no problem with awards. Perfect attendance is something to award. It isn't a contest that should be given a prize.
Tia Linschied
Senior Editor of HSB
Comments
Jun. 26, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Very interesting post. I feel for the parent who thought their child was in school and never heard otherwise from the school. The year before we started homeschooling, my oldest missed twenty days straight, and I heard notheing from the school. We'd started having some behavorial issues with my son at this time so each day I went to the bus stop, watched my son get on the bus, drove to the school, and watched my son get off the bus and go into the school. So, to me, he was at school. I had no idea that he wasn't going to class, and the school never called. Thank God for the option of homeschooling!
Bettyk
- Home Where They Belong
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