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Mother won't let son accept 100 per cent attendance prize for a very important reason

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This child got 100 per cent attendance record, but his Mum doesn't want to reward 'luck' so he won't be accepting his prize.

11-year-old JJ, son of Rachel Wright, got to the end of primary school with a perfect attendance record.

Seeing as truancy and absence can severely affect performance and development at school, this ws something to be applauded.

The school offered JJ a day at a soft-play centre as a prize for the record, but Rachel said he won’t be going.

She explained the decision on her blog ‘Born at the right time’.

The family ‘don’t reward luck’

Wright put JJ’s attendance down to luck that he hadn’t fallen ill.

In this family we will think of as many reasons possible to praise our children. We will celebrate and reward them, but being lucky enough not to get sick is not one of them,

‘Demonising’ the weak

Rachel’s eldest child has life-limiting epilepsy and severe disabilities, and therefore Rachel wanted to avoid the idea that vulnerability or weakness be shamed for having lower attendance.

This doesn’t happen at work

Not publicly anyway. While attendance is of course noted, Rachel pointed out that workplaces don’t reward the fullest department on any given week.

Can you imagine a work place that at the end of each week marked out all the people who hadn't been sick? Where all the departments with the least number of people off were rewarded?

Can you imagine what kind of atmosphere that would create with people who had days off because of bereavement, mental health problem or chronic conditions?

Conversely, tell that to the people who get denied promotion or are given cautionary warnings on the grounds, even for cases of bereavement and sick days, which happens all the time at work.

It’s not even going to be 100 per cent attendance

In this family we value school and work but we also know the importance of making memories and having rest. So our son will finish his school year one week early and go to Italy instead [of] class parties, watching films and playing end of year games.

In 2017, the UK Supreme Court ruled that parents can be prosecuted for taking their children out of school during term time holidays, and pay a £60 fine, rising to £120 if it is not paid promptly. This rises up to £2,500 in a fine, or three months jail time for the parents if the initial fine is not paid after 60 days.

HT Daily Telegraph LadBible


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