A mother has slammed her child’s school for rewarding those with 100 percent attendance with a trip to McDonald's - something her own child missed out on due to illness.
According to GOV.UK’s Education Hub, a 2019 study found that Key Stage 2 children who didn’t achieve expected grades missed on average four more days per school year than those whose performance exceeded expectations.
In February of this year, it was also revealed that the attendance rate across all schools in England was 92.6 percent.
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However, many places of education still like to chase that famed 100 percent attendance record and often put incentives into place to do so.
And according to one mother, St Wilfrid’s Catholic Academy in Stoke-on-Trent is one of those institutions.
This summer, the anonymous woman claimed pupils who didn’t miss a day of education in the 2022/23 academic year were treated to a McDonald’s.
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Speaking to StokeonTrentLive, the mother said: "I want to give a shout out to all of the children at St Wilfrid's Catholic Academy who have missed out on the special treat day for 100 percent attendance.
“This is a lovely little school but if there is one thing that they get wrong every year it is to do a 100 percent attendance award.”
The woman claimed that if her tot is ever sick, she likes to keep them off school to ‘prevent the spread of illness’.
She also alleged that this was not her child’s choice and that she ‘struggled’ to see them penalised for being poorly.
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“For the life of me, I struggle to see why these children are left out of a fun day and left feeling deflated and unworthy simply for being poorly the odd day here and there," she added.
“While children who have been lucky enough to not be ill are rewarded for having good health.”
The parent further claimed that her child had ‘never been late’ for class and was only ever absent due to illness.
Doubling down, she went on to explain that they’d made it into the educational establishment in adverse weather conditions.
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“But none of that dedication is rewarded or even mentioned,” she continued.
“I know that it may seem petty of me because my children haven't been awarded this treat - and, I won't lie, I am gutted for them to be missing out.
It’s said that as well as a visit to Tunstall Park and a delicious fast food dinner, children were reportedly allowed to play in a huge inflatable.
“The 50ft inflatable maze was on the main yard for all children to see and several of the classrooms look out on it,” she alleged.
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“To have something like this rubbed under their noses for something that really can't be helped just drives me mad.”
TYLA has contacted St Wilfrid’s Catholic Academy for further comment.
Featured Image Credit: StokeOnTrentLive/BPM Media / Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty ImagesTopics: Parenting, Food and Drink, McDonalds, Real Life