It is common for schools to give awards. Kids are rewarded for good grades. Some are rewarded for good deeds. But what about perfect attendance? Should students be rewarded for coming to school every day? Coming to school regularly is important. But missing school can be out of a kid’s control. Here is what four readers had to say about this issue.
Sophia Montoya, 11
Phoenix, Arizona
It is important to reward children for perfect attendance. A small reward can go a long way. It helps create good habits. As adults, people get a paycheck. That is like a reward. Rewarding perfect attendance teaches good values. Kids are not only learning and making friends. They are also getting recognized for their efforts. A reward is a good way to motivate them.
Mark Shilakes, 11
East Lansing, Michigan
Kids cannot always control their attendance. They can miss school because of illness. They can miss school because of injury. You have probably experienced one of these.
Missing school is not usually your fault. It could be frustrating to lose out on an attendance award. There could be different awards instead. Good grades could be rewarded. Paying attention in class could too.
Dhruvan Dayan, 10
Foster City, California
Attendance is a great skill. Kids should show up every day. It is a good habit. Rewarding perfect attendance will teach kids that. It will help them in the future, when they go to work.
A reward system makes students feel good about themselves. It encourages them to put in more effort. More time in school means more learning. But an illness should not be counted against kids.
Shreya Jassi, 9
Hicksville, New York
Perfect attendance should not be rewarded. Kids get sick, especially during cold weather. If they go to school, they can get others sick.
There are plenty of reasons to try for perfect attendance. You will not miss fun projects. If you play an instrument, you will not miss practice. You also have classmates to laugh and work with. These things are reward enough.
More from Opinion
Share a Link
- Click the icon above to copy the url link to your clipboard.
- Paste the link into the location in which you share assignments with students. Examples might include, but are not limited to Canvas, Schoology and Edmodo.
Google Classroom
- Click on the icon above to share the article with a class in your Google Classroom.
- Choose an action. Options might include creating an assignment or asking a question.
