LONDON, England — According to a new report from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), schools wey combine incentive with sanctions dey get better response from pupils than those wey just dey focus on punishment. Schools wey dey offer things like pizza parties and iPads to boost attendance dey recognize say students go respond better when dem see tangible benefits.
For England, some schools don dey use fines, detentions, and letters home to enforce attendance, while others dey prefer rewards-based approaches. These include prize draws for bikes, iPads, and trips, plus “praise stamps” wey children fit collect to trade for chocolates or stationery.
One important incentive wey some secondary schools dey use na ticket to school prom for Year 11 students, where attendance go determine whether dem fit attend or not. Dey report say schools wey combine rewards with sanctions report higher pupil engagement with attendance policies. According to the report, “Pupils for these schools appear motivated to attend as dem see real benefit for doing so.”
On the contrary, for schools wey dey focused strictly on sanctions, many students dey view attendance policies as punishing, especially if dem believe say dem absences no be their fault. School absence don become key issue for government since attendance drop sharply after pandemic disruptions.
Data from the NFER study show illness, mental health issues, and term-time holidays na common reasons for absence. Latest statistics reveal say the number of pupils wey dey classified as “severely absent” in England hit record high last year, with unauthorized absences also on the rise.
Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, don support parental fines for non-attendance, wey increase from £60 to £80 last September. However, Matt Walker, NFER senior research manager and co-author of the report, noted say, “Attendance is strongly linked to educational outcomes, so it’s concerning say absence rates dey high.” He suggest say schools prioritize individualized and encouraging approaches alongside punitive sanctions.
The study, titled ‘Voices from the Classroom,’ na collaborative effort from over 600 secondary school teachers and leaders in England, plus face-to-face interviews from staff and pupils in nine state-funded secondary schools. Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, stated, “The message clear: fines, punitive actions, and bribery no dey work.” E go add say many pupils dey struggle with anxiety and unmet special educational needs wey dey lead to na increased absence.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, emphasized say proper rewards and sanctions get their role, but individual support wey fit quickly identify reasons for pupil absence dey more effective. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, echo this sentiment, saying findings dey highlight severe limitations of using parental fines to improve pupil attendance.
In conclusion, the NFER study highly recommend say school leaders need to work closely with parents to understand barriers to attendance, suggesting say workshops and home visits fit help in this regard. The study also call for government to increase funding for attendance and pastoral support to empower schools tackle the issue effectively.
