A certificate for being there

Text A: an original contemporary practice extract.

The attendance certificate arrived at the end of term, with my name printed in the same large letters as the prize for winning a race. I had not run particularly fast that year, solved the hardest problem or led a performance. I had come to school each day, including mornings when the rain made staying beneath the duvet seem a more persuasive plan.

I liked being noticed for that ordinary persistence. A school year contains many small choices that do not end on a stage. Packing a bag, leaving on time and arriving ready rarely produce a cheer, although lessons depend on people doing them. The certificate made one repeated effort visible to me, and I took it home without imagining that it proved superior character.

Attendance is not entirely a choice. Illness and family difficulties can interrupt a year despite somebody’s best intentions. I would not want this certificate used to judge pupils whose circumstances were different. Keep it as a small acknowledgement where it is appropriate, alongside recognition for other kinds of effort. Mine mattered because someone had noticed a routine I usually completed without thinking it deserved notice.

Text B: an original contemporary practice extract.

At the assembly, the attendance prizes went to pupils who had not missed a day. My friend had missed several because of appointments she could not choose. She had caught up with work, asked teachers what she needed and returned as soon as she could. None of those actions fitted the number being celebrated on the stage.

A prize tells us what an institution can see. Counting days is straightforward; recognising the effort surrounding an absence takes more attention. I am glad when someone feels proud of arriving regularly. I question the title of an award that makes a perfect record appear to be a perfect account of commitment. One pupil can have an unbroken register and another an equally serious wish to learn.

We do not need to remove every certificate or pretend attendance is unimportant. We need a wider description of responsibility. Thank pupils for habits they can sustain, and notice how they respond when circumstances interrupt those habits. My friend did not want a special prize for difficulty. She wanted the work of returning to be visible too. An empty square in the register should not erase everything done around it.

Compare how the writers present their ideas and perspectives about attendance prizes at school. Support your comparisons with detailed references to both texts.