Aly's school attendance promotion

Aly's school is super strict on attendance and this year they are tying multiple contests into promoting perfect attendance. Almost every letter sent home mentions how they only get funding for each day your child is physically in class and if your child is out sick, they loose the money.

I guess their answer to the budget crisis is to try to promote all students to have perfect attendance. Some of their contests include putting a sign on the window of the classrooms that get perfect attendance for the week and doing a drawing once a quarter to win an IPOD if you have perfect attendance. I can't remember the other incentives but I just find it quite a double edge sword.

If you are a fifth grader you would probably be really interested in winning that IPOD. So does that mean you will go to school with strep throat, a horrid cold, stomach flu, etc. just so you can have your chance at winning the contest? I am lucky that my child is only in kindergarten and doesn't seem to care about the hype. Don't you think that this type of promotion can send many sick children to school spreading more illness around than if they just stayed home?

I find it going a little bit over board. I guess we will see how it works for them. Perhaps it will work great and I can insert my foot in my mouth. It will be interesting to see if they give us any kind of an update on attendance after the first quarter.

What are you thoughts on this topic? Do you think it puts added pressure on young children to attend school when they are sick?