A POSTER competition to promote regular school attendance has sparked a backlash from parents who cannot find places for their children, some with special needs.
Mums and dads reacted with anger to two since-deleted Facebook post from Worcestershire Children First which called on 'young artists' to design a poster to promote regular attendance.
Some said no places could be found for their children 'full stop' - either because of a general shortage of school places or because their child's needs could not be met in a school setting, including those of vulnerable children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Some parents said the post discriminated against their children, one parent calling it 'unbelievable' and branding the competition 'despicable'.
Green city councillor Elena Round, who works with disabled children and provides support to families who are not able to attend school, wants 'the competition stopped, the posts retracted and an apology from WCF for the insensitive posts'.
She said: "It's a knife in the back of parents and children because it's blaming them when Children First's lack of understanding is the real issue.
"Why are these inflammatory posts going out over the school holidays when children are at their most traumatised and over the weekend just before children are meant to be going back to school? The anxiety being caused by this is unbelievable."
The post reads: "Calling all young artists in Worcestershire! Get ready to show off your creativity and promote the significance of regular school attendance!
"We are offering the opportunity to all Worcestershire pupils and schools to enter our school attendance poster competition.
READ MORE: Worcestershire’s Children Services rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted
"We are asking you to design an A4 poster that vividly advocates for the importance of regular school attendance."
"Let your imagination run wild with attendance slogans, captivating images, and interesting facts!"
Tracy Winchester, SEND National Crisis Worcestershire, described the post as 'disgraceful'.
Mrs Winchester, 43, has two autistic children, Rowan, 12, and Maive, eight.
"It does really demonstrate the lack of understanding of the issues, the sort of focus on attendance over all else," she said.
She said the competition was reposted which showed Children First was 'either not reading the comments or ignoring them' and the post 'hit a nerve' with parents, particularly at a time when children are on the point of going back to school.
"It's almost like they're saying children are choosing not to go rather than there being needs they have that aren't being met. It is in such bad taste.
"Some children can't find places because their needs aren't being met and there's a lack of places in the county - that has already been recognised. There is a lack of places full stop."
Lynn Denham, joint leader of Worcester City Council and leader of the Labour Group said: "WCF's poster competition for children to 'promote the significance of regular school attendance ' is wrong on so many levels.
"Unfortunately, it's a competition designed to exclude many children rather than encourage learning."
Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Education at Worcestershire County Council, Councillor Tracey Onslow said: “Regular attendance provides an environment for children to develop social skills, build friendships, and learn essential life lessons through interaction with classmates and teachers.
“Of course, some situations may require authorised absences. In these cases, whether due to illness, specific bespoke needs or other exceptional circumstances, we encourage parents and carers to work with the school to arrange the necessary support and reasonable adjustments.
“We appreciate that some pupils may find it harder than others to attend school which is why we’re working closely with education settings to support pupils and parents and, where possible, help remove any barriers to attendance."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel