I strongly believe that attendance should not count for or against you. If you can pass a class without ever attending, then either you are smart enough to earn that good grade or your teacher is a bad teacher.
I had to drop a class in college because I had 100% on every paper, quiz and test, but I hadn't even been showing up to class unless there was a test or quiz due that day. Despite the fact that I was rocking a 100%, the teacher said she would give me an F if I missed one more class. I wasn't going because her teaching was a complete joke and it was a waste of my time when I could instead be working on harder classes.
Meanwhile, I had a history professor who didn't care if you came to class or not. He specifically told us that attendance was recommended, but not required. However, he was a good teacher, and therefore attendance was necessary in order to pass his quizzes and tests. I actually learned stuff in his class and as a result, I attended regularly.
I agree that it shouldn't. However, some professors count attendance for a grade; get used to doing things that you don't think are necessary because you have to. Also, some institutions mandate that attendance is part of a grade. Some professors do not care and just make up the paperwork. Others have tenure or are responsible for a considerable amount of funding for the institution, so they can ignore certain policies.
tl;dr do everything that is required for your grade, including attendance (if it is a requirement). You may as well have said "I would have had a 100% if I didn't fail the final"
This teacher is a dick and should be reported to the ombudsman's office. The kid was there amd as long as they weren't being disruptive, whether they pay attention or not is irrelevant. They attended the class, end of story.
I don't think this is a punishment, the teacher should teach to everyone in his/her class. That's their job. And I really think this teacher is a very dedicated person, who cares enough about the students.
I had to drop a class in college because I had 100% on every paper, quiz and test, but I hadn't even been showing up to class unless there was a test or quiz due that day. Despite the fact that I was rocking a 100%, the teacher said she would give me an F if I missed one more class. I wasn't going because her teaching was a complete joke and it was a waste of my time when I could instead be working on harder classes.
Meanwhile, I had a history professor who didn't care if you came to class or not. He specifically told us that attendance was recommended, but not required. However, he was a good teacher, and therefore attendance was necessary in order to pass his quizzes and tests. I actually learned stuff in his class and as a result, I attended regularly.
tl;dr do everything that is required for your grade, including attendance (if it is a requirement). You may as well have said "I would have had a 100% if I didn't fail the final"