To be sick of schools asking for money

[cookieswirls]

My dd brings home a letter almost every week where the school will ask for money of some kind. I understand they are raising money for charities but they have stated a few times now that a percentage of the money raised will go towards the school. Surely they should do their own fundraising for that? I would rather donate personally rather than being made to feel obliged to pay something nearly every week! So far since September I have paid £26 ,and counting,into the school and that's just from me.

[c3pu]

It is voluntary, isn't it?

[KeithLeMonde]

What's it for?

They won't be spending it on tea and biscuits for the staff room. Schools have bugger all budget for any extras such as drama, external speakers, craft, cooking, etc. Sometimes they ask parents to contribute to these things as they think it will aid the children's learning.

If you don't want your child to have these things, let the school know. If you do want them to have these things but don't have the money to spare, let the school know.

YANBU being sick of it but the school ANBU to ask.

[Didijustgetwinkpointshitcanned]

YABU. It's voluntary and will be used for the children in some way.

[NicknameUsed]

What Keith said. Schools are massively underfunded these days.

[SheldonCRules]

Schools have to ask for contributions, budgets barely cover the essentials and they want to do the best possible for the children.

Given state education is free (most people never pay enough tax to cover the services used over a lifetime) then £26 over three months is not really much to ask.

Schools have always asked for money, everyone knows that before they have children as will remember it from when they to school.

[MidniteScribbler]

So you've spent £26 towards your child's education in the last three months? Money that will go towards your child's education. So you've spent about £9 per month to get an education for your child. What exactly is your problem?

[Lewwat]

YANBU

[cookieswirls]

Oh I don't think I've explained myself very well. I'm not moaning about paying but it's the fact the schools are taking money from charity fundraising. I would like to know my £5 cancer research donation will go to cancer research and not £3 to them £2 for the school. I would rather they said they will do a bake sale etc for school fundraising

[BertrandRussell]

What sort of things ar you being asked to pay for?

[BertrandRussell]

"would rather they said they will do a bake sale etc for school fundraising"

Who is "they"?

[cookieswirls]

They = the school

[BertrandRussell]

So you want the school to organize a bake sale? Who? And who will do whatever it is they should be doing while they organize it?

Have you thought of volunteering to organize one yourself?

[ChocolateBudgeCake]

What makes you think not all your money is going where the school say it is?

Because that's quite serious if school are saying one thing and doing another. I'd be very surprised if this is really happening.

[Lewwat]

OP

Do you mean something like, it's comic relief and every child brings in a £ for a non school uniform. BUT instead of donating all those £'s to comic relief the school are now saying they are going to keep 10% raised got themselves?

[DesignedForLife]

Meh. Having toured local schools this week it's shocking how underfunded they are. Can't believe headteachers have to beg the lea for a new bit of concrete.

[MilkTwoSugarsThanks]

I get you OP.

You wish the school would do separate fundraising for the school and not tack it on to (eg) Children in Need. Yes?

Bertrand - I think the bake sale has already been organised, it's just that the OP doesn't think it's clear who the money is for.

[cookieswirls]

The school are stating in the letters a percentage will be kept for school funds

[Sadik]

I do see what you're saying, though for me it's the other way around.

I'm always happy to donate to school if they ask for funds. But if I'm going to give to charity, I have certain organisations I support, and I'm less inclined to send for ANOther random charity.

So I'd also be irritated if school conflated the two.

[KathArtic]

YANBU! Let me guess - its primary school.

The good news is at secondary they don't want anything from you at all!!

[mouldycheesefan]

If you can afford it, £26 is bugger all really since September to contribute to both the school and other charities.
I am not paying £15k per child per child per year school fees so quite happy to chip in a few pounds here and there.

[harderandharder2breathe]

Presumably they don't have extra school fundraisers because parents would moan about being asked for money yet again

As long as they're open about percentages I don't think there's anything wrong with splitting funds raised with the nominated charity and the school

[BoneyBackJefferson]

Maybe you should complain the government about the current funding levels for schools?

[viques]

Until I read your last post I thought you were bu. but I have been involved in school fundraising for ever and think school fund and charity fundraising should be kept completely separate. I know a headteacher who snaffled £50 from a charity event I organised, I would never have known except that for once I counted the money before it was locked in the safe and it was short the next morning when the office staff (who were very trustworthy) recounted .I asked them about it and they were very shifty and kept glancing towards her office. I never did fundraising for that school again and have often wondered how much more she skimmed off the top of other good causes.

[LilQueenie]

yanbu not to mention leader in me schools who pay to be in the programme. On top of all the other stuff money goes into that too. 6 years on I still wonder what the outcome is. Its fairly new.

[Pickled0nions]

It's always the primary's and junior schools that do this. They did it even when I was at school. They find any excuse to collect a pot of money off kids.