Following on from my thread here
I spoke to the headmaster and the secretary at school about Samaritans Purse and gave them a load of bumpf to read about it, news articles and the like, along with some alternative suggestions that I got from MN.

They ooohed and ahhhed and said they hadn't realised and of course they would look into alternatives and how awful, yadda yadda.

Lo and behold, DD came home on Friday with an Operation Christmas Child leaflet! I told her we're not doing it and why, and that she and I could do something ourselves this year for our local childrens' hospice instead.

I'm so annoyed that they've ignored all the info and gone ahead anyway. I feel like handing out info at the school gates because I just think that people will give boxes because they don't know the full story of what happens with them.

DD was horrified when I told her, and I have a feeling that she'll be telling all her friends so I'll be in trouble I bet....

Have to go to a farking pta thing tonight and sit smiling with them both, will take a lot of restraint for me not to mention something about it.

<SIGH> Rant over, thankyou for listening

I feel your pain. Our school ignored my info about the Nestle cereal box tops for books thing last year despite claiming to have awards for Fair Trade and Healthy Eating awareness.

Oh and it's a Catholic school. They are always raising money for CAFOD - who support the nestle boycott!

It's so annoying isn't it? I know they're not obliged to do as I say, of course not, but I thought it was an important enough issue to consider seriously.

It's a non-faith primary but the headmaster is religious and we aren't - I wonder if he thinks I'm just being anti-Christian and therefore is ignoring what I've said.

There should be at least 50 parents at the pta thing tonight, I really feel like bringing it up <rebel>

It isn't anti-Christian, it's unethical. I would love for you to say something but I know how good HTs are at dismissing concerns in a seemingly nice manner. I used to work for one!

Yes, he's very good at promising to do something and then it never happens.

Thing is, I can't think of a way to let other parents know other than word of mouth, it's not like I can put it in the school newsletter!

we've been asked to do this for the playgroup which I go to which is attached to a church I feel I should tell some of the mums what really happens to the gifts but I think I wouldn't be too popular so have decided to keep stum against my better judgement
have agonised over it a bit tbh

Why can't you bring it up at the PTA? It's the ideal place, I'd have thought! I'm mulling over writing to the local paper, which featured a school collecting money in Smarties tubes for a Third World charity.

Do you have any muslim parents at the school. You might want a word with a couple of them (as I understand that this charity particularly targets certain muslim countries).

I'd like to bring it up but I have a feeling they will say it's a school issue and not a pta issue and I will be shushed.

Actually the more I think about it, the more annoyed I am. I think I will def at least mention it to the pta chair who has a sensible head on her shoulders.

Depending how annoyed I am by 7pm I might be ranting out loud about it!

(I'm just not really one for public speaking and don't want to come across as a hysterical ranty lady!)

I would bring it up at the pta if school were doing it tbh but I am on the committee there