School asking parents to decorate classes

[CaraFara]

I've just received an email from my daughters secondary school asking for volunteers to go in next weekend to paint some of the classrooms. Am I wrong to think Wtf? I am pretty sure my parents were never asked to do this. I know money is tight but surely this is just part and parcel of maintaining the building. What next, when I go to the doctors am I expected to do a spot of gardening whilst there?

Don't be cross at the school, write to your MP about the disgraceful lack of school funding!!

I don't see the problem. If you don't want to do it, don't do it but personally if I had the time I would.

Don’t schools have caretakers anymore?

NO!

My DC's school fundraises to send a child in Africa to school. She's just passed her GCSEs. Kinda puts your moan into perspective!

In the last few years funding for schools has gone down 8% in real terms. At the same time secondary schools have seen a complete overhaul of GCSEs and A levels which costs money in terms of resources. A number of schools in our area have had redundancies of teaching staff due to budgets being reduced. I am amazed at the number of parents who seems to know so little about the state of the English education system.

20 years ago we went to view our daughter's primary school. The head proudly showed off their "Computer Suite" with furniture hand-built by and walls painted by parents. Being asked to help is nothing new.

Fab idea. My school should do this. We have such a tight budget. Great way to get community involved. You don't have to do it op. I'm sure plenty of parents will volunteer!

Many things put a moan in perspective. As I said, I'm not moaning. I just wonder why we have accepted this state of affairs. But maybe I'll just take my DIY kit with me next time I go to the library, hospital or Gps. Or maybe I'll start taking my own rubbish to the tip or cutting the trees on the pavement outside. Anyway, I was just surprised. It's not the end of the world and I will put my efforts into emailing my MP about school funding.

I can remember going along to do this with my parents when I was at primary school (1980's). It was great fun for us at the time.

Why wouldn't you want to help? Or just say no? 🤔 Schools are way unfunded they are only asking and if it improves your children's environment its win win?

It's the way our school saved money when we were kids. Parents volunteered to do a lot of maintenance, or to supply paint etc, freeing up more of the budget for education and enrichment.

At my dc's school they are not allowed to accept voluntary maintenance work! A parent who is a plumber offered to investigate the source of a bad smell in dc's classroom (a very obviously drains smell coming from the sink there). He was turned down. His work would, apparently, have been counted as a gift, and could therefore not be accepted.

Parents decorated my lower school back in the 1980s. Except my mum, she looked after the children in our garden. It was fun. I think fondly of that whenever I see a school decorated in cornflour blue (I do visit schools as part of my job!)
And when I was with my previous doctors surgery, a community group did the gardening and sold produce in the surgery. It was a one stop shop for getting your baby's jabs done and a marrow.
Budgets are tight. Getting a room painted costs 100s which is better spent on staffing. The alternative is funding schools adequately, but given how likely that is, we should all just get our overalls out.

I can remember my mum ( teacher) and parents doing this in the school holidays bin the 1970s. The classrooms hadn't been decorated for about 20 years and there wasn't any money to pay for it to be done.

It seems my parents were the only ones not to be involved in painting school. Maybe that's why I lack this community spirit.

My DS's school have always done a 'fix up' Sunday' once a term. Parent volunteers go in and there's a list of jobs they get done to improve the environment for our children. Painting, fixing stuff, ground maintenance etc. DH enjoys it as it's mostly dads who he'd otherwise never meet. The head always lights up the BBQ and keeps them all fueled with hotdogs.

You are being melodramatic, Cara.

No one is saying that you have to do a job every time you use a service. This potentially excellent debate could do without this kind of rhetoric.

Lobbying for change is also a vital role to play in ensuring our communities have the facilities they deserve, so yes, do that, OP!

at your parents being left out of the Voluntary Paintbrush Gang.

And to answer your question as that's only fair - yes I would do it for GP or hospital etc.
I've used (or rather ds has!) the services of both a lot due to his disabilities. I'd happily help to keep them looking nice.

@Carafara as social prescribing /community gardening projects are becoming more mainstream you may we'll get handed a pair of gardening gloves when you go to the GP!

There is a growing pile of evidence that participation in outdoor/community projects is good for you in many ways.

For you: Social engagement and cohesion increased self esteem, improved mood, physical activity, stress reduction
For the school children: an improved/enriched learning environment, a sense of pride in their parents!
For the school: getting work done that they could otherwise not afford to do, improved morale

Winners all round.

I do believe that when you come from a family that volunteers, you are more likely to volunteer yourself, that's how it's been in my family and I hope my kids will carry it on.

It just seems to me us parents have accepted this. I don't think that's right.

I don't either. We should all be out on the streets demonstrating about it.

Please do write to your MP. They need to know that people are worried about this.

If you have a Tory MP, they'll probably tell you that schools are better funded than ever, because they massage the spending figures in such a way to make it look that way. Here on the ground, we know better. The funding situation is awful, and your kids are losing out because of it.

The school where I'm a governor is fortunate in that we have reserves that we can fall back on, but we are spending more each year than we have coming in, so those reserves are dwindling - and that's after we have already made loads of painful cutbacks which have a direct impact on individual children. The school does not - cannot - provide the opportunities for its current pupils that it provided for my dd just a few years ago. And in a year or two, we'll have used up all of our reserves and there will be nothing left to cut. God knows what we will do then. And this is an outstanding school in a middle class area with supportive, committed parents who will volunteer if push comes to shove. Many other schools are not so lucky.

So yes, please do write to your MP, and don't be fobbed off with a load of rhetoric about how schools have never had it better. It's bullshit.

I just wonder why we have accepted this state of affairs

I haven't. Personally I am involved in political campaigning for a better future for everyone.

What have you done about the situational apart form have a winge about how you work and pay your taxes and don;t want to paint?

My school has a gardening day in spring and again in autumn, the community gets together to tidy the grounds and look after the plants. A good community day and saves us money on groundskeepers.

Likewise, my GP has a fundraising committee. After my flu jab, uninvited to stay for tea and biscuits in return for a donation. They are saving up to redecorate the lobby and waiting area for the dispensary. Should it be paid for by the government? Yes of course, but that isn’t how public funding works at the moment.

Honestly if our go surgery put a note in the village magazine that they needed help painting, moving furniture or gardening we would be out in force.
It is not about doing this OR lobbying for more money it is possible to do both

Our primary has a reception tidy up day every year.

Parents of new reception kids go in and help tidy and decorate the early years.playground. good way for parents to meet other parents.

At my son's special school parents who could went in to help clear the site and make it safe after the snow

I think it's an excellent idea & would happily give up my time to help freshen up our school (and might add it to my list for Wednesday morning's meeting).

We're on seriously reduced staff & it's not getting any better. When dd1 was about to go into y6, there were two glue sticks at a time allowed to be used by each class of approx 30 dc's - sometimes more than that.

As it is; I work there, volunteer reading a couple of times a week, after work, so the LSA's are free to be where they're more needed, help run our (failing at the mo) PTA, & am often the only one to turn up when a general shout out for help is put out.

It's rediculous, it really is. But I don't see it getting better any time soon.