To wonder why more people don't help at PTA events ... and what would encourage more people to do so ...

[onthebus]

In common with many other schools, our PTA had its annual summer fayre a couple of weeks ago. The school has quite a small PTA (about 6 people) and every year for this event they send out a note asking for volunteers for people to help set up/run stalls/clear away. Every year about 2 people volunteer and the PTA then run themselves ragged trying to do everything (and generally failing).

I'm not on the PTA by the way, though I do offer to help, and it strikes me that this really can't be the best way for anyone.

I understand that some people don't help because they are looking after small children/are at work/think the PTA are too scary/just don't want to but I'm really surprised that so few do. I did suggest to PTA members that if they actually asked people rather than sending out a note they might get more helpers but they are loathe to do this.

So ... I think most people appreciate that funds raised by the PTA are worthwhile. If you do/don't help out at PTA events, why is that, and what do you think would encourage you/other people to do so?

Also, whilst I think "fayres" are great for instilling a sense of school community, I think a LOT of parents would rather donate a few quid rather than make cakes that will be sold back to them at a fraction of the cost of the ingredients....

Summer fairs are fab. (Or in our case a fete, which is almost as bad as a fayre but not quite).

I disagree MerryMarigold, I think the teachers and school really do need the money and it makes a huge difference to the children's school experience.

I know that all the children at our school love the trim trail in the playground. It has increased the pleasure of their breaktimes many times over.

The nursery were unable to go outside for quite a few weeks of the year as the weather was too hot or too wet. The nursery children now have a much better experience at nursery.

The sports equipment is used on a daily basis and children are able to learn hockey and hurdles etc without having to share 1 piece of equipment between 10 of them.

As for the new laptops I know that there are 6 children with various SENs that use the laptops daily. This has changed their school live tremendously and indirectly has helped all the children in the class with them too.

The teachers use their £50 they get given every term/half term on things that each child can play with when it is too wet to go outside at breaktime. On the basis I live in a part of the country where it is a joke about how much rain we get, it is very important to the class.

Yeh, MerylStrop, sometimes fundraising does seem a bit mad, especially the cake making etc. Strawberries and cream, jacket potatoes, burgers, and alcoholic beverages seem more like the way to go.
I think the summer fete should be more about bouncy castles, face-painting, and a sense of community and fun, less about raising tuppence hapenny
< shows age >

pigu,you are v resolute in your importance of pta and participation for all
what of parents who dont work
do you work?

When I were a lass, the best thing about the summer fete was having our teachers in the stocks the caretaker made and getting to lob wet sponges at them.

Can I just reinterate, the PTA at our school don't get the prime seats at school shows. This was an idea we had to try to encourage people to join. All the PTA members (me included) spend our time for the childrens' benefit. Some of the PTA members have been members for over a decade as they have been there whilst all their children have worked up the school. None of them have had any benefits.

However, when you know that you need members but are not getting anyone to join - what can you do to encourage people to join. We need at least 6 new members.

Also one of the mums who said 'no way' when asked if she would like to join, has a son that uses one of the laptops on a daily basis.

Before saying, well she has a child with SEN. I have a child with SEN (but he doesn't get the laptop because his needs are such that even a laptop won't help him).

I'm not saying it makes no difference. I'm saying they don't NEED it to have a great time at school. I've been on some holidays which were really brilliant, and I thoroughly enjoyed them. But I didn't NEED it. My life wouldn't have been awful without it. It was a nice luxury. We had the money, so we used it. Other times we have not had holidays and we've also been happy and had a lovely time doing other stuff.

I think every child would have a brilliant time at school, if it's a friendly school with good teachers, whether they have those things or not. And some of them (like the laptops) could come out of the school budget.

pingu,so much back peddling i see sparks

The sort of people on the PTA are the exact reason why the other parents don't want to get involved!

'Our PTA all go no weekend breaks together - running marathons and skiing'
I think we must live in the same village !

I think you assume too much by stating that parents appreciate the extra money raised.
Most parents aren't that bothered if their kids get a book bag, or an Xmas disco. I can get my own book bags thanks. As for interactive whiteboards or fancy playgrounds - I think they are unnecessary & alot of parents feel the same.
I served on the management committee for our playgroup & and got involved in the fundraising also & it was really hard work & a thankless task. The playgroup needs fundraising or it doesn't exist, the same can't be said for the school. I refuse to spend my time fundraising for 'extras' that are not needed. I do attend the fete & other events & spend money but would not ever want to serve on the PTA.

you see pta fanny about.fiefdom is school
rest of us have genuine external concerns eg work,study etc
being parent doesn't mean i have to participate in school business

Scottishmummy (and all other posters), I totally agree that if you work full time, there is no way, on our PTA, that you would be able to do everything that is required of you. I would say that the lions share of PTA members work part time - I do not work but I am one of the few that don't.

However, there was a statistic given by our school that showed that over 80% of children at school had 1 or 2 parent(s) who did not work at all. So for our school (I realise this won't be the case everywhere) most of the parents being asked if they would like to join, do not work.

Of the 80% who don't work, this is polarised between those on benefits and those who are quite wealthy and the wife doesn't have to work. However, neither end of the scale want to be on the PTA.

Strangely the PTA is comprised of part time workers (mainly mums) who are 'middle of the road'. I don't know what that says.

A lot of parents are now in a double bind of being cash-poor AND time-poor.

With no family living within hundreds of miles, it would cost me lots of money to participate in PTA stuff. I think a direct approach would be really refreshing, tbh as so many things - from the teatowels with kids drawings on through to the tombola are SO inefficient in terms of fundraising.

Pingu, in terms of encouraging people to join, I would make it less high maintenance rather than thinking of a 'reward'. I think a lot of parents would cringe to take you up on that reward anyway. How about getting friendly with some non PTA mums and then saying? Would you fancy helping out with the Christmas disco? or "You're samosas are lovely, how would you feel about doing a food stall at the summer fair?". I think the commitment of bi-monthly meetings, newsletters and all the rest of the malarky is just overboard and it won't be able to continue unless the PTA chills out a bit. Focus on your big money spinners, forget any newsletters and maybe 3 meetings a year, 1 per term to plan that term. You could still get half the stuff you get, but perhaps not all of it.

I've probably missed the main discussion (too many pages to read - sorry, time for bed) and I hate to sound smug but I struck incredibly lucky with my children's primary school. We were constantly fundraising.. but doing fun stuff that everybody killed to get involved in.

A lot of the posts are talking about events and fundraising stuck in the 1950s - tombolas, splat the rat, baking etc. Now, there's something so nice about tradition, and we did all that but only when we had to. Most of the time we had party after party - expensive tickets, very good entertainment and food. They were the parties to be at and tickets sold out in moments.

We also had a tea afternoon every week, hosted by a different class each week. Parents brought along cakes - as often as not, taken out of the supermarket box and bashed about a bit to look 'homemade - and we made a fortune in the first half hour. We were awash with cash. People rescheduled their work hours to be there. it was the place to be. I miss them still

I had to move my youngest to another school - met with horror from the parents of the previous school re "but what about your friends !" "I'll make some more!" I said, cheerily. Famous last words . What a stuck-up bunch they were, this new school. We had letters sent home every now and again saying, effectively, Give Us The Cash. My enthusiastic ideas for fundraising were summarily quashed [who does she think she is] and I inwardly howled that they had tea afternoons once a year . It was a nasty little school - precisely the type whose PTA is run by hatchet-faced volvo drivers who holiday in gites (showing my age there) who moaned that they did all the work but would practically attack with an axe anyone who stepped forward to help. That would be me... but I eventually had to give up trying. It was hopeless.

OMG this so gets my back up.
Parents want all the fucking good stuff that the PTA enables, but can't be arsed to do anything themselves.

I stood outside DDs school trying to drum up interest in joining the committee on a parent consultation evening.
I was gently rebuffed most of the time. One parent just looked me in the eye and said "No Way". point blank.

I can't believe there are so many people who don't want to be involved in their children's education.

lol,not interested =not pta active
i do homework,liaise with school.my lids don't suffer from my non participation,they do benefit from my working
and no i dont feel indebted to pta.at all

But do they, NickRobinson? Do they really want monthly newsletters? I think sometimes the PTA can get a bit self important and think that everyone would be very upset if there wasn't a quiz night that year.

Would a Christmas party and a summer fair be enough? (And they'd happily help out if asked). Would most of the parents really notice if there wasn't 50quid for each class on wet play equipment?

If they're that bothered, they should help. Me, I'm ok and my kid's ok too with what the school can offer. But the Summer Fair is good fun and a Christmas party is nice. That's about it.

read the signals Nick,in some way pta not what parents want or can accomodate

I think you're missing the point NickRobinson. Parents aren't bothered whether they get the 'fucking good stuff' or not. These things are luxuries not necessities. If you want to spend your time fund raising do it for a charity for the homeless or something more worthwhile.

i cant help out in any pta jolles
i am working
so no plaintiff pleading gonna do it.at all
and hey guess what its not compulsory,so as much as you pta gimps harrumph.you have nominal influence,no actual sway

Thank you NickRobinson.

Education is a wide topic - it isn't just Reading, Writing and Arithmatic. The government only give 'just' about enough to schools to budget for these 3 areas. Any more and you can forget it.

I totaly disagree that a child/the school doesn't need any more.

My personal opinion is that the education a child gets at school is also sport and art and history and all sorts of other things. The PTA at my school pay for all those other things. They pay for the crafts for arts week, they pay for better sports equipment, they pay for the man to come in and show each class in school various different lizards and spiders so that what the children learn comes to life. The PTA pay for new recorders so each child in juniors can have one to themselves. The PTA pay for all the things that bring learning to life.

pingu. you need to choose a school that spends its budget more wisely!

our PTA barely raises enough for reception book bags, but we have all those things and more.

I'm still trying to get my head round the laptop/SEN kid comment.