Private companies running classes in state schools, DD can't go because we are poor, AIBU to complain??

[PollyPeppa]

We are below the poverty line as we have 3 DC's and DH and I are full time uni students. We worked in low paid jobs and decided enough was enough and are now hoping to get better ones after university.

DD's school had just started up after school Spanish club. We sent her along to the trial session and she loved it. We had foolishly assumed there would be a concessionary rate (as there usually is with after school clubs) but there is not as it is run by a private company so we can't afford for her to go again.

I feel this is very unfair to offer this as only children whose parents can afford to send them can go, I think it creates a divide in the 'state' system.

MFL were part of the primary curriculum for a while, then the new government made it optional.

yanbu

i think expense ski trips etc should be banned in state school too.

You mean all those trips to abroad that neither of my children ever went on?
There were some incredible ones, all taken by the same children of parents wealthy enough to pay £600 upwards. Last one was an Art trip to New York.
Ban everything unless all can have free access?

in a state school ALL children should have EQUAL chances.

state schools should certainly not be doing expensive trips abroad that only some children can go to.

and i say that as a parent taht could afford the 600pound plus trips.
i just feel it's wrong.

I didn't go on any school holidays, it's not cause me any lasting problems! If ds gets the chance to go on one and it's within budget then he can go if he wants. If it can't be afforded then he won't be able to go.

I wouldn't expect others to have to miss out on things because I can't afford them.

It's disgraceful to say that state school should not be running expensive trips. Who are you to decide whether parents can "afford" these trips or not? Some parents make massive sacrifices to send their kids on these trips... some parents on the same income choose not to.

I never went on any of the trips my secondary school offered - barcelona, moscow, etc. etc. Did it damage me or negatively impact on my fucture? Did it fuck!

Sorry OP but you and your partner chose to both return to study at the same time. Some people don't choose to live below the poverty line. Thankfully, in schools such as ours we have a very good system of funding for the latter children.

dear god, life is not capitalism.

are you all awake? just because somethings in line with capitalism, we all have consciences, we can all say whats right and wrong?

i cant afford to pay for health care? would you deny my children it because i cant pay?

I dont think anyone NEEDS to learn spanish at primary school, the same cant be said about health care therefore you can hardly compare the two.

Cameron worked in PR and he has done sterling work on the propaganda machine here. Looks like it's a minority interest to defend the principle of free education. Free, not mainly free, partly free or a bit free, but actually free. All the time.

No-one is being denied free education.

It's not a school-run club, it's not state education or part of the curriculum. It's an extracurricular activity, like karate or chess or any other number of extracurricular activities, which not everyone is in a position to access for any number of reasons.

"Society is more equal now than it ever has been."

How do you explain rising inequality if this piece of arrant bullshit were true?

you think this is bad? the condems have the perfect storm coming; 1,the removal of the clause which keeps schools from charging fees and 2, the abolition of LEAs (and thereby state education as we know it). in a few years you'll have the 'choice' of academies or free schools. sorry to be the bearer of bad news but that's what's happening.

obviously the 'free' in 'free schools' should have had inverted commas too.

free education - try telling that to someone who graduates in a few years time and is £60k in debt.

Funny, but there have been plenty of threads on mumsnet about people excluding one or two kids in class from a party and most people will admit it's cruel.

But when schools are advertising and running activities that kids from a certain income bracket will be excluded from it's a valuble lesson they have to learn.

What do they learn? That they are worth less than others? To expect fuck all out of life?

Social exclusion and inequality are cruel.

No wonder some kids turn out like they do. A society gets the kids it deserves. England had it coming with regards to those damn riots.

or do they learn that if you can't be bothered to work and put effort in you don't get as much back (yes i know some people can't work hard because they have disabled children or can't get jobs, but others such as my SIL are just plain lazy).

the class won't be excluding one or two children - in fact if the class gets 5 out of 30 kids they will be doing well. Just because thes clubs are on offer does not mean most of the children in a class take them. There will be kids with rich parents that don't do the class.

So whats the valuble lesson the children of the "deserving poor" learn then dreaming?

"or do they learn that if you can't be bothered to work and put effort in you don't get as much back"

How would they learn that?

It's not their level of work that is going to make the difference here.

Or do you actually want to punish little children for what you perceive to be the transgressions of their parents?

You do, don't you? You want the children of the poor to suffer (or "learn lessons") because you think that poor people are shit and their kids deserve to be treated differently.

SheCutOffTheirTails - so i get that you don't like parents having to pay for after school clubs run by private companies so what do you suggest should happen, bearing in mind the schools don't have the money to fund these clubs and nobody is going to do it for nothing?

I live in a middle class area and only know 1 person out of my 3 dc's classes who took up those lessons. Hardly anybody can afford them as I said before,get over it.

So are we going to ban music lessons,judo,dance(all of which take place on my dc's school grounds)???Bonkers.

I don't begrudge others being able to pay for things I can't,they may cut back in other areas to pay for said lessons.

Quite a few of my kids friends live in masseeeeeve houses,1 has a pony,several have pets,several have nice holidays-life isn't fair but I think instead of winging about not being able to afford fripparies for ones kids some people need to be grateful that we live in a society with free health care,schooling and when you're in the shit-benefits.

Oh FFS not going to an after-school Spanish lesson is not a punishment. Hardly any kids go to after-school Spanish lessons. Stop being so dramatic and calling it 'suffering'. It's not, it's life. There are very few if any people in the world who get to do everything and anything they want to.

I never got to go on the expensive trips and whatnot when I was a kid. I knew to not even ask. But do you know what's making me feel bad, SCOTT? Your hand-wringing heartache for poor little deprived old me.

I totally agree with you. yanbu. Schools should only endorse projects that are socially inclusive. FYI the SEN discrimination act covers after school activities held in schools.

PMSL it can't be discrimination if buggar all kids do these classes.

The point being ignored continuously by some is hardly anybody does those language classes(or any other horrendously over priced out of school,non essential activity).