Newspaper taking photos of children at school then selling them to parents

[Palinto]

When DS started school I ticked the box which said I didn't mind him having his photo taken, assuming this would be for school related things.

A term in and a photo of their first day at school is published in our cities newspaper, which we can then buy from them.... I felt a bit about this but obviously didn't want to not buy a picture of my DS on his first day at school.. I was then charged £7 plus £2 postage for a rubbish quality tiny print.

It reminds me of being in Morocco and getting followed by guys with cameras who would then try to sell you the pictures they took, i.e. not entirely appropriate for an infant school. I wouldn't mind so much buying a photo from the actual school, but the newspaper?

AIBU to be annoyed at this?

YABU. You don't have to buy that photo. If it's anything like my local paper the price will have been clear from the outset

I feel that my child is at school to learn, not to be herded into a photo in order to make money for the newspaper

You had the option not the buy. Some parents want a professional photo and schools see it as chance to raise some money. You could tell the school you thought the quality wasn't great and see if they could get someone else on?

What do you think he's going to learn on his first day of school?

Other than where the toilets are and to put his hand up when he wants to ask a question.

I quite like seeing all the P1's in the newspaper. We just kept the paper, didn't bother with s print.

It wasn't bought from the school, it was bought from the newspaper, I wouldn't have minded at all is it was money going to the school but feel a bit about inviting outside businesses in to make money

I think you are over reacting a bit, not every second at school will be filled with education - you better get used to this or you will cause yourself major stress as the years go on. A few minutes for a photo is no big deal in the scheme of things really. Noone is forced to buy it, and you could just have kept the newspaper. I still have various newspaper cuttings of my DS1 whos 19 from his primary school years that I love to embarrass him with.

I suppose it also bothers me because we are having real financial problems at the moment, I may not mind so much if we weren't, I don't know.

We just kept the paper too.
Most schools do this, lots of people like seeing the photos in the paper, it's nothing at all like being in Morocco. You will no doubt be able to buy a photo from the school itself later in the year.

I expect the school does make money - allow the newspaper to take photo, take a cut from sales.

It was a bit like I felt I had to buy it (I know I didn't, but come on even the newspaper know it will pull a few heartstrings) but it was expensive (and rubbish) and I felt a bit cheated, then I felt a bit pissed off that they are trying to make money out of my son from me, while he is at school. It doesn't seem like much money to some people but to us it was expensive.

I think that is a really unfair comment, lockets, I haven't seen anything in what the OP has written that states she doesn't see it as a "nice keepsake" but that the quality wasn't very good and she's having financial problems - both good reasons not to spend £9 on a photograph!

Why not just keep the newspaper? Isn't that what most people do?

Wouldn't have occurred to me to buy it.

It always seems to be people with money problems that feel they HAVE to buy stuff or they are somehow letting their children down. This makes me sad.

I took that as a general comment - yes, not every second at school is filled with learning (and I know, I am a teacher! ) but on the other hand, there does seem an aspect of "now we have these children in our tender loving care, let's make money from them" which I dislike.

Official school photographs are obligatory and theatre visits are fun/educational so not quite the same thing really!

What on earth are the paper going to do about it, given that op had already seen the pic,thought it was poor quality, but bought it anyway?

Our local paper has a purchases page - they print one photo with a news article then you can follow the link to the purchases page and buy it (and more that the photographer took)

I thought this was common practice with free papers? they have to make money to keep afloat.