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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to have no intention of paying this?

44 replies

marshmallowhuntingseason · 04/09/2013 15:27

DS school has asked for a voluntary contribution of £15 per child for the 'school fund', to be paid at the start of each term.

AIBU to think this is a bit cheeky and I won't be giving it?

I know times are tough and school budgets are being cut right left and centre, but can't help feeling this is unnecessary. The old headteacher (over 20 years at the school) never asked for more money than one would expect & apparently worked well within the budget. However the new one has increased the price of school trips, stopped all after schools activities, increased the price of the after schools wrap around care & has also tried to end the practice of sending notes home, instead suggesting that parents pay a fiver each for a text service that will send necessary announcements etc to their phones.

The headteacher is not very popular- hardly ever there, apparently he has been going on American evangelical courses about 'bringing God back into our schools" (it's not a faith school by the way) and apparently has run the school budget down due to paying out for constant subs.

The school has also recently been awarded a large sum of money to build another few classrooms and nursery unit, it's a good school with a strong PTA and a good mix of pupils from all backgrounds.

We are a low income family and I have just forked out £18 milk and fruit money for this term, & that was hard enough to scrape from our budget.

So, AIBU to ignore the note asking me for money?

OP posts:

JulesJules · 04/09/2013 18:44

Paying for the text service is just wrong! It's cheaper for the school than sending out newsletters. And they are supposed to be keeping you informed.

£15 sounds a lot - we have £5 per term voluntary contribution. If you can't afford to pay then don't.

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 04/09/2013 18:45

I ignored the "voluntary contribution" for swimming...and got about three notes home! I couldn't bloody afford it!

DeWe · 04/09/2013 18:52

It's fairly common now. Often if they don't have that they basically get it by stealth (Theatre group coming in-£2, baking ingredients- £1.50, extra sport's session-£3...) and it adds up to more in the end. It's also easier to pay in one lump than lots of times during the year.

At the schools my dc are at, 1 the text is free, and the other two it's an extra cost-one of which I choose not to pay. and the other I do (reasons for this). But the one where it's free don't half send too many texts. I'm sure it's really helpful to know that year 3 boy's football is cancelled next week, if I had one of the 20 )out of 450) children doing it. My dc there is neither in year 3 nor a boy

12thDoctorsCompanion · 04/09/2013 20:49

when junior school used to demand ask for money, voluntary of course, knowing there were a few of us struggling, STILL ''persuaded'' us to contribute, if it was £10.00 at LEAST £8.00.

then when we said no we cant theyd bang on ALL bloody year, loudly, in front of other parents, that we werent supporting the school and our kids.

now I homeschool. that was just ONE of the many reasons why.

Tabby1963 · 04/09/2013 21:06

I have never heard of such a thing (am shocked actually), I work in a Scottish Primary school and such a 'suggestion' would go down like a lead balloon.

State schools surely have a statutory responsibility to communicate with parents whether through the medium of texts, emails, newsletters, telephone. It would be unlawful(?) to charge parents for this necessary service.

Re: comment about charging £1 per week at nursery. We do this to cover the variety of snacks we provide daily to the children, works out at 20p per session.

We have a Fund Raising Committee made up primarily of parents, they organise school events throughout the year to pay for extra equipment (class cameras, stage lighting, playground equipment, subsidy of school trips etc).

Parents should not be asked to pay extra!

ImperialBlether · 04/09/2013 21:08

They don't pay for the texts individually! We have this at college - it's just a software program that you buy, save all the contact numbers in and then you can send the same text to everyone in college or to specific people.

Knowing our college I doubt whether the program costs much at all. How many pupils are there? At £5 each, they are ripping you off.

SpottyDottie · 04/09/2013 21:11

Ours is £25. It's voluntary. I choose not to pay it. Our school is forever asking for cash for things and I pay when it is necessary but I'm can't endlessly give.

ImperialBlether · 04/09/2013 21:11

I've just looked online and they seem to cost about 5p per message. How many messages do you receive?

Portofino · 04/09/2013 21:19

I work for a phone company. The software/texts won't be free not expensive maybe but not free.

phantomnamechanger · 04/09/2013 21:29

Both my kids schools use parent mail texts and emails to cut down on letters and paper and things getting lost on the way home. Neither charge for this.

But both ask for voluntary school fund - £3 per child per year or £5 for a family at primary, £15 per year for secondary - with the option of either setting up a standing order for 5 annual instalments or paying all 5 years in one go. I assume they keep tabs and refund you if your kid leaves in year 9.....not!

chickydoo · 04/09/2013 21:34

Ours is £20'a term per child. Has been the same for over 10 years.
Is going up to £30 next term. It is not compulsory, but I think most pay.

goldenlula · 04/09/2013 22:01

Our school ask for a voluntary contribution of £5 per term per family. I pay it when I remember to!

MedusaIsHavingaBadHairday · 04/09/2013 22:05

You think that's bad.. my DS2 has just started a special needs course (he has autism and LDs) as he is 16 and his special school doesn't go to 18.

They sent us an breakdown of expected costs for doing cooking skills, 'enrichment activities' etc... to the tune of £400!!!!!!

And he has to have at least £4 a day for lunch .

I was not impressed.. especially as 'enrichment' appears to consist of cinema trips and bowling... both of which we do as a family anyway :/

friday16 · 04/09/2013 22:50

"I work for a phone company. The software/texts won't be free not expensive maybe but not free."

The printed letters they replace weren't free either.

Portofino · 04/09/2013 22:52

Of course not. Paper and printing costs money. As do text messages.

BlackeyedSusan · 04/09/2013 22:58

£5 for text messages? I would be going into the office everyday and asking if there is any information that i should know about as i can not affor d the five pounds. just to be bloody awkward and make a point like.

Twooter · 05/09/2013 06:36

I know of a few Scottish schools that do it, but I think done through the parent council as a way to reduce having to put on fundraising events so much. The rational behind it was that it was always the same parents who put In pthe work,
And associated costs (eg cake ingredients) who then attended the events thus paying several times over.

MrsAMerrick · 05/09/2013 07:25

No school we've been involved with has ever charged a "school fund" fee or for text messages. Lots of cake dales though! Tbh, I do wish they WOULD levy a small charge for food tech classes to cover basic ingredients (oil, flour etc) as the DCs keep having recipes that demand things like 1tbs flour, or 1tsp oil. I'd much rather pay £5 for food tech for a year than hunt around house for suitable container for 1tbs flour or oil every week.

mrsfuzzy · 05/09/2013 08:18

how do you know that the money actually goes into school use and not financing the head masters' jollies the the u.s.? i wouldn't pay it but i would question about the god bothering stuff though.

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