To think she should be grateful to the school ?

[HighwayDragon1]

I'm friends with a mum on FB who has had a rant about the school her kid goes to (local secondary comp) because her kids shoes broke at school and because they're on FSM the head of year went to the uniform shop and bought them new ones. The mum is now saying that she's not a charity case and should have been told/given the opportunity to buy some herself.

Now if someone bought my kid new school shoes because they'd broken them I'd be really bloody grateful!

Schools can allocate pupil premium as they wish for relevant dc. Her dd possibly said "my mum can't afford new ones" in the way that secondary school dc are dramatic so the teacher did it to avoid embarrassment where the mum would refuse the school's offer. No one would have known if she didn't tell anyone whereas now she's announced it on fb. With 3dc I'd be delighted if someone bought them shoes.

gratitude isn't an obligation

I don't agree. If someone does something kind you say thank you. Even when dc receive gifts that are duplicates I've taught them to say thank you and not make a fuss. The teacher didn't do this to embarrass the mum even if it's the end result. It was an act of kindness and she's chosen to take offence. Most people would humbly say oh there's no need but that's really kind. If she is that keen to spend her money she can put the money she would have spent on shoes in a charity box.

She probably didn't want everyone thinking she was a charity case. If this happened in school hours then it's likely the kids friends would've known about it and maybe told thier parents; therefore people could've go the hump that they have to pay for shoes but she didn't, kid might've been bullied etc.

I wouldn't have been happy at everyone knowing I couldn't get my dc shoes myself

Then if it happens don't post it on Facebook, pinky. The irony...

Was it 1)recent, and 2)up north? The weather we've been having, sending someone home in broken leaking shoes would be pretty cruel...

Damned if you do and damned if you don't. I wonder what her fb post would've been if her DD brought home her broken shoes/no shoes. Her pride might have been bruised/embarrassed school has to buy the shoes, but isn't it worse to announce it on fb?!

Perhaps she doesn't have the money right this second m0ther- specially as they sound quite expensive.

I don't find it hard to believe at all that the shoes been on their last legs (feet?) for some time and that the Head finally took pity and replaced them as a PP suggested. It certainly isn't standard IME for schools to provide shoes.

I just don't see why the OP felt the need to start this thread. It can't be nice to have it insinuated (rightly or wrongly) that you can't provide your child with shoes. Why not just just accept that this woman's pride has been hurt and have a bit of sympathy instead of starting threads on here behind her back about the ingratitude of the peasant classes?

For the school to do this, I suspect they have been pointing out the problems with the shoes for some time. They don't look at a student's feet and say 'hey, they're a bit scuffed, go get a free pair of shoes'. They would have asked the student several times about her shoes, told her to get them replaced, there's been enough concern to raise it among the staff and with the head. I suspect mum is seen as someone who just can't be arsed, and now she's embarrassed about being called out on it.

Behind her back!! She posted on FB herself.

SaucyJack I think you have hit the nail on the head.
We are not being told the childs age or if she had shoes at home and the strap or buckle had broken off the shoes she was wearing.
It was not neccessary to start a thread about the Mum, so I am going to report it.

saucyjack I work as a home school link worker and you would be amazed at what I've managed to get hold of for families in need. A pair of shoes isn't the half of it.

Do you do cracked iPhone screens Rhonda? I need my phone to... er... log into ParentPay.

I will be grateful. Promise.

No problem, saucy.

Just send the phone to my postal address in Nigeria - that's ok, isn't it?

sugar21 why would you report the thread? For commenting anonymously about an unnamed person?

I'm more confused as to why she bumped it only 2 minutes after the OP started it?

Well yes she should but I can understand her being mortified and upset though. Everyone likes to think they can they can provide for their own children with zero or at best minimal support. She's probably feeling a tad inferior, too. I think she needs to be cut some slack

I would not be grateful, id be mortified.