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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

£5 donation for head teacher to sign passport applications etc...

221 replies

NameChangeNotNewbie · 17/03/2017 10:35

Thoughts on this?

The money goes to the school fund. It says a donation, not a voluntary donation.

Does this seem reasonable or unreasonable?

OP posts:
Original poster
NameChangeNotNewbie · 17/03/2017 17:32

Do you think it's an invitation Bobo? To generate extra funds? so confused

OP posts:
BoboChic · 17/03/2017 17:34

Yes, probably! It's such a small amount and schools are desperate to raise money yet have few ways of doing so.

Longislandicetee · 17/03/2017 17:41

Good for them. It's a royal pain to do these things, and having been contacted by the passport office before about one i countersigned, the subsequent hassle was worth a lot more than £5. As someone else said it's risky if you're for example a lawyer and can't afford the reputational stain if you countersigned for someone that you really shouldn't have done (in hindsight of course).

dementedpixie · 17/03/2017 17:44

Does the head teacher really know all the parents though and will he be truthful when he says he has known them for 2 years? I sincerely doubt he does know them so would be signing fraudulently

dementedpixie · 17/03/2017 17:45

Our school states that they will not sign them at all. I ask one of my neighbours as one is a nurse and another works for the police

HungryHorace · 17/03/2017 17:52

I think that a fiver is reasonable, to be honest.

I can sign passport applications, but have only done 2 so far, so I'm not exactly inundated!

Thankfully, as a lawyer I know plenty of other lawyers who can sign mine / my husband's / my kids' forms so I'm in a fortunate position.

BoboChic · 17/03/2017 17:54

You only need a countersignatory for a first passport or DC under 12.

Ihavefriends · 17/03/2017 18:01

Of course doctors are able to sign the forms.

The BMA fought for them to be removed from the list, because they don't have time to do it, it's non NHS work. Often they'll do it for a fee, which is purposefully high to put people off. The only people I do them for are people I'd never charge the fee to! So very close friends.

Ihavefriends · 17/03/2017 18:03

Oh, and if I were the head, £5 is WAY too little. £20 at least! They're selling themselves cheap, it's not their job.

Crumbs1 · 17/03/2017 18:07

It should be more as it is time consuming and not part of a headteacher' job description. Most people who can afford a passport and to travel abroad can afford an extra £10 or know somebody who can sign.

Looneytune253 · 17/03/2017 18:08

@ihavefriends it actually states now your family doctor can't do it now. They don't know you usually anyway enough to sign for you. It does state a doctor friend can do it though.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 17/03/2017 18:13

They're selling themselves cheap, it's not their job

You're right, it's not - and yet as I mentioned above, if they take on the task for a small fee, there seems an expectation that the money will be given to the school, rather than staying with the person who's done the work

I wonder why that is ...

EnormousTiger · 17/03/2017 18:16

It takes ages. First you have to set aside the time to see the person and then they probably won't turn up on time so you've lost all that time hanging around. Then you do some chit chat. Then the forms are really complicated with explanatory notes etc and making sure you sign in the right place in the right colour pen for me as a solicitor I find really really hard. I worry I will get letters outside the right box so you check and check again. Then you have to work how long you've known them. Then I had to go into another room to find my own passport to write the number of that in. Then you sign photos. I would never voluntarily do it ever even for £100 actually. I do it for neighbours I feel I can't say no to but I always hope no one will ever ask me again.

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 17/03/2017 18:18

You only need a countersignatory for a first passport or DC under 12.

Not true. It is also needed if you need to change you photo as you are not recognisable from your old one.

Ihavefriends · 17/03/2017 19:01

Looneytune not so. The gov website says no such thing. An "independent" website states that, but it's not quite true. Yes, GPs complained, but they could act to countersign should they know the person long and well enough.

If there's been a change, no one has told us doctors, and its not in the official guidance.

We just don't want to do it.

So, if someone is daft enough to do it for a fiver, good luck to them!

amberdillyduck · 17/03/2017 19:18

We used to charge £10 in 2000. I thought most schools charged. It takes a vast amount of time and you regularly get followed up by the passport office throughout the year.

The local GP charged much more. When they brought in a charge then everyone started asking the school and we got dozens of requests each week (very big school). This is not the core purpose of a school and we shouldn't have to spend out base budget subsiding it. We could have said no but many or our parents had no-one professional that they knew. It didnt cover the additional admin cost.

Original poster
NameChangeNotNewbie · 17/03/2017 20:00

The more I consider it, I do wonder if such a transactional attitude towards parents might backfire though.

If the school is unwilling to do a favour that takes finite period of time on one occasion to help a family, for free, it might deter some parents from contributing their time or other resources on an ongoing basis to help the school, for free (e.g. Reading schemes, organising fund raising events, baking for cake sales, volunteering to do sponsored bag packs, charity car washes, etc.)

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RainbowsAndUnicorn · 17/03/2017 20:11

Surely though parents do that for the benefit of the children, if they are doing for personal gain then they won't be missed anyway.

SheSaidHeSaid · 17/03/2017 20:14

I think it's more than reasonable. What a good idea as well.

Original poster
NameChangeNotNewbie · 17/03/2017 20:23

I don't agree with you on that rainbow, but I did assume someone would raise that.

Volunteering is often marketed as 'help others & help yourself'. There is great personal gain to be had from volunteering. Even 'selfish' volunteers are helpful and their time useful (and their money spends as good as the money from a saint Wink).

OP posts:
iMatter · 17/03/2017 20:24

But NameChange that tit for tat approach is such a bad idea.

HT doesn't sign passport for free = one child/parent loses out on passport application and has to pay GP £20

Parents don't help out - their own children lose out

Original poster
NameChangeNotNewbie · 17/03/2017 20:30

iMatter I'm not disagreeing with that. I'm suggesting that if the school becomes too miserly then there might be less willingness to be generous towards said school.

OP posts:
Original poster
NameChangeNotNewbie · 17/03/2017 20:32

I actually wonder if she did the wrong thing calling it a donation. She might have been better calling it an administration fee and putting it straight back into the school budget instead of the school fund.

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HelenaGWells · 17/03/2017 20:33

I think it's absolutely fair because
Schools are struggling for funds. Headteachers time is valuable.
Schools often have hundreds of kids so even doing 1% of these takes time. It is a 15 minute job minimum.
A GP would charge £20-£30.

Iwannasnack · 17/03/2017 20:33

I sign passports but only for friends and colleagues. It's not always a phone call to check up on you. A friend got sent a copy of the photo she had signed and had to verify who it was and their address. I don't know if a ht would automatically recall every face and a gp definitely wouldn't recognise every patient.