That if something is compulsory on the National Curriculum, parents should not be asked to pay?

[TattyDevine]

Our school is asking for £25 to cover the cost of the coach to take them to swimming lessons, which are compulsory under the national curriculum.

This is a state school btw.

I asked whether my child could opt out, as she is already a very competent swimmer who has private swimming lessons at great expense already. The answer was no, it's compulsory.

I get that education cuts put schools in a tricky position trying to balance the books and that coaches cost money but it's not like a school trip where if you can't pay you can not go..

What next, paying for maths class?
Child is in the first year of KS2.

AIBU?

Yabu the swimming is free, the £25 is transport.

YABU.

Coach transport isn't free! It costs a lot of money to hire a coach each week.

YANBU as such, but paying for transport for swimming lessons seems to be pretty standard. You can refuse to contribute though, but really you should only do this if you can't afford it.

She can't just not go though. That would be like saying 'my child is good at maths, can she not do maths lessons please?'.

Parents shouldn't be asked to pay, no. And teachers shouldn't have to fund items for classrooms out of their own pockets. But unfortunately both situations are common.

I feel that if you can pay, you should - otherwise money that would have gone in other, needed resources has to be redirected.

This is what happens under a Tory Government. Pay up or if you are too poor and on free school meals, you should able to get an exception.

YANBU.

Im currently having the same gripe about a mandatory geography field trip. I bet they don't learn enough either to justify a four day trip.

It costs a lot of money to hire a coach each week.

Of course it does, and the school should budget accordingly. Whilst I do understand schools are under pressure with money, the op is quite right that compulsory education should not be at the cost of a parent. If the op was talking about a school trip, that of course is a different matter, but there is no opt out option here.

Of course it does, and the school should budget accordingly.

Where do you want that money to come from? Teachers are already buying things like school books, stationary etc. for their classrooms because the budget just doesn't cover the basics, let alone things like coach transport.

In an ideal world, of course it should be funded by the school, but unlike Theresa May, schools don't have a magic money tree

Is the £25 a yearly fee? Pretty cheap for weekly swimming lessons, I would have thought (which I know wasn't really your aibu, but, you know, most people do actually send their kids to lessons outside school)

RonSwansonsMoustache as I said, I do understand that but it doesn't mean the parents (some who really may not be able to afford £25) should make up the difference. It's really shit and I hate what the Tories have done to schools, but parents shouldn't have to pay for compulsory education.

but, you know, most people do actually send their kids to lessons outside school

Really - what percentage of UK families send their kids to lessons outside school?

We didn't. We just taught him ourselves and he had school lesson.s

(But that's separate to the AIBU)

"Of course it does, and the school should budget accordingly."

So what does the school not provide that it does at present?

Parents shouldn't be asked to pay, but they have been put in the position where they have to.

It's easy to say that the school should budget accordingly, but budgeting doesn't make money appear from nowhere. Schools simply aren't funded properly.

So what does the school not provide that it does at present?

Who knows? Perhaps start with the headmaster taking a pay cut? It doesn't mean parents who send their kids to state schools should be out of pocket.

If you can afford £25 YABU. Coaches are expensive. The cost is passed on to the parents so that schools can buy pencils and glue sticks.
Yes it really is that bad. If you would like your child to get an enjoyable education don't punish the school for the government's mistakes. That £25 is the difference between an interactive lesson requiring glue sticks or a boring lesson without resources.

I don't think you are no. Yes it costs money, but they get money from the government to cover the curriculum. It is compulsory and you can't opt out, therefore you shouldn't have to pay. Offer to drive her yourself and see what they say

Clever clogs I find it interesting that people think Mcdonalds workers should be paid £10 an hour but teachers including heads should take a pay cut.

I'm with you OP. If it's compulsory, you shouldn't have to pay for it.

I think it's a disgrace that school budgets are so tight. It is compulsory and the government should pay but they don't. If parents don't pay for the transport the money has to come from elsewhere. Budget accordingly literally means cut back in another area. They can't make more profit by up selling, or remodel the goods using cheaper materials. There is only so many ways you can rejig staffing

the school should budget accordingly

Should they cancel all swimming lessons, which might be the only times the children would need it the most will see the inside of a swimming pool?

£25 is nothing. Wait until you have to buy books and supplies (which we really should do by now!). The school cannot make the kids walk, they need a coach.

The government keep adding more and more things to the curriculum that schools have to cover but are taking away money at the same time. Unfortunately, the fallout of this is that both teachers and parents are having to spend their own money on compulsory education.

So no, OP, YANBU but unfortunately this is the current state of the education system.

The government should provide but it doesn't. Don't blame the school by yanbu

I could drive her to be fair

What a terrible tight wad that would make me look

I get that government cuts sometimes make it tricky for schools to actually deliver the curriculum. I will be paying. Because I can. But I feel for those who can't if they've been haemorrhaging money on childcare for 3 kids over the 6 week summer period...

It's the first time we've been asked to pay for something we have no choice with, so I was interested to hear a cross section of views.

I feel we shouldn't have to by my gripe leans towards the budget cuts rather than the school to be fair ...

My DD's sixth form education is compulsory, and yet I am still expected to pay £1100 a year for her transport to get there!

It doesn't mean parents who send their kids to state schools should be out of pocket.

you are not out of pocket if you provide education to your children. Yes, you might need to buy a few pencils and pay for the coach. Why do you expect other people to pay for your child?