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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be miffed at having had to pay for a school maths GCSE book

104 replies

rightknockered · 26/09/2017 13:06

In the original letter it stated that the book was to be used for homework etc., so I felt obligated to buy it, not wanting my ds to be at a disadvantage. Now I have learned that the book is to remain at school in his locker.
I feel quite angry that the school misrepresented how the book was to be used, also quite cheesed off that they couldn't just be honest with parents - that we were required to pay for school GCSE text books.
I understand the effects of cuts in funding, etc., but they could have been honest.

OP posts:

Witchend · 26/09/2017 13:46

Text books? What text books? I don't think I've seen one yet and I've one in year 12 and 1 in year 9.

Original poster

rightknockered · 26/09/2017 13:48

I don't begrudge paying for a text book. I'm miffed that I wasn't told the entire truth.
(And really I wanted to have a look at it, to see how the curriculum has changed and because maths is my subject)

OP posts:

SandyDenny · 26/09/2017 13:53

I'd be very interested in hearing the evidence that posters have for accusing schools of mismanaging their budgets.

Are you all school bursars or governors? Have you seen your schools financial figures?

Obviously some schools will be poor at financial management but in the majority of cases they lack the funding to pay for everything.

I can afford to pay for some extras but wouldn't be happy with the instruction to keep the book in school.

Aderyn17 · 26/09/2017 13:55

The other thing schools do now is get the parent to finance all the photocopying. Remember when we were at school and used to get loads of printed sheets handed out in class for info and homework? Those days are gone.
I have bought a fair few books for gcse and A level courses. I would happily give them to the school after my kids were done, but for the bloody exam boards and govt tinkering with the courses, rendering them useless.

Aderyn17 · 26/09/2017 13:57

Honestly though, my dc's secondary school seems to have no budget for books but plenty to tart up the areas of school seen by the public and sports facilities.

CallMeDollFace · 26/09/2017 14:01

If it's the way it was explained to you that is upsetting you, i think it would be helpful to post the wording on the letter. Maybe you misread it? (Maybe you didn't!)

There IS a recruitment crisis in teaching. Pay scales are also set, so the school couldn't have been trying to pay less to recruit even if they wanted to.

There is also a funding crisis. Asking parents to buy textbooks is or other consumables is happening more and more. I'm sure there has been some mismanagement of funding but at a level much higher than headteachers and school governors!

viques · 26/09/2017 14:12

bohemia budgets are funny things, indeed. But working as a supply teacher means the school are only paying her for the time they want her, and supply rates these days are minimal! She won't be getting any additional payments based on her experience, but the school will be getting the benefit of her experience, I don't think they will be paying additional contributions to her teachers pension or indeed to her state pension, which they would be doing if she was directly employed, and any sick pay entitlement will be greatly reduced if she has any at all.

School budgets have taken a huge hit this year, parents who can afford to buy books but refuse to do so "on principle" are just undermining a system that is as close to collapse as it can be. I save my sympathy for the parents who are desperate to support their children but who can't afford the basics, let alone any extras.

murphys · 26/09/2017 14:12

The UK is the only country I know of that supplies resources, books, textbooks free. In other countries e.g. France, Italy you have to purchase all text books and exercise books. It's apparently a huge expense. They don't get help with clothing or trips either. So YAB a bit U. Ask any parent with kids in another country.

I am from another country. Our schools do not supply so much as a pencil. We buy everything for the dc from stationery to books. Some text books we buy, some books the school own and get passed down to next person the following year. But by the 3rd or 4th year it needs replacing. Never mind that, each book must be covered in paper AND plastic at the beginning of each year. Although it is a government school, we pay monthly fees as well. There is also a very strict uniform which cannot be swayed from at all... down to the correct grey socks. Schooling is not cheap.

BeyondThePage · 26/09/2017 14:14

If it was A textbook it would not be such a problem. History, Geography,Biology, Physics, Chemistry, German, 3 English set texts, 2 Maths textbooks - and they advise to get revision guides too.

AND because so much of it is new this year, there are NO second hand ones on Amazon/ebay etc. Makes your heart sink every time there is a letter in their bag since every single one of them wants money.

Userwhocouldntthinkofagoodname · 26/09/2017 14:15

Its a bit tight to begrudge buying 1 single text book for your DC.

Mrsdraper1 · 26/09/2017 14:27

I live outside the UK and for my two DD's going back to school in September it cost about 170Euros for the two of them. Exercise books, with plastic covers, pens, pencils, felt tips, a painting set, with different types of brushes, geometry sets, folders, homework diaries. Then got a bill for text books on the second day of term.
I long for the days of having to go to M&S to buy uniform and that's it!!

Original poster

rightknockered · 26/09/2017 14:29

I am waiting for the other letters asking me to purchase text books and sundries and have already beefed up my wispay account in anticipation.
I'm truly shocked at the state of school funding this year, marked difference from last year. I'm just lucky my ds didn't outgrow his entire uniform over the summer.

OP posts:

Gileswithachainsaw · 26/09/2017 14:30

Are you able to purchase them anywhere or do you have to buy through the school?

Original poster

rightknockered · 26/09/2017 14:32

You have to buy through the school.

OP posts:

oldmacdonalde471 · 26/09/2017 14:33

If you've paid the book, it should be used how you want to use it.

Taken to school in your DS's bag, used, brought home again and used at home.

It is his to use.

Gileswithachainsaw · 26/09/2017 14:33

Out of curiosity have you looked on Amazon etc and seen if the book is available cheaper?

RolyRocks · 26/09/2017 14:36

Honestly though, my dc's secondary school seems to have no budget for books but plenty to tart up the areas of school seen by the public and sports facilities.

Building work almost always comes out of a separate budget. Usually by applying or bidding for building grants. I know that that has been the case in my school, with 100% of our new building cost coming from a successful bid.

However, if there is an issue such as security/leaking then a school may decide to allocate some funds to pay for that and something else has to give, I suppose.

RolyRocks · 26/09/2017 14:38

I'm miffed that I wasn't told the entire truth.

Sorry OP. I mis-understood from your first post. Maybe the teachers were fed up of pupils leaving their books at home last year and thought this new policy might solve that?

Dawnedlightly · 26/09/2017 14:41

Slightly off topic but how ridiculously is it that we all stump up hundreds each year for uniform and it's practically unheard of to buy books. 40 years ago we all had stiff necks sharing 1 book between 3 and still it happens.
Imagine if all the money spent on logoed uniform went on workbooks and text books- it'd make such a difference.

Chunkymonkey123 · 26/09/2017 14:41

As someone has already said there is a shortage of computer science teachers, my school interviewed for a role but unfortunately people exaggerate their abilities on their application form and there was no one suitable.

Supply teachers get £100 per day, this is A LOT less than a top grade teacher would cost the school in salary, NI and pension contributions.

The alternative to not paying for text books is there are no text books and with new specs this is a bad idea as the teacher doesn't have a resource base built up.

If you have ever had to rely on 32 15year olds remembering anything you will understand the books being left in their lockers. The alternative is the first 10 mins of the lesson sorting out access to books etc.

KittyVonCatsington · 26/09/2017 14:44

Text books? What text books? I don't think I've seen one yet and I've one in year 12 and 1 in year 9.

For the past theee years, I have purchased text books myself and then planned lesson PowerPoints around each of them (100s of them), so my pupils don't have to buy text books and I know plenty of teachers who have done that. Upshot is, the information has to go to the pupils one way or another and it would either be teacher time suffering or parent funds suffering as we just can't buy class textbooks anymore (we are talking thousands of pounds here). No one is a winner in this scenario, except the government.

ReinettePompadour · 26/09/2017 14:44

I'm always surprised how many posters are 'shocked/surprised' that they are asked to provide things for their own child to keep up with the curriculum.

When I was at high school you were given a book list at the beginning of term and you were expected to provide all books and stationary no arguments.

Schools just dont have the money to buy every student every book they need. Your childs books need to stay in school so they always have them available for class. Your childs book is not being passed around for every Tom, Dave and Gemma to use.

SingaporeSlinky · 26/09/2017 14:45

It's a textbook to help educate your child. Maybe they worded badly or changed their minds and thought easier to keep the books at school so kids always have them for lessons, but no need to spend so much energy on this. As others have said, we're very lucky in the UK to get free education, so buying the odd textbook or contribution to trips or whatever is no big deal. Be grateful for everything the school provides.

happy2bhomely · 26/09/2017 14:49

DS is in year 12 and we have paid for a textbook for maths. The school asked that we did and has offered to buy them from us at the end of the year to use for lower years. I will keep ours for dd.

I have spent a small fortune on textbooks and revision guides over the past 3 years. I always get them from Amazon. The school don't seem to stock any up to date textbooks at all. As far as I know, textbooks have gone out of favour with ofsted so they are not used like they used to be.

Our school has sent several email reminders about the learner support fund for eligible families. Apparently, children from low-income families can apply for help towards travel and equipment.

happy2bhomely · 26/09/2017 14:49

We also have access to online textbooks through the school website.

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