To think the PTA are a bit much?

[Notreallyaninfluencer]

I probably am BU but bloody hell, so far this academic year I’ve paid out £70 for my two DC to attend four PTA events (two of them discos). There has also been several mufti days and a sponsored event at the end of the summer term. Does this seem a bit much? I’ve never paid out this much in previous years.

[BottleOfJameson]

I can't see any issue in forcing parents to feel more involved with school and education, and stop seeing it as some kind of "freebie" they are entitled to.

BUT they are entitled to it! And scraping together money for a disco isn't a way of getting parents involved in education - nor is forcing them to buy loads of lined paper for the classroom!

[Usuallyinthemiddle]

You'll be lucky if the PTA gets near a mufti. They are all monopolised by Comic Relief, Children in Need etc by school itself.

Plus, nobody is ever sent home for not paying their £1 either.

Blame the game not the players.

[WhichSchoolForDS]

@HolesinTheSoles

Erm I think the point is poor people shouldn't have kids. Even though it's stupid parents should buy all the school equipment and despite the fact that they are entitled to a free education no one should "feel" entitled to it.

Let's start the same with hospitals. If you want your surgery you better bring your own surgical equipment and pay for the aneasthetic.

[thatdisorganisedmum]

HolesinTheSoles
if you can't understand my posts, I leave you to answer someone else. I don't want to waste any more of your time, or mine.

[SwappitySwap]

Some very telling posts from the PTA members here.

Schools should be properly managed and no one should be “running to” another parent on the playground when “playground equipment rots”

Self aggrandisement alongside dubious pricing and ideas about what constitutes fun that makes normal parents run screaming from you...

[WhichSchoolForDS]

@thatdisorganisedmum

It's definitely not just Holes who has no idea what you're talking about!

[NoSquirrels]

What happens in other schools? Do the PTA decide what the money is going to be spent on or do they ask the HT and staff?

The PTA should have a representative of the teaching staff (preferably SLT) who goes to the meetings.

The school provides a "wishlist", the PTA votes whether to fund it.

Then you would also find out why the PTA thinks you want/need iPads.

Working together with each other is the only way.

Our PTA provides X amount for specific things every year that the school wish to fund, as agreed at the AGM. Typically higher spend stuff to enhance the creative curriculum, and stuff like library subscriptions and contributions to transport (we are rural with high costs). Then we give X amount per class to spend as they see fit on things related to topics - so it could subsidise a school trip, or pay for an expert to come in, or buy equipment. The class teacher decides.

[NoSquirrels]

Usually, I love "tsunami of whinge' Applicable in so many situations!

[BeatNickBeamer]

This thread has gone insane! Instead of properly funding schools we should just have absolutely loads of PTA events? Or just have parents buy everything out of pocket? What about tables and chairs? (Don't pay don't get to sit down?) At least in my school it's the PTA who manage the funds raised by the PTA not the school and goes for nice extras like playground equipment (for which I'm grateful!) not essentials like books and staff. I think we can appreciate the work of the PTA while also expressing an opinion on the cost of events no?

Also from speaking to friends PTA's do vary wildly. Some are basically a social club for a certain clique of mums, some (like mine) are just a group of people trying to do their best for the child's school.

[thatdisorganisedmum]

hahaha that's why I love MN

Any comment will be twisted and we go from PTA raising money to we should just have absolutely loads of PTA events? Or just have parents buy everything out of pocket? What about tables and chairs?

classic

[BeatNickBeamer]

@thatdisorganisedmum

I'm not twisting anything. It was said upthread that there was a short fall of funding (true) and it should be paid for by the parents (apparently regardless of their ability to do so). Someone else then said that school equipment should be paid for by the parents and that they shouldn't feel entitled to education for their children. This is word for word what was said on a thread about the price of PTA events. It's a mental thread!

[Usuallyinthemiddle]

Sawappity but they aren't. That's why we did it. And my children used things paid for by PTA's before me.
It's fine not to want to be involved. It's not ok to complain when people try to help. It makes you sound unpleasant.

[Coquohvan]

Thatdisorganisedmum
(Name one country? France for example. Here's the list of basic supplies requested for September 2018)

Remind me how much each school child in Frances receives at Reentree? To pay for these every summer! Can’t really compare really.
Plus this
The Family system (Allocations Familiales) is a financial help to all families (whatever their income) plus various services such as day-care or vacation centers (according to income) ; when a family is expecting a child, it gets approximately 2,000 Euros in three installments (the first two of them corresponding to a mandatory medical visit, the third to the birth) ; then the family receives a monthly allowance till the child is 20 (for two children or more, around 100 Euros/month/child) : see detailed numbers ;this is not the only allocation and this organization ("Caisse d'Allocations Familiales") yearly distributes enormous allocations (Euros 72 billion in 2009) to millions of families : for families of two children or more, to help people to keep their old parents in their home, for children with a handicap, and many others… (See details)

[mbosnz]

In NZ, we provide stationery - given the list at the beginning of the year, and go get it. Some stuff is 'pooled' in the classrooms, such as tissues.
I liked it, because we could get the brands and quality we liked. We didn't find it inefficient at all. In fact, the stationery shop at the beginning of the year was something we enjoyed!

Textbooks were provided by the school - but they didn't have to be replaced very often because the curriculum doesn't get rejigged every five minutes.

Students who couldn't afford the lists could get help from the equivalent of Social Services, or from the school.

As in the UK, education in NZ has been consistently and seriously underfunded for a number of years. However, no school has had to cut its hours because it couldn't afford to stay open from 9-3 five days a week. (The school donation is also voluntary, and varies from school to school. Some schools put unreasonable and unlawful pressure on parents to pay).

In NZ, the right to a 'free' education, has sometimes been interpreted as meaning 'freely available to all', rather than being in cost to user being 'free'.

[arethereanyleftatall]

The only shortfall of funding people are talking about is the £70 the op referred to. £70 over two children and two terms. Just over £1 per week per child. Or paying for their own stationary. That's it.
And from that posters have come out with 'only rich people should have kids then' and 'if you can't afford private school don't have kids' and other such gems. Such nonsense.

All people are really saying is take a tiny bit of responsibility for your own children, and if you can't help the PTA that's fine, but don't complain about them.

[thatdisorganisedmum]

Coquohvan

but then you have to take into account the medical costs - health care is not 100% free like the NHS, people are expected to make a (small) contribution to any GP visit and hospital stays, and most families relay on private insurance to complement the free NHS part ("Mutuelles" if I remember correctly)

So you do need the full figures to make a full comparison.

[Coquohvan]

Thatdisorganisedmum

We are discussing schools. My point stands French receive more help with children than the UK children receive. Which would help UK families on low incomes if UK had similar help.

Without detailing this thread. France has a good system for health, retirement and family.

www.understandfrance.org/Paris/Sick.html#ancre2345146

[notacooldad]

But it's not free. It's free at the point of delivery but its paid for in taxes

Which is exactly how it should be surely?

Agreed.

[CCquavers]

Computers, laptops, books, playground equipment, touring plays, educational events, day trips, gazebos, uniform for poorest families, camera equipment,sport equipment, staging. This is just some of what Pta funds have paid for in our primary school over the last 5 years. I can’t say anymore as I’ll out myself. I love being able to say to the head and the teachers yes there is money to pay for new footballs or a new music hut. It is voluntary though and no one has to join in any of the events.

[SwappitySwap]

Usually are you suggesting that your HT/Bursar/Caretaker are negligent in their duty to keep children safe by not maintaining equipment to an adequate standard so that PTA members have to race to the rescue? Bahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

I stand by my position that many PTA members are self important people whose time would be better spent campaigning for all children’s education to be properly funded rather than a single new climbing frame.

Personally, I don’t get involved because I’d end up having to talk to idiots.

[slipperywhensparticus]

Iggly austerity effects more than schools parents are feeling it too

[Usuallyinthemiddle]

swappity yep, nasty.

If there were enough funding the PTA wouldn't be needed. If you look at what the parents have paid for in my children's primary, it's astonishing. That's parents, friends of parents, local businesses and grants. The same in a lot of schools. But you keep mocking and sniping. That'll help the funds no end.
Sitting on your snippity-seat bahaha-ing achieves jack shit. Other than making you look like the twat who won't help but loves to criticise.

[Ali1cedowntherabbithole]

Yep. Us PTA dragons; neglecting our own children at events to run stalls, "forgetting" to put receipts in so the profits are higher, rushing home from work to attend meetings, giving up our weekends to run events. Not to mention baby sitting your child for 2 hours for £3 at the disco or movie night.

And all for vanity projects like books for the library, computers for ICT curriculum work, and funding for swimming lessons.

Selfish narcissists the lot of us.

[mbosnz]

PTA bloody rocks. Parents who aren't part of it, but benefit from their efforts, without understanding the efforts, and the benefits - well, they're a bit annoying.

[Pumperthepumper]

I stand by my position that many PTA members are self important people whose time would be better spent campaigning for all children’s education to be properly funded rather than a single new climbing frame.

Personally, I don’t get involved because I’d end up having to talk to idiots.

But you can do both! If you feel so strongly, you’re exactly the kind of person who should be on the PTA. Our area has just been hit by absolutely massive cuts over the next two years and the pressure absolutely will be on parents to buy glue sticks, jotters, books...as well as giving them any kind of cultural experience.