Aibu to not want to fill a smarties tube with £1 coins

[Invisimamma]

This will be outing if any parents from my child's school are on here...

Both children came home from school and nursery today with a tube of smarties each as a gift from the PTA with instructions to eat them and fill the tube with £1 coins or 20p, letter specifically states not coppers or 5/10ps. Apparently the tube will hold £12 of 20pences.

There will be a prize for the class who brings back the most money.

Now I have a few issues with this:

1. my friends child has a diary allergy was really upset he can't eat his treat (she didn't know this was happening so couldn't provide an alternative)
2. we still have lots of Easter chocolate and don't need more
3. dp and I both work but childcare and other costs are crippling us at the moment and we're skint, an extra £24 is really beyond us just now
4. we've just paid £46 snack money to nursery and £12 for a school trip for one and £8 for a trip for another (amongst lots of other recent school costs)
5. does anyone even has coins lying around the house anymore? I use contactless payment for almost everything and don't draw out cash.

The children have been hyped up about it and both have said they need to raise money for the school. I guess I'm feeling guilty that we're not in a position to participate/it's a pain in the arse idea.

Is it the school or the PTA? Our PTA do this as well.

Not everyone participates so don’t feel bad if you don’t. And there’s certainly no pressure to send the tubes back full. But maybe if you could think of some other ways the PTA could raise funds that you do approve of you could maybe let them know or even better join the PTA and help out yourself.

My DC school did this. I never filed them fully. Just put a few in each to take back.

Oh and when we did it the tubes didn’t have names on them (although they were collected by class) so no one knows who returned them and who didn’t. All the PTA are trying to do is raise money to improve everyone’s children’s school experience. Bashing and criticism from people who never get off their arse to help while happily letting their children reap the benefits of the funds raised get on my wick.

It’s quite a lot of money to expect parents to find and telling the kiddos there’s a competition for the class getting the most money, really adds to that pressure..
Makes you feel like filling the tube with toy money lol

What about making it clear to the school that you're not happy with it.People are under so much pressure and it's very unfair.My 80 year old mother sits with her friends and knits woollen caps for the local maternity unit They're never really thanked and the caps are given away for free.When the hospital runs low in caps they contact them.These little ladies sit at a £2.00 luncheon club and buy their own wool to provide this service.

When our PTA does did it we also had the threat of the class who returned the most getting a prize. They even sent a note encouraging kids to ask friends and family for the 20ps. It is totally crazy.

But then our PTA also send an empty paper plate home with the kids twice a year (at least) giving them a day to return them full of cakes to be sold! This is usually in the same week we are asked for contributions to the teachers presents (which I have no problem at all with) and the class raffle box!

Wtf. No way would I be doing that. I have 3 kids. Not a chance in hell.

I agree that the school has made a mistake turning this into a competition and specifying the type of coins to be used.

However, donating when possible to the PTA (if you can afford it) is so important. Our PTA and school is implementing poverty proofing but still need to raise funds. Our funds mostly go towards reducing the cost of school trips by £6 per child per trip (which is x3 a year) so parents see a good return for their donations. The situation in some schools is so desperate that PTA funds are needed for vital services and supplies. It’s terrible.

I'm a governor and I'm on the PTA. This idea comes up occasionally in meetings and always gets blocked - more than anything else, with the way some of our more affluent parents kick off and refuse to pay for school trip contributions etc - we reckon we'd come out at a massive loss for buying the Smarties and not getting any money back! (Yes we have an issue with affluent parents refusing to pay for anything school related - guess it's obvious how they're affording the three Mercs and swimming pool in the garden really!

Our PTA has a given amount they tend to keep in reserve at this point in the year - but they do so because they KNOW that to put on the summer fair will cost a certain amount of money initially in stock and they make sure that's in reserve to do so. They also hold a very strong line on not funding things that should be covered by the school's finances... although school funding in general is a fucking terrible situation that can't be understated how bad it's got incidentally. We simply would not do this and would definitely NOT do anything in a competitive, parental pressure manner as a matter of course... actually it's some of the skintest parents in the school who hold up the PTA in ours - and yes I include my own family in that!

Our PTA funds requests from the school - things like a dedicated baking area, new library building, forest school equipment - the stuff that enhances provision and really makes a difference to the kids' time there. It's stuff the school staff specifically have asked for to enhance the curriculum - not the stereotypical MN view of a bunch of busybodies sitting there deciding what to do with the school - the staff make requests, and the PTA vote to approve or deny (and that has happened) them accordingly.

Let those that can afford it pay, those that cannot ignore. The government sure aint going to bail out the children at the moment.

No I wouldn't be doing it. Don't put a couple in, or some pennies or 5ps, don't put anything in because unless enough people boycott this it will happen again next year and it's not fair on the parents who can't afford it.

I'd have sent the HT an email on the night the Smarties came home, tbh saying it wouldn't be happening in my house.

Streamside - please thank your Mum and the other ladies - those little individual knitted caps are a welcome touch of normality and a symbol of kindness on today’s manic maternity wards.

I often volunteer for stalls etc and that’s just as valuable, if not more, than handing over cash.

Absolutely people like you are like gold dust. There are more ways to get involved with the PTA then giving money.

At my school there’s any army of PTA ghouls who don’t work,they’re not busy they can staff the stalls
I have gs to,do with my time

At my school there’s any army of PTA ghouls who don’t work,they’re not busy they can staff the stalls
I have better things to do with my time

My 80 year old mother sits with her friends and knits woollen caps for the local maternity unit They're never really thanked and the caps are given away for free.When the hospital runs low in caps they contact them.These little ladies sit at a £2.00 luncheon club and buy their own wool to provide this service.

But I bet your mum loves the thought of all those tiny babies wearing her hats.
My mum knits loads of stuff for charity too and provides her own wool even though shes on a low income. She gets so much pleasure from it. It's about community and being part of something more than just yourself. Not everyone does everything out of self interest.

My child's pre school did the Smarties tube thing but it wasn't mandatory, not a competition and could be returned whenever the parent wanted- if the parent wanted. It was easy to leave it on the side and pop a couple of 20p coins I'm when I had them

It's actually a really nice and easy way of fundraising - IF it's ran and worded in a better way than OP's school.

LipstickHandbagCoffee This PTA Ghoul works in a senior management role but still finds time to sit on a stall for an hour twice year. But well done you with your busy life

LipstickHandbagCoffee At my school there’s any army of PTA ghouls who don’t work,they’re not busy they can staff the stalls I have better things to do with my time

Well don`t worry there are other parents who will make sure your mini lipstick has pen, paper and books.

So What?you want a round of applause for being in PTA
Yes I am busy,and discerning, and no I don’t want to any spend time with the pta ghouls

I make sure my kids have books,pens,stationary.not the pta ghouls

And they wonder why millenials get a bad name... it is called paying forward, our parents, grandparents did it.

"The moral obligation is for the GOVERNMENT to properly fund our schools with the money it receives from taxpayers to do so. Their failure to make the wealthy pay their fair share is the problem; it's not parents who can't pay more on top of the taxes and bills the already pay!" Totally agree!

It's utterly shameful how this govt is underfunding basic necessities to line the pockets of the already very wealthy.

"If parents keep on plugging the gap left by inadequate funding nothing will ever change." True, but people also need to stop voting tory!

"Bashing and criticism from people who never get off their arse to help while happily letting their children reap the benefits of the funds raised get on my wick." That's a hell of an assumption! Several respondents criticising this have stated they also serve on PTAs, volunteer for pta events...

I certainly assisted my dds schools where I could inc voluntary presence for PTA events.

Yanbu. Unfair on parents and children.

It’s called free choice & autonomy.chosing what and whom I spend my limited time with