to think we shouldn't have to buy the set book for GCSE English Lit?

[chomalungma]

We have been asked to buy the book that DS is currently studying for GCSE Eng Lit.

Yes - I can afford it. But that's not the point. There are many families who are on tight budgets. Apparently other subjects require the parents to buy equipment as well.

English is a compulsory GCSE. The school should have sets available to read.

I know that schools are on very tight budgets. I am not blaming the school at all. It's not an academy.

I blame the Conservative party. I hope people remember these cuts and the effect they have had on their children for the last 10 years when it comes to the election.

It's much easier to find cheap books now that you can buy online. And use the LIBRARY. DS needs a text book which costs £30. I got a slightly older edition from the (public) library for £1 reservation fee. If it turns out he absolutely needs the newer edition I'll get it, but no point spending the £££ until I have to.

Our rather high taxes that should be (and we are assured are) used for healthcare, education etc but in reality, who actually knows

No deal Brexit preparations...I'd rather spend the money on books, I have to say.

wow, Fenella, you've really gone digging through my past posts, haven't you? Bit of a dick move. If you bother to read posts properly, however, you'll see it's the film I love, not the book.

However, I'm not surprised to see that the actually point I was making (and the fact that I said my own argument was stupid) has failed to make its mark with you and others. Reading comprehension not your forte, is it?

And donot you're wrong on many points that you assume about me, but suffice to say that I do work in the book industry, have for 27 years, and did so without giving a shit about Hardy - in fact, without a degree in English. I know, unfuckingbelievable that you don't need to study books in order to love and care about them. Crazy times.

People have all these kids then act outraged when it costs them some money

It's a peculiar British thing, this expectation that all things child-related should be 'free'.

Check Ebay or use your school's intranet/class rep web for second-hand copies.

I did my GCSEs 2009 and we had to buy the set ones then too. There was about 5 or 6.

I understand where you are coming from as it isnt the money as such it is that schools arent being properly funded.I got an email to say the GCSE eng Lit book is £5 . Most people can afford that and other have said struggling families will probably get a free copy.
But I have noticed schools asking for more and more money. My youngest has started secondary this year and every day she is coming home asking for money for books special pencils for art etc. Alot more than my eldest in year 10 did when he started It has gradually increased every year but has only really become apparent when the youngest started.
I wouldnt mind giving money for books etc if the schools were properly funded as it means that the school could spend the money on other things because I know how lucky we are to get free education.
BUT it is about the bigger picture, what I begrudge is that government are in denial about cuts and how they are affecting children and parents are being used to mask the problem by paying out for more and more that has previously been provided.

I completely get your point Chomalungma . It's not at all about feeling 'entitled' it's about priorities. We, as a country claim to have 'free state education available to all children '. Wherever 'cost' is involved there will always be losers. That is fundamentally wrong in a state education system.

It doesn't matter one iota about annotating or not annotating. What matters is that EVERY child at a state school has the same advantage.

Those saying that 'fsm' get a copy overlook the point that amongst the poorest parents in the country are the working poor who may not qualify for fsm. .. then you have all those children in households like I grew up in where not 'poor' on paper but because of a parents gambling and alcohol problem, there was never any money.

Had I been at school now, instead of late 70's (when everything was supplied) then I would have been severely disadvantaged due to my household set up. Luckily I'm not and was able to get through school and university despite a lack of parental financial support.

It is a measure of a country's integrity- as to how they fund education. The fact that parents are being charged for books when we are one of the worlds richest economies, yet can pluck a billion pounds out of thin air to give as a thank you gift to the DUP for propping up a minority government and another for 'Brexit planning' shows that our integrity has all but disappeared .

The passive acceptance of buying essentially material for state school courses is truly shocking!

We had no money when i was growing up and i got all the books i needed from the library. Libraries are still an option now although no where near as good, but you can buy books second hand so so cheaply

Eg woman in black, 1.89 free postage ebay
Macbeth 2.66 free postage ebay

Thehouseintheforest Quite. Surely good health, education and housing are the backbone to a decent society. Shocked at how much people have been brainwashed into not expecting anything better to the extent of criticising those who do expect better from their governments.

Trewser I agree people can get them cheaply but they shouldn't have to. The schools should be adequately funded . It's just not acceptable to put up with this. Why is it being so passively accepted ?

Why is it being so passively accepted

Because it's not a new thing? And most people just crack on with it.

And those prices aren't even second hand. They are new books.

so things that are rubbish in our society should just be left like that because that's been the case for a while and everyone just passively accepts that? FFS.

Thehouseintheforest how about we, as a society, are a bit less accepting of shitty, neglectful parenting rather than encouraging all parents to sit back and let the state provide everything a child might need? And yes we could take a look at families in poverty whilst we're at it.

You can blame the conservative government but I had to buy (it my parents did) my English Lit books when I took my GCSEs.... when Tony Blair was PM! This has always been a thing, books that don't get written in school provide but ones that need noting need to be your own property, they can't be reused for another pupil.

YABU I'm afraid.

Expecting governments to fund schools properly so they can provide text books (and, for all intents and purposes a set text is a textbook) to all pupils does not equal shitty parenting.

Do you have to pay for the science and geography text books?

You pay for science and geography revision guides and the scientific calculator that's used in subjects that require a calculator.

Why is it being so passively accepted ?

It's like when GPs stopped prescribing Calpol- it's not a lot of money so people are happy to help. Schools are in major deficits and it's getting increasingly worse.

But not the actual text books?

Well that's just arbitrary Cassian There is no reason that providing course texts should be considered "funding schools properly" any more than funding pens and pencils, or PE kit, of materials for DT. Education has always been a case of the state providing x, and the parents y.

The passive acceptance of buying essentially material for state school courses is truly shocking!

People shouldn't vote for politicians that keep tinkering with the curriculum then. Teachers already pay extras for their class out of their wages. That's a bigger scandal than parents being asked to spend a couple of quid on a book.

Honestly stop moaning and buy the books on ebay! You'll do your kids a favour if they think you support their learning unconditionally and that buying books for them is part of that. Or sit and moan and make them think they are being short changed 🤷‍♀️

Many parents prefer that their kids have new books that cost a couple of quid rather than knackered old ones from school.

If kids took better care of textbooks and returned them when finished, schools wouldn't have to replace books.