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.

If you are given a school copy, that pupils use in exams, the student cannot annotate and make comments in the text, which is useful for English Literature. I can clearly remember annotating The Wife of Baths Tale, when I did my O Levels, many years ago. I can also remember my Mum complaining about having to buy my own copy of book.

You're not allowed books in English exams these days

So where is the Conservative party supposed to get the money? From the NHS maybe? Or maybe they should borrow more which your son and his compatriots will have to pay off making life more difficult for them? Or maybe they should raise taxes so that people who are already struggling go under and business are forced to make cuts/shut down. Money doesn’t grow on trees. Nor do children. You gave birth to him so you should pay for him without whining about it.

My local FB selling sites had lots of people giving away/selling GCSE books after exams. Lots of CGP guides were offered for £0-£1 each if you were willing to collect and bring local meant that you know you have the right exam board,

Trewser stopping moaning and just sucking things up is exactly what governments want you to do, especially this government. Again - criticising government funding of schools does not equal not supporting my DC.

Barbarian yes, that is true. Still doesn't mean I can't be unimpressed by parents being expected to buy textbooks, that I can't criticise and query what's happening. You are advocating accepting everything passively. I don't have much time for schools who insist on expensive uniform either - am I allowed to criticise that? Anything?

Yup here too.

I've just found a copy of a book dd needs for uni for 12 on facey, costs 65 new

Boggles maybe they could go after the likes of Amazon and get them to pay tax properly. You don't seriously think that the money isn't there?

stopping moaning and just sucking things up is exactly what governments want you to do

So? I don't live my life trying to piss off authority. Just want my kids to enjoy school!

I don't have faith that ANY government will miraculously get education right for every type of child. I like to get involved myself. I am not so left wing that i feel the govt should provide everything.

I tool 'O' levels in the 70's and we were issued books to be used but NOT written in, annotated or anything else. I managed to pass 8 without owning a single book + we did this odd thing called "taking notes". Weird, huh?

Took not tool. Bloody BlackBerry keyboard!

No Cassian you misunderstand me, I'm anything but passive. I am advocating a massive clarifying of the role of government and parents. I think parents should be providing the basics for life for their children - food, clothing, educational materials. And where they cant (no work, shitty pay or working conditions, disability , unaffordable childcare etc) I expect government to legislate appropriately and provide suitable services. And where parents make shitty choices they should bloody well be held to account.

Unfortunately (or luckily depending on your point if view) none of our major political parties share my vision - it's either big state, no judgement or no state at all and no mercy.

Trewser and do you not care about making anything better for others. for future generations? Governments love people like you, sleepwalking your way through life.

Governments love people like you, sleepwalking your way through life classic

Absolutely brilliant keyboard warrior overreaction to a real life person saying they don't mind paying 2 quid for a book for school. I am literally lolling

Barbarian I need to think through your post properly, will come back to it later. I agree with some of what you're saying but need to formulate my thoughts properly.

Trewser jolly good.

Yes - I can afford it. But that's not the point.

You chose to have children. It's not the state's job to provide every last thing for them.

Plus schools are on their arse.

Books on the English Lit syllabus change all the time - it's a massive waste of money. Complain to the exam boards, not schools who increasingly can't even afford staff to teach the subject.

Here in Italy we have to buy all the text books from age 11. Last year we spent around €500 for books and supplies for an 11 year old and an 8 year old.

YABU and tight. Especially as you've said you can afford it. If you’re that bothered then buy a few copies for the school.

The new curriculum class set of maths texts for GCSE are upwards of £10k for an average size secondary school.

You chose to have children. It's not the state's job to provide every last thing for them.

Yeah- but the state does require that they are educated.

I am not working at the moment due to ill health, I recently purchased all the set text, York notes and awarding body GCSE books for ds because I knew it would be beneficial to him to make his own notes in his own books that he would understand. This makes it so much easier for a child than making their own notes on paper (additional ones great). Maybe that’s just me🤷🏻‍♀️. Last night I paid £30 for a new printer as my old one died. Ds said don’t worry i’ll just pay as I go when I need it in school. But I know that will be a pain, he won’t be able to get into the computer room when he needs too, he’ll forget and so on. So food shop last night was cut by £30, but I don’t need begrudge it. I’ll do anything I can to try and make life as easy for ds as possible, poor kid got the short straw with a mother who has that many diagnosis she resembles a medical a-z, as it is. We all know funding has been cut by a stupid amount to schools, so it it really that hard to spend £30 for all the texts that he will use for 2 years?

"What’s all this annotating? I didn’t buy my school books in the 80s (but it was a private school) so our literature books belonged to the school and there was certainly no writing allowed in them."

^This

Grammar school, late 1960s-early 1070s:^

^All text books provided by the school for all subjects, NO writing in them, ever
All writing books for homework provided too

No begging / collections ever for the^ school
(but the weekly collection for other good causes)