School says “bring lots of cash”

[Queestuproblema]

I’ll start this by saying I understand schools are underfunded and have been doing Christmas markets/summer fayres/wear x colour for £1 days since even I have been at school. It’s not going to stop but the leaflet we’ve been sent this week quotes:

”Spring market
Come and toast the coronation!
Support our school, bring bags and lots of cash”

AIBU to think the wording of bring lots of cash is completely insensitive to how much everyone is struggling right now? I don’t feel that part was necessary. They could’ve made the leaflet without that surely given some children wont even be able to attend with a few pounds.

@Queestuproblema I appreciate its crap. I don't know when you left education. I left 5 years ago. I worked in finance and I stayed in touch with colleagues. It is much, much worse than ever before.
However, this isn't a competition. I'm afraid you will need to grow thicker skin OP. You cannot pick your battle and choose it to be the wording used in campaigns to raise money for your kids school. It's crap and it's not fair but people can't tip toe around everything that may or may not not be inclusive to the poor. Channel your anger elsewhere.

I probably value expressing my opposition to the monarchy more than supporting the school

Ok, well, if you prioritise making a point over supporting the school then I guess that's your right. School will lose out and you won't actually make any difference to the monarchy, but that's your right. At least you're honest and owning it and I guess that's all we can ask for if that's how you feel.

Perhaps return to teaching then, you can help them with their leaflets :) presumably you'll be on better pay too if you're struggling.

I left because for a multitude of reasons. Seeing how schools really treat children with ASD, the school giving out free iPads to kids while paying me minimum wage. But thanks for the advice.

I don’t think most people across the globe could care less. Anyone who is already here for a visit might have nosy but I genuinely don’t think many outside of the UK would even register, why on earth would they? I’m sure we’ll be fed a different story by the media to try and maintain the facade of popularity, but really, I doubt it. The Queen was at least popular as a person, Charles is not.

If you're not keen on the wording, join the PTA and put your tuppence worth in when these things are being planned.

You spent just eight years in teaching and think you know it all. You are also talking utter crap. You weren't paid minimum wage. No school gives kids free iPads - loans maybe, for kids who have no tech at home. No idea how ASC kids were treated in your school but they are well supported in mine. If you can't pay your bills, go back to teaching. If not, why on Earth are you trying to make the job harder for those still hacking it. If you don't want to go to the fundraiser, don't go.

If it’s minimum wage it won’t be teaching

@Queestuproblema "bring lots of cash" might have meant "bring lots of change" - as in they won't have much change for notes so they would like coins. This is quite a common request for school fairs.

Or they might have meant that they won't have a card reader. Many people rely on cards now and don't carry cash, and need reminding that there won't be a card reader on all of the stalls.

It clearly means you can’t pay on card

I never said I was a teacher. I said I worked in primary education

Except they did give out free iPads. 6 every year to children they deemed deserved them (it wasn’t. It was the kids who’s parents they wanted to keep happy.) and it wasn’t funded by any grants.

There was a lot of unhappiness with the lower paid staff about this.

When did you stop working in schools? I worked in finance and until recently there used to be grants in certain areas for things like this.
Tbh though I'm not surprised you're bitter about the wording if you were bitter about a child getting an iPad, even if it was from a schools budget. Even if a school has a surplus budget at the end of the year, they can't up your wages. You're paid on scales and if you were gifted an iPad by the school that would be classed as a benefit in kind and another headache for payroll. If the school used the LA payroll service, benefits in kind weren't even allowed as they caused such a headache at the end of the tax year.

I'm sorry OP but you sound like you've got a massive chip on your shoulder and it's not a good look. You're not the only person struggling to pay the bills and turning yourself into a victim will not help your life get better. That is the uncomfortable truth. There will always be people better off than you and there will always be people who say things that maybe aren't the nicest to hear. If you let that define you, you're just going to turn angry and bitter and make threads online about the wording on fete invites.

I'm surprised that a potentially clumsy turn of phrase by a PTA volunteer who's probably never worked in communications could offend you so much when you've seen actual serious stuff. I don't think there's anything offensive in what's written but even if there is, you know they just mean "please support us as best you can".

You wanted more pay and left when you didn't get it, and are now just desperately looking for issues to be irate about.

You sound like exactly the sort of agitating trouble causer that most schools would be happy to see leave.

You have no idea what the issue with the iPads was or how they were allocated because it wasn't your job. You just think you do. I expect you enjoyed having a moan about that too with your little bit of information that you added your mean spirited guesswork to.

You begrudge a kid being given an iPad to help with their education? What a terrible attitude and unfortunately one that’s becoming more commonplace in the UK. Crabs in a barrel indeed.

Is this a primary? I’ll be honest, since my 2 dc have started school I was quite surprised at how “grabby” the school is with this stuff. It feels a bit wrong to hold these things and tell the kids all about it and not consider how awkward that can be for parents.

I sometimes wonder if I’d rather make a lump sum donation at the start so at least I know where I stand. I also was surprised that the people who seem quite keen for you to donate, thereby perhaps acknowledging the underfunding of schools are the same type who, let’s just say, don’t vote accordingly at a general election.

It's just their way of saying 'remember we don't take card' because you'd be surprised how many turn up at school fairs expecting you to.

@Queestuproblema Sure, you absolutely know that the iPads weren't paid for by a grant or local authority fund!

I'm not sure you do.

@Dodgeitornot you were the one claiming it was "just a silly rhyme"! But it doesn't even rhyme!
I do think it could be weirded better. Amusingly this thread has turned into a "PTA Moms" thread.

This is how I would read it too.

Surely it’s just making the point that the event can’t take card payments? I hardly carry any cash any more so need reminding!