Voluntary contribution of £120 for school

[Voiceofreason92]

My son’s school have always asked for a voluntary contribution of £35 per year per child. This year they have decided to up it to £60 per child. I have two children. In the past it’s never been clear what that £35 is going on so have always reluctantly contributed. This year they have asked for money for revamping the year 1 toilets, building a ‘summer house’ style cabin as an intervention room and to support their staffing structure.

since September, it’s been in the newsletter every week saying they still don’t have 100% of families contributing and they would really like it. (Only 50% have) This week a letter came home in my kid’s book bag from the head teacher saying that they noticed I havent paid my £120 contribution and they really think it’s time I contributed for my boys.
AIBU unreasonable for not contributing out of principle that I feel hounded and it’s meant to be voluntary.
(this is a state primary school not a private one)

They would be happy to set up a payment scheme, I'm sure. We used to pay a voluntary monthly direct debit to our children's high school.

They really need somewhere to do interventions. And a summer house is probably quite a cheap structure to put up quickly. I was a TA for six years and often had to do interventions in a corridor or on the floor. That was not great for anyone.

On one hand schools are really strapped for cash, particularly state ones.

Wages take a vast proportion of the money that comes into the school. The amount depends, largely on the number of children on role. Their numbers drop a bit - but not enough to loose a teacher - this can cause quite significant financial problems.

As a former governor my school could be fine one year, financially solvent, the next year, a few children down, an unexpected repair, cost of living wage increases coming out of the unchanged pot and you are in trouble, can’t balance the budget.

Years ago the school were I taught had a termly ‘school fund’. Nothing like this sort of figure, even allowing for inflation. As a form tutoring I was expected to collect this in. I did about 75% of it but never got onto nagging and there were no notes sent home etc.

I never paid it myself when my own children were there, I reckoned I was putting more in buying equipment, materials etc and not claiming.

Later, possibly due to my colleagues lack of pushiness(?), they went onto 7 year direct debit tax friendly payments. Pupils were only there for 5 years and so you’d cancel after 5 years. (They hoped you’d forget!)

So as it’s voluntary I’d sit quietly, you’ll definitely not be alone in not paying.

This has been the norm in New Zealand for decades. I didn't think they did it in UK though. They make it voluntary as it is tax deductible.

I couldn't agree more and am always surprised more isn't said about parents stepping in to do the government's job for them

It's true of course that nobody wants their kids to suffer, but government aren't going to make proper funding arrangements while folk willingly cough up, and surely it's obvious that doing so is just kicking the can down the road?

This.

Council tax doesn't pay for schools. The council technically does, but uses funding give directly for schools from the government it is unrelated to council tax

On average councils spend nearly 80% of all council tax on social care alone.

The rest has to go to road maintenance, all lighting and maintenance, various transport services, waste collection/disposal/recycling/tips, environmental health services, police and fire, libraries, sports and recreation facilities, mariage/deaths/births administration.

Yes, and in her day schools were funded properly.

Of course I know about the past. I didn't know any schools needed armed guards!

It's unreasonable for the school to repeatedly ask and to send a letter. And my 10p example was just to illustrate that the amount of money is irrelevant- it's the principle.

Feel free to shoot me but £60 per child is £5 per month which I think is entirely reasonable to request. However, I don’t like being hounded for anything so it would irritate me too!

Nobody’s going to shoot you but they’re not asking for £5 a month they’re asking for a one off chunk of money that the OP doesn’t want to pay and doesn’t have to pay. Even if it were £5 a month, if you’re on a tight budget, it’s more than you want to spend.

It's unreasonable for the school to repeatedly ask and to send a letter.
This is why the OP should have responded to the initial letter request in September, albeit the weekly newsletter would still be asking but the OP would know that they had dealt with the issue, rather than doing nothing about it for nearly six months.
And my 10p example was just to illustrate that the amount of money is irrelevant- it's the principle.
What principle is that? Because the OP has been paying £35 per child without question and presumably would have continued this year, had the school not raised it to £60 per child.

They are your children. They don't belong to the school.

And as soon as I saw 'guards' I knew which faith the school is. So sorry, no school should need guards..

In the post, op said the summer house was to use for intervention. So actually they are planning to use a summer house instead of a proper classroom to do 1:1 or small group work to help children who need a bit more support. Seems like such a reasonable thing when all parents are calling out for more support for their SEN kids! And using a summer house because the basic school infrastructure is not up to meeting the needs of the students there. I would pay, if you can afford it. If I think how much I pay in taxes, for everything (nhs, roads, bins etc) it‘s extremely good value compared to the basic rate of sending two children to private school (and they have extra contributions and bake sales too I believe!) so if the state school needs a bit of topping up, I don‘t actually think that‘s scandalous. At least you know it‘s going directly to your child’s school. If the money is needed than you can either be charged more in higher taxes, or you can contribute this way.

i think i would pay a nominal amount just to get them off my back
£10 a month would be far more reasonable

I can't understand how the same people who buy junk for teachers won't contribute to the school their child attends. Stop buying mugs / tacky gifts and use the money to help towards a voluntary contribution to the school.

My children do not attend state school however it's been published constantly how little money state schools are provided with it can't possibly be put of the majorities reach to put 2 per week aside to help their own children's school.

If you don't like it blame the government who are putting more and more paperwork obligations onto schools without any additional funds. Schools will only have less money with Labours revisit to EHCPs which will only be awarded to the extreme needs thus providing less funding for schools to deal with SEN children .

Please don’t bring this up with the teacher (as one poster suggested.) It is extremely unlikely they will have had ANY input into the request-it will have come from the governors or SLT. Teachers have enough to deal with-trust me!

Whaaattttt???

Maybe they could tack this onto the student loan scheme. Get the kids to pay it off eventually from their Saturday job... ;-)

Fucking hell.

im sorry you are experiencing that and then having to fund security yourselves to protect your children.

What a hateful world we live in when that’s someone’s experience of it.

OP I agree in sending anxiety emails back

Dear HT,

Thankyou for your letter dated X about the voluntary contribution.

Od like to remind you that voluntary means optional and also that my personal finances are my business and the decision on how to distribute my personal money is also my business.

I really hope other families don’t feel pressurised to contribute money they may scarcely be able to afford leaving their children without.

xxxxxx

Absolutely mad how little people are willing to contribute to their own child’s education. Most people won’t have paid enough tax to pay for it that way either.

The word is voluntary. Even if you are part of the issue of low school funds by having supported Brexit and voted Tory it is still voluntary.

Their persistent questioning and the note in the school bag verges on harassment. I'd also question GDPR if they are giving a note via children sit could end up by accident in another child's possession. There may also be parents who genuinely cannot afford to contribute and who are not making bad spending choices to cause that. Or looked after children (not that you may be or should be aware of any).

I think you should complain to the school about their approach. No wonder it is only 50% contributing.