Class Collections

[Hummingbird233]

I was talking with a friend recently and wondered if anyone else feels uncomfortable transferring money to class reps for teacher collections?

There is no audit trail and we’re sending to personal bank accounts. With 30 kids in the class, collections can get into the hundreds and I feel uncomfortable sending money to random people in hopes they pass it all on. There’s be nothing stopping them pocketing £50 of it as none of us know what the others have given.

AIBU?

I just don’t contribute to class collections, it would be very easy to pocket £20 or not hand over all of the gift cards etc. Anyway apart from that I don’t think it’s necessary to give teachers hundreds of pounds worth of gifts twice a year for doing their day job. I don’t tip in cafes either, so maybe I’m just a miserable skinflint!

Ours always lists on the class WhatsApp the names of people who have contributed then photographs the receipts for what they have spent. The gift definitely reaches the teachers as we get a thank you message for it. As has been said, the person organising it often ends up spending more by the time they've levelled out funny amounts, paid for wrapping etc not to mention giving up their time to sort it.

I've worked in schools though for 15 years and I've said it before and will say it again - never heard of a class rep outside of Mumsnet and have no idea why they need to exist. Someone on our WhatsApp group just volunteers to do the collection.

I remember years ago a collection for sports coaches. Said she would get them nice wines through a husbands contact. I said ah great and thanks. Handed over money. Around Jan I asked coaches re wine. What wine. Knew nothing about it. We couldnt accuse her or get her as she left club! After this Im wary who I give money to

I collected cash next year. Got two vouchers and showed my receipts for both to the parents

Our PTA is a registered charity.

Everything we do should benefit all children under our charitable objectives, so IMO we wouldn't be able to do this as this benefits individual teachers.

Also our treasurer really wouldn't want to have to deal with reconciling 210 payments into the bank account!

There were class reps at my DC's primary, prep, state secondary and independent secondary. The DC are 28 and 31 now, but it's definitely a thing. The class reps liaised for PTA support.

DD is now a secondary teacher. Her class collected £450 for her last summer. She and we were gobsmacked. There were also some lovely cards from dc and parents.

Oh I believe it's a thing, I'm just totally unconvinced as a parent, teacher and PTA member that it's necessary.

Thing is it’s the same for work collections as well. You have to assume
people are honest or the whole
system falls apart. Now I’m sure there are examples where it doesn’t (like
the wine example above) but every year there will be thousands of pounds changing hands in schools for teacher gifts and on balance, you’d expect 99% of those to be totally honest and fine. I don’t think you can totally run life assuming people will defraud and take the piss. Most people who volunteer do so as it’s a nice task to help with.

So, in DD1’s year 2 year there’s 30 kids. You want the PTA to collect it all in, then divide it up between all the teachers/staff involved and then the PTA rep to purchase the gifts?

because that’s what the volunteer (usually me) does every year! I collect 30 people’s donations, work out a split amongst the staff that seems fair, share the proposed split to those who have donated, and then purchase the cards and vouchers/gifts.

I’d be happy if any parents wanted to see a copy of my bank statement showing all payments on, but most parents don’t wish to share how much they donate.

sounds like you have a trust issue with the volunteers…

there are loads of kitty apps.
our class teacher gift contributions are paid into one of those.
paypal or “collection pot”