School Mufti day but only if you bring a tombola prize?????

[karise]

Am a right to feel like I'm being taken for a ride?
School christmas cards, teatowels etc fine. Then we have a choice. But nobody wants their child to be the only one in school with their uniform on for mufti day so we all go along with it like twits
It just feels like mass bullying to me or am I being over the top?

TSAP - my jobshare partner and I give each child a small birthday present as we know that a few of them receive very little due to family circumstances. I too work in a school in an extremely deprived area. We also frequently organise a quiet breakfast for any child who has come into school hungry. Sadly, it happens most days.

I did Christmas and birthday presents as well.

It is a lot cheaper teaching in a m/c school.

It is very, very unlikely that the government will ever be able to provide funds for really well constructed play grounds, for trips to the theatre for every child, for the best sports equipment etc. etc. etc. Maybe they will when it no longer costs money to provide care for cancer patients?

A good PTA allows parents within the school community to top up the funds that the government provides (according to their ability) so that they can improve the school experience for everyone. If parents are honestly being bullied into providing money, or if children are being sent home on mufti-day because they haven't brought a contribution, then something is wrong.

Many of the things done by PTA's are ways of getting parents to pay for things via the school that they would otherwise pay for elsewhere - why go to the pub when you can go to the school social? why go to sainsbury's when you can buy cakes from the school? why go to a farm park on saturday when you could go to the school fair?

If you think that the PTA is spending money on the wrong things, or its fundraising activities are inappropriate for your school, go to a meeting. I have never been to a school or had a child attend a school where parents weren't all automatically members of the PTA and invited to all meetings - I thought this was normal?

Surely the point was not that the school asked, but that the school demanded. In effect saying "give us something or your child will be required to wear his uniform so everyone knows you didn't donate"

It wouldn't matter if they only demanded a penny to me. I would have something to say about that.

And am I the only one that thinks the school shouldn't need to beg to get the repairs done ffs. I was under the impression that they were paid for by the taxpayers. It wouldn't be so bad if it were only for extras, but that's not the case.

Isn't the point of a tombola that you might get a bottle of whisky or you might get a bottle of ketchup - I thought it was gambling.

"give us something or your child will be required to wear his uniform so everyone knows you didn't donate"

If they honestly did this rather than turn a blind eye to anybody who didn't donate, that would be wrong. I really don't think anybody checks who has paid what when DS's school does this kind of thing. They just hope for a good total at the end of the day.

onager schools are criminally underfunded.

I have to pay for my own ink for the printer, stickers, certificates etc come out of my own money. I must spend on average £20-£30 a month of my money averaged out over the year.

In my previous school it was much more. Infact in my previous school staff had to volunteer to take pay cuts so we could afford the staff we needed.

State schools have loads of funding. They are just wasteful with their complicated management structures, paperchases etc.

Look at what you do get - grants for this, that and everything, including inset.

State schools have loads of funding. They are just wasteful with their complicated management structures, paperchases etc.

Look at what you do get - grants for this, that and everything, including inset.

"Lots of the money is ring fenced so the government has made the decision on how to spend it." Absolutely agree.

PTA money can be used however the parents (those who attend the meetings anyway) want, whether this be better outside space, better provision for SN, whatever. I am personally not convinced that state schools are wasting all their money on 'management structures'.

It's not the "requests" and I use the term loosley for gifts that bothers me, its the amount of money required, especially at Christmas. I have in front of me the schools events calendar for Nov/Dec

2 x film nigts in Nov, 1 in Dec, at £3.50 per child, plus drinks hotdogs and crisps on sale, all at a £1.00 each. SO approx £33 for all three film nights.
Non uniform day - bring a gift for Christmas shop
Then there are all these events which take place between 11th December and the school shutting on the 19th
Children's Christmas shop - where each child gets the opportunity to buy a gift for each parent. Prices start at £2.00. So £8.00 needed there.
Christmas raffle - each child is sent home with £5 worth of tickets, which each child is "expected" to sell.
Christmas fair - no tombola, but cakes are required,and of course there are stalls, etc, so money spent there.
School Christams dinner £2.00 per child,
Christmas Disco, £3.00 per child, plus drinks, hot dogs etc at £1.00 each
Class partys, cost £2.00 per child plus a doantion of food! (am curious what the £2.00 is for)
School producatins =- Ds2 in year 4, there's is £4.00 per ticket, only 2 tickets per household (what am I meant to do with DS1 if DH and I want to go)
DS1's class is £4.00 per tickets as well.

Then there is the school calendars, £6.00 each.
Visiting panto, £3.00 per child donation, those who don't make a donation can do something else

So a total of approx £98 to be paid out in the 14 days before Christmas.

MadameP, you are going to make some lucky PTA very happy

"the money and funds raised will benefit your children too".

I hear this argument an awful lot. I would like to see exactly what the funds raised bought post event because at my son's school at least this information is not provided.

Each year group has to bring in different types of items for the Christmas tombola fayre. One year group for instance brings in "smellies", my son's year group was asked to bring in chocolate.

Re that particular request though I wish the school office staff had not written - "well if you've had a particularly good year perhaps you can bring in a big tin of chocolates". Guess these people haven't heard of the credit crunch then.
At best such wording is insensitive.

Do you have to go to the film nights, Saltire?

If no and/because you can't afford to, are you suggesting they are abolished?

Do you have to go to the film nights, Saltire?

If no and/because you can't afford to, are you suggesting they are abolished?

Attila, you're right that the PTA should publicise how much it raises and what it's spent on (we try to do this every half-term or so). This info is almost certainly made available at the AGM. You could try asking for a copy of the minutes - as a parent you're entitled to see them.

what on earth is a mufti?

what on earth is a mufti?

Am I the only one who is amazed at the size this tombola is going to be??
"Schools only have the resources to pay the staff and the bills, Karise.

Playground and sports equipment, library books, musical instruments and other resources all have to be paid for. "

Seriously?? They don't get money for sports equipment or books? (I only have an 18mo so bear with me)

squeaky - no they don't have to go, and my 2 often don't. My point was that if a parent with 2 children sent their child to the film nights as well as doing everything else in teh 2 weeks before Christmas, then it would cost almost £100.

mufti = non-uniform day

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mufti_(dress)