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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect my local cancel to pay for transport to a private school

458 replies

tootyflooty · 13/12/2008 12:23

My dd has been offered a place at a theatre school, it is fee paying but not local and they do not have scholerships. I asked the council if they would provide the cost of a train pass, but were told no, because it is not our local state school.My argument is that by funding my dd education for the next 5 years (not easily affordable for us)I am saving the local education authority vast sums of money as they will not be paying for her place at the local state school, it seems unfair that we are penalised for our decision, She would get a free pass if our local school was over 3 miles away.Sorry to ramble but we have never had handouts from anyone and this seems grossly unfair.

OP posts:
NotDoingTheHousework · 13/12/2008 13:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

SnowOfHands · 13/12/2008 13:15

Your resistance to use the word 'pikey' failed completely. Now I know you are a troll.

TheFalconInThePearTree · 13/12/2008 13:16

You never take anything out?

Do you use the NHS?

You are protected by the police even if you never need to call them out.

Do you drive? Do you use public roads?

Do you walk on pavements?

Do you get tax credits?

You have well lit streets.

You benefit from an educated society.

You are free to use the library if you wish.

crankycrane · 13/12/2008 13:18

good point falcon

bronze · 13/12/2008 13:18

I love the idea of HE. Do you think the council would give me all the money they would have spent on my childs school place instead

piscesmoon · 13/12/2008 13:22

You must know YABU!
My DS goes to his catchment school with a free coach BUT he can only go on the coach until the end of year 11. He has to get public transport and pay for it once he is over the official school leaving age.

Original poster
tootyflooty · 13/12/2008 13:22

I'm not a troll, and it is a fact that some of their kids are collected from various locations and taken to school. and why lolol at "cancel", my finger slipped !!!!
I just get really P----d off because i have never been a free loader, of course i will pay for the transport, I do 3 jobs to make sure my dc have all they need, and my dh works full time, it just seems sometimes that people who help themselves miss out, I'll get off my soap box now, as i am clearly in a minority of 1!

OP posts:
twitteringbirds · 13/12/2008 13:24

How can you spell council correctly in your OP but not in your thread title?

Quattrocento · 13/12/2008 13:24

It is certainly true that our society penalises people for working hard and taking personal responsibility.

"Cancel" for "council" is one of the best malapropisms I've ever seen on MN.

piscesmoon · 13/12/2008 13:31

If they won't even pay out for 6th formers in their catchment school (when the government want everyone to stay on to 18)I don't think you stand a chance!

Original poster
tootyflooty · 13/12/2008 13:35

just as a final point, the reason we looked to alternatives to the local school is my dd has been bullied for the last 3 years and the nasty little oiks will all be at the local school, she is teased because of her love of dancing ,drama etc.and the fact she is an all round nice popular kid. The school she got into by her own merit is warm and friendly and full of like minded kids. She will thrive and have far more opportunities available to her than the local school. so council or no council help she will go there.

OP posts:
llareggub · 13/12/2008 13:36

Oiks?

poinsettydog · 13/12/2008 13:38

yabu. people expect too much from the council. They are right to stick to their rules about transport to schools.

Quattrocento · 13/12/2008 13:38

Pure trollery I think. You should be funny OP, s'no fun unless you're funny with it.

TrinityRhino · 13/12/2008 13:39

yabvu

sheesh go away will you

chaufleur · 13/12/2008 13:39

I kind of see what you're saying tootyflooty

Although I think if the Cancel was fairer to all like sparklygothkat, then you might have got a better response.

It's true that by sending your DC to theatre school and paying the fees yourself, you are saving the council £1000's in education fees over the years.

If you were means tested and you were stretched to be able to do this (rather than comfortably affording it all like the majority of those going to Eton for example) then yes I think you should have support for transport.

Other posters who don't think there's a point in all of that: imagine that tootyflooty's not taking up DC's place at a council school gives that local school the funds to buy, I don't know, say 10 top-notch PC's, or new gym equipment, or four classroom's worth of better chairs/desks over the course of the 5 years that her DC isn't using up her rightful place - would you be so hard on her then?

If of course the council don't use Tooty's "saving" to put back in the school her DC would have gone to then that's their fault not Tooty's!

ComeOVeneer · 13/12/2008 13:41

Chafluer the point is if the OP's dd doesn't go to the local school then the school doesn't get the funding for that child so in theory actually has less money to spend on things like computers! The council won't be giving extra money to schools because one child is going private.

ComeOVeneer · 13/12/2008 13:42

Oh and apologies for the terrible spelling of your name .

Lulumama · 13/12/2008 13:45

can't believe the OP actually thought that this was anything other than unreasonable.

crankycrane · 13/12/2008 13:46

lol @ gavel

TheProvincialLady · 13/12/2008 13:47

I can't abide stage school type children anyway. Much worse than pikeys. At least pikeys don't sing appalling ballads at top volume on the school bus. I think you'll find that's why you don't qualify for free transport, troll.

chaufleur · 13/12/2008 13:51

Oh I frequently misspell names myself!

No, I know it's not as simple as the council saying "Ooh one child is going to private school so that's £1000's in our back pocket to spend on computers in that very school!"

I'm just saying that in principle if someone pays for something out of personal funds instead of public then that does in theory, leave the money that was already allocated to be used by someone/something else.

It's not Tooty's fault as such if the system is set up to reallocate that money away from the school, however, that money is still part of a "floating" budget - it will be used by the council for public services in some way.

That's why I don't think people should be overly harsh on her. It is a fact that the school place is public money which will be used, in some way, for public benefit instead of being used by her DC!

As for those who think she's BU because their local council won't/doesn't pay for this or that (which is perfectly reasonable such as Sparklygothkat's DC's needs, or piscesmoon's, then can't we see that it suits the big suits for us to be fighting it out amongst ourselves, instead of directing it at them!!

chaufleur · 13/12/2008 13:54

Although Tooty, on a completely seperate note, "travelling folk" would have sufficed as a term, without the failed attempt not to use the word "pikey".

ra29 · 13/12/2008 13:59

at this op

clam · 13/12/2008 13:59

I'm making do with the local state school (and my DS is also a dramatic arts type). I don't wish to pay, through my taxes, for your child to travel to a private theatre school, thanks.
And are you thinking that alleging your child was bullied somehow entitles you to the funding?