To think that independant schools should not fundraise when the kids ahve so much more to start with?

[islandofsodor]

So far this term we have been asked to buy wildly expensive Chritmas cards designed by our children, contribute a jar to the Christmas fayre, take in bags of stuff to be sold by a psudo charity and collect Morrisons/Sainsbury's whetever vouchers and send in a donation towards the swimming pool refurbishment.

The parents association is always organising something. Now I don;t mind the 2nd hand uniform shop as that helps parents out who may struggle to afford the uniform but I always take my supermarket voucehrs in to another local primary school.

AIBU?

You're not being unreasonable, it's up to you what you do or don't contribute, but it's hardly surprising that a private school has an active, fundraising PTA. Personally I would want to give my vouchers to the school my children attended but if you don't want to, don't.

Just don't moan when the fees go up.

I'm not sure I understand - are your children at this school - which presumably you chose to send them to - and yet you don't want to support it? Why are your children there then? You could send them to the local primary school as well as the supermarket vouchers, surely.

DS is at an independent primary; I chose it and I support what they do. If I didn't, I wouldn't send him there. So yes, I think YABU.

I always find it surprising that people choose a school that they are paying for and then complain! If you don't like it go elsewhere.

yabu. ds school might be independent, but actually the budget they have is quite similar to state sector, they just have free rein how to spend it. Our school is always fundraising, sometimes I contribute, sometimes if we are strapped I dont. (We struggle to send the children there but oh my its worth every penny.)

But that is the point. We are paying for the education. I love the ethos of the school and the fact the children don't do SATS but fundraising assumes that someone is in need and these children arew not in need of yet another whiteboard or super duuper adventure playground or its own swimming pool.

I would gladly fundraise for bursaries or scholarships etc.

I mean there are not many state schools where the local millionaire lets the PTA have the use of his leisure facility for free so they can sell tickets for a party there.

Surely if you love the ethos of the school then you are happy with the fundraising? If you want to fund raise for different things you are trying to change the ethos.

Well they must have stuff they need to buy, same as any other school, which may sometimes fall outside of the general budget, or would constrain the budget. The source of the money (fees or government) is pretty irrelevant, any school could always do with more funding and more investment.

Surely super dooper adventure playgrounds, white boards and swimming pools are the reason why people go private in the first place? I wouldn't pay good money for fees for a school no better equipped than the local state primary. What would be the point?

Would you prefer your option to contribute to these activities was removed, and the fees went up by 15% or so instead?

Very odd attitude.

The ethos is the teachers trying to allow every child to achieve to their potential without being too pushy and the way they view arts and sport as being as important as academic.

Also the behaviour and expectations of the children

The ethos is nothing to do with equipment and other stuff.

Most private schools are not for profit charities, so they fund raise for similar reasons to other schoos - to buy new equipment for the pupils to ue, or to help fund school trips so as to reduce pupil prices. So I have no problem with my DD's school fundraising as I know tht the money raised will be helping the school to improve theirf acilities and equipment, for the benefit of my child and other children at the school.

DD's school also fund raises for other charities - again something I am happy to support.

But none of these are compulsary. Some people choose to support, some choose not to. It isn't a problem.

If you don't like it - don't send it in.

I can honestly say the number of whiteboards, playgorund equipment etc had no bearing on my decision to send the dc's there.

Mine went independent and this made my blood boil - well-off mums baking cakes to sell to other well off mums at a loss to raise money to buy yet another pc for the library or whatever. Apart from the moral issues, what a waste - none of us would have noticed an extra £10 on the school bill and that would have raised so much more money without all the hideous contribute-a-raffle-prize/buy-yet-more-mince-pies committees!

Their current school only fundraises for charities - mainly for a school they are supporting in Africa. Some of the kids go out there each summer to help build a bit more/take out new books and kit they've raised money to buy. It's great and I am delighted to support it.

I guess I do feel a bit guilty as dh works in state schools and there is a HUGE divide as to what his pupils get and what our dc's get.

surely they have a limited and finite amount of money and the fact they are a fee paying school means the vast majority of parents will except
new whiteboards, swimming pools, super duper activites etc etc ..

YABU and you can;t pick and choose which bit of the private education strutcture you like. you take it for what it is, and presume that you will be expected to contribute more than if your children were at state schools as there is a presumption majority of families attending will have a higher income

Well I would think that all that posh equipment enables the ethos you like so much. If children were sharing 3 to a textbook, or didn't have the lovely arts centre etc, like in a state school, the school wouldn't be able to provide the environment which enables those values to thrive.

surely also the fundraising activites are a social thing to and allow the school to have more of a community feel than if the fees were simply raised a bit ?

I have to say that the equipment that DD's school has, over some of the others we looked at, did have a bearing on our decision to send DD there. The fact that they had all this stuff offering more opporunities did appeal to us I have to admit.

I think that how they manage to achieve the educational ethos of the school is all part and parcel of it. If you are paying, you either put up with the bits you don't like or go elsewhere.

The PTA fundraising is raising funds, not for essential classroom equipment, but really icing on the cake that adds to the richness of the educational experience. I think one year the funds went on a grand piano.

Yes, yet another coffee morning or parents' socialising evening or cheese and wine-tasting does make my eyeballs roll a bit (but then again I am WOHM to earn the income to support fundraising). But for the parents that go for this, it helps build the community spirit (as lulu says). And the school does work hand-in-hand with parent volunteers.

The charity events also help to open my dd's eyes to those less fortunate than her. Every year, she helps me put together a shoebox for Barnadoes, along with various mufti days etc. Puts whinging in perspective for her.

If you don't like it then don't contribute or fuck off to another school.

My sons independent does loads of fundraising. They raise money for equipment for the school but also send a big wedge to a local disabilities charity and other money is used to help kids who are struggling to pay for sports tours etc. This is in addition to his humungus fees
I am happy to contribute to all of these. I am lucky to be able to pay them. Being so lucky I feel it goes with the territory to shut up about how expensive being rich is

Duh. All aspects of private education are expensive.

I work in the day and dh works in the evenings so anm unable to attend most events though I have no problem in social events for social events sake.

I did take a day off to go and help backstage at the school play last week (busman's holiday lol!)

I have to say that the school (not the PTA does do a lot of worthwhile fundraisins (Malawi, collecting welly boots for another school etc.) I also really kliek the people in the PTA a few are personal friends of mine. I just can't help feeling that it isn;t needed and the money could go better elsewhere.

pag, am loving this feisty side of you !

If you don't feel the money is needed by the school and would be better spent elsewhere, make a donation to your favourite charity instead.

I'm sure they don't need the money as much as others, but that doesn't make them unreasonable for fundraising anyway - people are free to contribute or not as they please.

Thanks for being so erm blunt Pagwatch!

I am NOT complaining about being asked to contribute although some of the time I am unable to as we just about manage to scrape by due to the fees.

@ lulumama

I think I must be menopausal