...to think that schools could lay on transport for events in school time?

[Katisha]

DS has been picked to play in a football tournament today. It takes place in a school some distance away, in a different town. Apparently it is my responsibility to get him there for 1.30. They can't tell me what time it will finish but I have another child at the same school who will need picking up at normal time.

I work full time.

This keeps happening - happened with an orchestra event a few weeks ago - was parental responsibility to get them to it at lunchtime.

I have to rely on other parents to give lifts, which is always what the school tells me to do when I get slightly cross. But I feel this puts me in an awkward position of never being able to reciprocate.

Why does the school keep assuming that all children have a non-working parent? Is this right? If it's in the school day is it not their responsibility? How much would it cost for them to hire a minibus? (I don't actually know - maybe it is prohibitive?)

Message withdrawn

yanbu

my dc6 has a trip to a farm in a few weeks time - she has to be at school normal time (8.45) for register and then be at the farm at 9.20 (about 15mins drive)

surely would be easier to just drop off atfarm at 9.20

be there for an hour, then be picked up - so this could mean anything from 10.15-10.30

i have 2 younger dc and they have activites on that morning - why should they miss out on a paid activity

the school apparently now cant sort out transport, but we are parents/cares can

so i have arranged after great effort to take another girl and then her mum will pick them both up and take back to school

but there are many mums who cant do this as either they work or cant drive

yanbu

my dc6 has a trip to a farm in a few weeks time - she has to be at school normal time (8.45) for register and then be at the farm at 9.20 (about 15mins drive)

surely would be easier to just drop off atfarm at 9.20

be there for an hour, then be picked up - so this could mean anything from 10.15-10.30

i have 2 younger dc and they have activites on that morning - why should they miss out on a paid activity

the school apparently now cant sort out transport, but we are parents/cares can

so i have arranged after great effort to take another girl and then her mum will pick them both up and take back to school

but there are many mums who cant do this as either they work or cant drive

yanbu

my dc6 has a trip to a farm in a few weeks time - she has to be at school normal time (8.45) for register and then be at the farm at 9.20 (about 15mins drive)

surely would be easier to just drop off atfarm at 9.20

be there for an hour, then be picked up - so this could mean anything from 10.15-10.30

i have 2 younger dc and they have activites on that morning - why should they miss out on a paid activity

the school apparently now cant sort out transport, but we are parents/cares can

so i have arranged after great effort to take another girl and then her mum will pick them both up and take back to school

but there are many mums who cant do this as either they work or cant drive

yanbu

my dc6 has a trip to a farm in a few weeks time - she has to be at school normal time (8.45) for register and then be at the farm at 9.20 (about 15mins drive)

surely would be easier to just drop off atfarm at 9.20

be there for an hour, then be picked up - so this could mean anything from 10.15-10.30

i have 2 younger dc and they have activites on that morning - why should they miss out on a paid activity

the school apparently now cant sort out transport, but we are parents/cares can

so i have arranged after great effort to take another girl and then her mum will pick them both up and take back to school

but there are many mums who cant do this as either they work or cant drive

oops

yep thats right

something to do with the health and safety act

yet the ajoining nursery can - they have a list and ask any parent/carer to put name down if can help with transport and how many spare seats they have

i then sign a note saying i am happy for my 3yr to go in someones else car (obv with car seat)

all this hassle for an hours trip - insane!!

That's mad. Even my school lays on a coach for class school trips. (Voluntary payment.)

I reckon the parents ought to get together and put their collective foot down - as you say some work, some don't drive. It really does rely on the goodwill of the driving SAHMS doesn't it?

yep

i am more than happy to help take - have 2 spare seats - well 1 now and said that to teacher to get someone to call me if they need a lift

but just CANT pick up at about 10.30 esp as letter said ABOUT an hour

I don't think its that uncommon for school trip type things rather than sports/music - one of my DCs had a class trip recently we had a letter to say that the teachers would like to do the trip but it would only be possible with some parents to help out as the cost of transport is prohibitive. Luckily there were enough volunteers, it was a trip to a local museum that wasn't an essential but fitted with what the children were doing at the time. This is a primary school, I don't suppose it happens at secondary schools.
Katisha - why would parents not want to help - I genuinely don't understand, they aren't forcing you are they ? I wouldn't mind doing it every time if it meant that my DCs could get to do trips etc as long as it wasn't an obligation or just assumed that I would help (which it isn't at our school)

Goldrock it's not that people don't want to help. However it IS assumed that we will transport children or else rely on other parents to do it for us.

My point is that for events in school time, the school should NOT assume that parents are available to ferry children. I certainly am not, and am not going to be taking days off work to do so. But it puts me in the position of having to rely on the goodwill of people who are not working.

In fact the letter (when it eventually comes) will inevitable say, under the bit where you give your child permission to do the event, "I acknowledge that it is my responsibility to get my child to xxx". My point is that in the school day, I rather think it is the school's responsibility.

Why is this such a problem now? I'm sure when I was at school my parents were never required to take me to places in the school day!

Wait till they get to secondary, it doesnt get any better.

My DS is 15. He is often being asked to help out, go to school quizzes etc (proud mum emoticon). Trouble is they are in the evening. He can get there but what about hometime?

My OH works evenings and I have two little ones who are in bed by 7.30 when pigs fly I dont like my DS coming home on his own from some far flung corner of East London but I DO want him to participate in out of school activities.

DS doesnt really consider the logistics of these things and often breezes in stating 'oh Mr Jones asked if I would do the Black History quiz, help with the open evening, play my guitar in crack den in Hackney, it finishes at 10.30 pm I said yes OK?'

(ok I made the last one up)

"In fact the letter (when it eventually comes) will inevitable say, under the bit where you give your child permission to do the event, "I acknowledge that it is my responsibility to get my child to xxx". My point is that in the school day, I rather think it is the school's responsibility"

indeed the above is excalty what our letter said

Yes it might be a bit more bearable if it at least said something like "we realise this may be inconvenient, but would you please consider ways in which you can help to take your child to the said event as we cannot afford transport" or some such. It's the blunt "it is your responsibility" bit which really galls, when it's in the middle of a working day.