schools constantly asking parents for money

[saslou]

AIBU to resent being constantly asked for money by my childrens school. This week we have World book day, so I am just off out to get costumes as I am not very good at making things. They also have the book fair this week and an author coming into school who will also be giving children the "opportunity" to purchase her books while she is there. I am very happy to buy books but don't think that school is the right place to sell children things.
In addition my childrens school wants parents to pay the insurance and travel costs of compulsory school activities (they don't even ask nicely, just tell you that these are the costs). Recently I got billed for a lost library book that my child hadn't even brought home.
I feel mean because I know they have financial pressures but also feel I am being treated like their own personal cashpiont. It doesn't occur to them that not all parents have lomitless amounts of money.
Anyway, sorry for long rant...

and happy - you are assuming that everyone who smokes smokes a whole pack a day - XH smokes - he goes through 2 packs a week (if he's not using his tobacco)

strawberrykate the parents at your school sound like a bunch of idiots (putting it extremely politely). I know it's not the children's fault, but I genuinely think that you should move on to a school where your efforts are more appreciated. I taught at one school for five years and faced so much shit on a daily basis that I left the profession. I have since done some supply and think now that if I'd started at a different, nicer school then I would have stayed teaching and enjoyed it. Because I was damn good at it!

Ok, Toccata, stop sending them on trips if you don't want to "pay out" for your kids.

£350-£450 per year does not sound like me to be an insignificant amount. More than enough to contribute to a few school trips.

Sorry, £350 to £540. My mistake.

We're in a similar financial position at our school strawberrykate - deficit budget, a non-existant PTA. It's a lovely school, the staff are amazing, but bar a notable few, parental support is crap frankly. Our PTA used to raise enough to pay for the coaches for the children's trips, now there is no extra money and hence no trips because the parents aren't willing to pay. And I know that some are unable to pay but if those people gave of their time instead the PTA wouldn't have died a death.

Toccata, even £350 covers the school costs over a year - i've not had to pay nowhere near that much. Theres a residential in the last year of primary but parents know from reception that there will be one and averaged out over the years it nowhere near comes to £350 in school contributions. I'm not including high school skiing trips etc which dont form part of the cirriculum but are offered as extras.

But like Ariesgirl says, if you dont want to pay then dont let your children go.

Strawberrykate, it sounds most dis-heartening. Its so sad to see that so many people disagree with paying for trips or the nice extras than mean school is not just about sitting at a desk for 6 hours a day.

I'm leaving the profession, as much as I like the kids they have become the only part of the job I enjoy and they are a smaller and smaller overall part of a teacher's remit. Luckily I have another professional qualification to go back on. I'm just staying until the summer holidays to be nice about it and avoid disrupting the class durings SATs. It's not the job it was, and frankly the level of those now attracted to the job scares me if the students I've seen in the last 3/4 years are anything to go by. The next big issue will be that teachers lack basic skills because of how unappealing it has become as a profession to those qualified to go elsewhere. Watch.

Sorry to hear that, Kate.

I love my job as a teacher. I haven't always but now I am in a school that suits me. It is an independent school so largely free of government interference.

I really don't think you can expect the taxpayer to enhance the lives of poor students. They are already recipients of public funds on a large scale. It is unreasonable to expect the taxpayer to keep paying and paying and paying.

If a family has specific circumstances, such as disability, then the social services should be the budget that is dipped into, not the education budget. All the mechanisms are in place, but the actual amounts are subject to political control. It is woeful that a family who is unable to work because the parents are disabled themselves, or a fulltime carers, should be treated so badly by the benefits system.

The benefits system is a safety net. Able-bodied people don't starve but there is still the incentive to work. If you seriously can't work, then you should get more than the safety net. You should also be treated with dignity. It must be awful to go cap-in-hand and at the mercy of the headteacher.

I don't have all the answers but I do know that if your child is missing out on a PGL-type activity, there are many charities that fill this need, such as Falcon Camps.

If you could ask your DS which Biology specification he is doing, I would be happy to look up how he can fulfil the part of the spec that the fieldwork is supposed to cover. I cannot imagine that a fieldcourse is essential. We do Edexcel at our school and the that part of the Biology spec is either a visit to a facility (eg zoo, botanical gardens, university research establishment, farm) or the equivalent bookwork. There is certainly no need for a residential. If the school is only offering the residential, I think it would be reasonable for your DS to get individual tutoring on the book-based activity - you should press for that.

As for university taster courses, there are many free ones that are sponsored by industry. I remember looking up quite a few last year for DS, although by the time I did, it was too late to apply (famous last words for us).

Riven, I think you've just summed up why this gripe should not be about schools and teachers, but about central government, if funding is your issue.

Schools in deprived areas, with high turnover, high % FSM, lots of EAL children do get more money but it's not enough to support the extra input the children need.

Can I just say that anyone who has a child on FSM should get a reduction on the cost of a residential trip. In our area it's up to 75%. You should claim FSM if you're entitled even if you don't intend taking them up. The school gets additional money based on the number entitled.

I have to admit I am very lucky with the school my 2 eldest children attend. We pay for school trips, extras etc, but it is made crystal clear on the letter that it's a voluntary contribution, and there is always a part on the letter that says not to let financial issues stop your child from going if they want to go, and to go and see the office staff if this is the case. I assume they will either pay/part pay for the visit or allow the parent to pay in tiny installments.

Non-uniform day letters are always phrased "we encourage everyone to bring in £1 to go towards X charity, but this isn't compulsory".

DD1 did go to another school for a few years before starting at this one, and they were terrible about constantly asking for money. And not just for school trips! We had to buy our childrens' own glue sticks, they could only be bought from the school office and were £2 for a tiny pritt stick. these would inevitably go missing/get used up by children with no glue stick borrowing them within days and then we'd get a snotty letter in the bookbag about our child not being provided with a glue stick. School trips were vastly overpriced, sometimes £20+ for a day out to a museum less than an hour's coach ride away. And we were constantly badgered by the Head teacher to donate to staff collections for staff members leaving/having a baby/40th birthdays.

With regards to the school trips, I once sent in the permission slip for a trip, intending to pay the cost (£21) once my DH had been paid the following week, and in the next few days I was left no less than 6 snotty answerphone messages by the school secretary saying my DD wouldn't be allowed on the trip if I didn't pay.

I think some others on here have hit the nail on the head that of course, not many parents mind paying fair and reasonable costs, but it's when schools royally take the piss that it becomes an issue.

I think FSM = free school meals.

I have taught in a school like the on strawberrykate refers to, teacher did not take their full salary so the school could carry on. We paid for trips, school meals, uniforms prom dresses and resources out of our own pockets.

Teaching in the school almost made me consider leaving the profession, it is just so draining. I now work in a different school and it is a different job, I could not be happier. Perhaps Kate the answer is to not leave teaching but find a different school.

As a tax payer I want my money spending on enriching the lives of poor students.

I think non-uniform days are the easiest way to earn extra money.

I disagree that it should be a voluntary contribution, though. Too many free loaders will take the mick. If they are not willing to pay anything, they should come to school in uniform.

A suggested donation of £1 is fine, but you should encourage some pupils to pay just 20p, and others to pay £2. Everyone can pay something. Mark 12:38-44

And if they are wearing Ugg boots, then make it a fiver, lol.

TSP, as a taxpayer, I want the parents of poor children to get on their bikes and get a job.

I don't think ANY school would ever charge more for a trip than the actual cost, the trouble it would get into would be too huge for the sake of a few hundred quid. Coaches are ASTRONOMICAL now, a bare min of �£10 per child for a short journey if taking a large group. Insurance is the blame mainly, plus higher standards-gone are the days when we hired old double deckers to get around on, they must have seat-belts etc. Local authorities could no longer afford the cost of re-fitting vechiles/ drivers/ insurance on tiny budgets and most have stopped the old school coaches scheme. 10 years ago it was a basic minibus and a nice guy who worked part time, now it's a serious undertaking with full-time CRBed staff, high standards of coaches, risk assessment admin for EVERY journey and insurance that is in line with modern compensation expectations and risks.

As for funding, I see both sides. At the end of the day our school gets a (much) bigger cut of public funds than most to meet additional needs. We spend these on the basics and it barely covers the need. For example as SENCO I will find money for a child on the at risk register or in temporary care to have some decent holiday time childcare/clubs provided for the peace of mind of knowing they are SAFE. Enjoyment takes a back seat to these kinds of needs. There is a limit to taxpayers funds, and I can see how people who pay tax will refuse a hike in tax for beyond the basics for kids whose parents don't work. For those in genuine need any school can signpost relevant services/ grants/ allowances and concessions, but there isn't enough full stop across the whole spectrum of children's services. Or at least that's the impression I get when I see student social workers failing to deal with high rish children and meet basic basic safety requirements as they buckle under huge workloads.

I was a poor child. If I had been left to rot I would now be a parent of another poor child. I was helped and as a result am now a teacher paying my taxes an contributing to society. I expect my dd will be doing the same.

Give him a fish and feed him for the day. Give him a fishing rod and feed him for life.

We don't have to keep giving unconditional handouts. Statistics say that you just perpetuate the problem into future generations, with exceptions being in the minority.

I think it's incredibly sad if children miss out on school activities and know how lucky I was to be able to do some in high school.
We had financial problems in Primary though and my school had a system where parents payed a little annual amount to the PTA (?) and that money was then used for activities, e.g. school parties etc but parents who could not afford a trip could ask for financial support. No one knew but the leader of the association. I know my parents had to ask for money once but once my mum earned more money she was more than happy to donate back and therefore help younger children. She was a member for quite some time even after I had left primary because she was so thankful that someone else had helped us to pay for trips.

I am now a member of a club for former students of my high school and we are asked to donate a few pounds if we have them. You get an annual magazine which is about 2 pounds but if you, for example, give 5 instead they take that money to buy new things. A few years back they got lockers.

I quite like the system but am sure it's becoming harder and harder for parents to donate due to the financial situation.

I am surprised though to read that pens are payed by schools here. I remember my school sending out lists with stuff we needed for that year, including which kind of pens to have and what kind of water colour etc. It was usually quite expensive brands and I hated it because I would not have them. I used things from my sister, other colouring pens etc. It would just have been too expensive.
But even so, everyone payed their own pens. And by now even books. If you really can't afford books you can rent them from school, but you have to pay.

I a talking about rods tbh. I was sponsore by the local council to become a member of the British Youth Parliament, they paid my travel, sent me on courses etc. I could never gave done that and have ever since been active in politics.

I was given money to help me attend my university interviews and then had a uni grant

My school paid for me to go on various school trips as well.

But, Riven, I don't think you should be poor and need to scrounge for anything.

The social/health services should give you enough so that you don't feel poor. They should treat you with dignity.

Being poor in this country should be a voluntary status. Unfortunately, politicians don't agree.

/idealist

What I defnitely believe is that we should not be paying for social or health needs out of the education budget, which seems like a contrary opinion.