DD is 17, she's at college. In college literature it says that a fee of £130 must be paid each year for materials, but there's always a huge faff about it. The parent payment system doesn't work and they insist on only sending letters to my DD, constantly asking for this money even though she has no way of paying it. If you had a child at 6th form you'd expect the school to contact you for payment or let you know how payment can be made, but as the college like to keep their database nice and simple they only contact students. Now they've sent DD a letter saying if she doesn't pay they'll add a £15 late fee.
So I was about to pay it (well, I rung up the "payment line" and got someone's answerphone) that's not the issue, but it just riled me that they think they can insist on sending letters to the student instead of me, I smell pedantry. So I queried this with them saying that they should contact me, as she is under 18 she cannot enter into a contract and in any case how would they enforce this "late fee" charge They have come back saying that "a minor can enter into a contract of apprenticeship, education and service" ...!!
They are very keen to prove their point, although I am not sure what it is, what do you think? Is this a contract of education? All opinions welcome. By the way I found this on t'internet:
The general law states that contracts entered into by children that are for necessaries are binding on children, as are those for apprenticeship, employment, education and service where they are rightly said to be for the benefit of the child.
www.gillhams.com/site/library/legal_articles/minors_and_contractual_agreements.html