Paying for school swimming lessons?

[chicaguapa]

We've received a letter from DS's school saying that swimming lessons are part of the National Curriculum and that all DC have to take part. The cost of the pool and tuition is being covered by the school but the parents are being asked to pay for the transport to the pool.

This isn't a moan about the school but more about budgets. Surely if something is on the NC and mandatory the school should be given enough money to be able to provide it without having to ask the parents to pay?

Part of me wants to refuse to pay it on principle and say that I don't agree with having to pay towards the compulsory education. But I realise this won't actually help the school try to balance its books. I feel like I need to say something though as it irks me that schools are struggling to provide the bare bones of what they're supposed to be providing.

DH is a teacher btw (always feel I have to caveat any school-related moans with that so it doesn't look like I'm anti-school/ education etc) so I do understand how difficult it is to stretch the budget to do everything.

I think at our school parents have to contribute something like £35 for 10 weeks of swimming, probably primarily for transport like you but my 2 aren't old enough yet so I am not 100% on the amount. I think most schools are having to do the same. I am sure though that it will be covered with a "if you are unable to pay then your child will not be excluded".

What would you like to happen instead, do you have an alternative proposal?

My ds(8) started his swimming lessons with school just after Christmas.i pay £2 every tues but not sure how many weeks it is.

How much are they asking for op?

You are right. However, you'll just have to add it to the list of other things that are compulsory but aren't paid for by central or local government and just cannot be met within a school budget.

The 'free' school meals for infant age children for example. It won't be funded next year but we have to do it.

Compulsory PPA time is another example. It was enforced but no budget given. It all has to come from somewhere.

I think that the school has reached a good compromise and I'd just pay it. It isn't their fault and your DS shouldn't miss out. Who would you say something to anyway? If you have a direct line to David Cameron et al, I have a few choice words for them...

It is shit though, I do agree that you shouldn't have to pay for it but if it's a choice between that or school books...

What would you like to happen instead, do you have an alternative proposal?

I would like schools to have enough money to provide mandatory education. I don't mind paying for school trips, but I think it's a cheek of the Education Department to state that schools have to provide swimming, for example, but not give them enough money to do so.

My alternative proposal would be for the Government to invest sufficient money in education instead of simply pretending to.

If you have a direct line to David Cameron et al, I have a few choice words for them

I have a vote....

At our school it is a voluntary contribution for travel of a pound a trip.
However, clearly school would like lots of contributions to avoid subsidising travel too much.

At our school we have to go on a rota to give them lifts to and from the pool. I think I'd rather just stump up the cash tbh! Presumably some schools are close enough to a pool that they can walk?

Our PTA funds the coaches for transport to swimming - could you suggest that?

I think yabu. Budgets are stretched as you know in all public services.

I've spent a fair bit of time in hospitals recently. In 3 separate hospitals in this region, there are notices up desperately begging for donations. Everywhere is short of money.

I wonder where you think the school should get this money from. They'd have to cut it from another area if they couldn't get it from parents. It isn't much to ask for IMO.

By complaining, you will make even more work for the head and make their job even more difficult. I would pay the money and be grateful that your child receives a decent education for free.

You are not right on principle IMO either. I have a couple of friends who go into their kids' primary schools and give sports lessons for free as the school don't have any money for it. The principle you should be thinking of is us all working together.

If you complained about this, despite being able to afford it (your OP doesn't mention otherwise), I'd have you pegged as a PITA and might wonder, in the event of a complaint about a more serious matter, whether you were actually justified or just causing more work and headaches again.

Personally I feel that public services shouldn't be having to beg for donations and that they should have sufficient funding from the Treasury. Others may be happy that public money is being spent elsewhere.

I think I've said that I think the school should get this money from the education funding budget and if it's not enough to provide what's on the NC then the budget needs increasing.

It's a sorry state when everyone just begrudgingly accepts how things are and keeps dipping into their own pockets instead of questionning why public services are struggling so much and whether anything should be done about it.

I don't the OP was questioning the school, so much as the crappy Education funding.

The school has a choice of how to spend its budget. It could cut TA hours or curriculum materials for example. Yes funding is very tight but they do have some say. They have chosen this as a suitable area to ask parents to fund.
(Ex school governor)

Of course public finances are in a state as the country has debt to repay. If you haven't got it you can't spend it.

But that's the point. Why make such things compulsory and then not give schools the financial means to do them?

They add them on top of over-stretched budgets, it's just fishing for votes and it pisses me off that they continue to promise these things but aren't honest enough to tell people that the money isn't there to find it.

Of course the school could have chosen to cut TA hours (it would have to cut a lot since they are paid a shamefully small amount) or resources but it shouldn't have to.

fund

If the government makes something compulsory of course it should makessufficient funds available - that's what the OP is complaining about, not the school.

Obviously (as well) what should happen generally doesn't.

We're abroad - the head announces at the parents' information evening before the children start school that parents should ensure their old ren can swim 50 meters safely by the end of year 2. That's it. No lessons through school. Then at the end of year 2 (and 3 and 4) they take part in a regional sports competition including swimming 50 meters (if you've forgotten to teach your kid to swim they can be one of the small handful who stay in school instead of participating) It's not ideal either - and the 10 week intensive swimming course my kids took was €170, followed by lots of pool trips to practice and improve :o

This is interesting as I think our school is doing it from Y4, my oldest is in Y3. I know for a fact that many in his class has done no swimming what so ever and my ds is in Stage 5 of swimming, how does that work, if I can't opt out as we're already doing it outside of school? I don't particularly want to pay extra for something which is compulsory and I already pay for anyway.

Our school has it's own little pool on site. During the summer all children have a swimming lesson from Reception through to year 6. There are no transport costs but for the last few years parents have been asked to make a modest contribution to the running costs of the pool. It costs a lot to run the pool and without some extra finances it would have to close. Most parents are absolutely fine with this. The children generally love going in the pool - although I'm not sure how much they actually learn in them. A lot have much more expensive private lessons too.

We were asked to make a voluntary contribution of £50 towards the travel costs for yr 3 DD's school swimming lessons which I thought was extortionate as the pool is just over a mile away. Sent in a cheque for £30 which I thought was more than generous for 10 weeks of swimming.

DD (who is a very decent swimmer anyway - level 7) says the lessons are crap so she's not even adding to her skills.

I had to pay £5 a week towards transport for dd1 to do compulsory swimming lessons, where she learnt nothing, and spent the whole time demonstrating the strokes to the other kids. Meanwhile, I was taking her to private lessons once a week, and three training sessions a week for the swim team.

If its a primary school they should be receiving extra government funding (this year and next) to cover PE and Sport in the school. Maybe its worth asking the head teacher how they are spending the extra money?

My DCs secondary school (850 children approx) has in the last 10 years had new massive, massive sports hall, new 100m astroturf pitch, big new 6thform centre (always had a 6th form), music block and 2 large class room blocks .None of which were strictly essential .why are the LEA paying for that and then not funding national curriculum costs at the primary school?

My advice is just don't pay! If no-one takes a stand, nothing will change!
My 2 top peeves are (1) when the school gave all the children a commemorative gift for the royal wedding and then billed the parents for it and (2) when they billed us for a £3 per child donation to cancer research!!

The situation is that as part of the national curriculum and being in core education time, the school cannot by law ask for parents to pay for it. What they can do is ask for a donation for the cost of the transport to the swimming baths (which is the vast majority of the cost involved). As a voluntary payment it is for you to decide whether you should pay or not. Grassroots makes a good point as to why the extra PE funding is not being used for this - for an average size primary this will be about £6 to £7K, so should cover that cost but the funding is supposed to be partially so that more staff can be trained to do PE and sport in the schools.

Bramshott, your school is taking a risk asking you and others to transport children. Apart from the obvious child protection issue, do you have insurance to cover you doing said transportation, how does the school know that their duty of care to all the children is not being abused in the time they are not in their direct care, have they done an appropriate risk assessment and what does the LA say about the risk? Do the other parents know what transport is being provided etc. I think you need to check out exactly what is going on because you are also putting yourself at risk by being alone with children which is not officially sanctioned