Dear all. I would really like your opinions on something that's really bothering me. I live in Wimbledon and my daughter goes to the local CofE school. She's in nursery at the moment. Since she's started, there's been numerous requests for money in one form or another: donations for different charities, cake sales, buying cards, etc etc. All that is fine, I fully understand that the school needs to get their funds from somewhere. However, there's recently been a request that I have been struggling with. It is called Smarties for Lent. The request is that children buy a packet of smarties, share the smarties amongst family & friends, and then fill the tube with coins and give it to the school. My problem is not with the 'branding' issue or the 'encouraging to eat sweets' issue, but with something else. My problem is that children will get a certificate in Assembly for bringing in a tube of smarties filled with coins. To me that's a terrible thing to do as it alienates children that, for whatever reason, have not been able to bring in a tube of smarties filled with coins. To me this is a moral issue and it is borderline with bullying. I am concerned that the school that is going to educate my daughter thinks nothing of alienating children in order to get their parents to donate money. Like I said, I understand that the schools need fundraising to survive and I personally give and contribute as much as I possibly can, but this particular method is, in my opinion and according to my values, fundamentally wrong. I am very interestied in learning your opinions, whether you agree with me or not. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.