'Cake stall pressure' - is resistance futile?

[choucroutegarnie]

Our child attends the nursery class of a rather sought-after state primary in north London.

Having been brought up overseas I'm amazed at the pressure on parents to raise funds for state schools and otherwise 'get involved'.

For instance, we've been positively told off for failing to bake a cake for the nursery cake stall. We both work long hours under pressure and I'd rather make a direct donation than sit in the rain for 2 hours to raise £20 (not to mention the hours spent the previous evening making the wretched stuff). Oh, and we've been told that 'shop-bought' was a no no.

Other parents say they go along with it because they feel it will give them a better chance of getting their child into the reception class (though officially the head has no say in such a selection).

Am I the only one out there thinking this is a little bit, well, annoying?

Spot on seeker!!

I'm having PFA fund raising overload at our school(and I'm a teacher!) Parents shouldn't feel under pressure to bake or attend and as the OP said she'd much rather make a donation in lieu that should be more than acceptable.

Catching this thread rather late having spent the day eating other people's cakes...

My first post was not anti-PTA at all - I just find the whole approach infantilising. There must be better ways of raising funds than making the non-baking parent feel like a naughty kid.

Choucroute should not have been ticked off for not baking a cake but seeker is spot on about this. PTAs provide stuff that every (I hope) child uses so their efforts should not be derided.

I never bake cakes for the stalls, but I do go and help on stalls and buy the cakes and sit on the preschool committee and turn up at all the fundraising events, and drink a lot of wine in aid of preschool and school.

You should choose your preferred involvement and not worry about the other bits.

I do however feel that parents who don't want to organise or attend and pay at fundraising events should be prepared for higher fees at preschool, and to pay for more of the trips and activities at school. You can't have it both ways.

choucroutegarni - I agree that you shouldn't have been told off for not baking a cake - what did the person say, by the way? - but if you can think of better ways to raise funds then let me know! Our regular cake stall makes £200 a go - that's a lot of extras for the school over the year!