Head has banned alcohol at a fundraiser - your views please!

[beansprout]

The PTA is holding a fundraising concert this week at our primary school. Various children will be doing their stuff from about 5-7pm and as with all PTA events, refreshments will be available as part of the fundraising effort.

We are a community school and a muslim teacher has indicated that if alcohol (wine) is sold, no muslim parents will attend. The head has now said that no alcohol can be sold at the event. The PTA have already bought the wine and can't see the problem and indeed, quite a few people are up in arms about this.

My view is that diversity is all about inclusion rather than exclusion so on that basis, it seems a bit odd. I don't drink at all so have no particular view on whether or not wine should be available at this event.

Could other people give me their views on this, in particular, what to do?!!

Can't folks go without alcohol for a few hours?

We're in Scotland where there are many drinkers, but even here, there's no alcohol for sale at PTA events.

Expat - I agree with you but some people feel that having a glass of wine at a social event is an entirely reasonable thing to do and are unhappy at being asked to forego this.

Its probably easier than having to apply for the temp licence from the council etc anyway.

I see no need for alcohol at a school event.

Do you have a license to sell it?

I would be shocked there was alcohol for sale at a school event in the first place, i doubt i'd go if i knew there was.

I think it's probably fairly unusual to have wine available for an early evening event like this, and I don't think the head is being hugely unreasonable in saying it's "banned". Sounds as though there has been a lack of communication somewhere?

Could the bottles be used on a stall at a fete or something? Might be seen as more discreet perhaps?

I don't like the thought of wine at a PTA meeting

If it has been the usual custom for a glass or two of wine to be available at such events, then the people who are objecting should be told to get the fuck over themselves. No one is going to force them to drink it, and their superstitions are their problem, no one else's.

Hmm, difficult one. The bar is one of the best moneyspinners at events like this. Seems strange that even the presence of alcohol would mean they couldn't attend - surely that would mean they couldn't attend non-Muslim weddings/parties etc at all?

I do think the wine should be used as a fundraiser is some way or another, you're going to have to get your thinking caps on.

If there's alcohol at PTA things here it tends to be much later in the evening - 7.30/8 start, for the earlier stuff it's strictly cups of tea.

in

It is very easy to get a temporary events licence, we do it regularly at our school funraisers, not because we are all raging alcoholics who can't survive a social event without a drink but because it makes a lot of money for the PTA, and dads who have has a can of alger let their children spend more on -tat- the lovely stalls we have. Although we are in a very rural area and don't have a signinficant muslim population (one dad, and he's quite often in the pub!).

Would it be feasable to have a bottle stall or raffle so the wine could make money for you and be taken off the premises to be drunk?

Blimey, you'd be shocked at our school ! Mulled wine at the Christmas Fayre, glass of wine at Open Evening, beer and wine at the Summer Fayre plus a bottle tombola. Plus a bar at any event going!

SGB - Or maybe the people who feel such a strong need to drink at teatime should get the fuck over themselves?

Yes but even if some parents would prefer to drink, they will probably go to the concert anyway.

The Muslim parents may think 'it's not for me' and not go.

Plus, on a pragmatic level, can the PTA overule the Head? Ours couldn't.

It's a school concert, not a social event per se. Selling cups of tea would be more profitable and you wouldn't need a licence. Sell the wine at a separate event, later in the evening, adults only.

alger ; local alternative to refreshing drink lager

have a bottle tombola with the wine you have bought.

Assuming anyone who would be offended at that would also never go into a shop where alcohol is sold.

I think I am going to need at least a glass of wine to tempt me to go to any school events.

Also I am not sure where this muslim teacher gets off telling the school that if they sell alchol no muslim parents will attend, surely a muslim parent is an individual capable of making up their own mind rather than a homogeneous mass.

I also think you should post this in AIBU.

We were offered wine at dd's parent's evening (at nursery, 6pm) and alcoholic drinks are also on sale at summer fetes etc, so I would think it's a fairly normal practice.
Hard to imagine it could actually offend anybody.

Beer and wine is available at our school PTA fundraising events.

Plenty of muslim parents attend.

Thank you for your replies. Clearly some PTAs do this and others do not. I'm still fairly new to the school thing (ds1 is in Reception) so am still finding my way.

Can anyone comment from experience on the community/inclusion aspect? Our school is in a very mixed area of London so does anyone have a similar experience and what was the outcome?

Blu's in London I think?

Sort of similiar experience, I do some voluntary stuff for our community associations and we organise a Halloween Disco, mainly for kids to dress up and have fun without annoying anyone. We don't sell alcohol but people can bring any refreshments they like, including alcohol. Some do, some don't. It is not a drunken event. Lots of ladies (I am guessing they are Muslim but I don't know as I haven't asked them) from toddler group said they were coming then I got a strange call from a man with not very good english quizzing me about whether there would be alcohol there and after that there was no more mention of the disco from them and they didn't come.

I would have liked them to come along, not sure what we should do next year, glad this thread is here because it reminds me there is an issue for some people.