Sponsorship forms

[Nicksarah]

My sons have come home with a sponsorship form from school. For a sponsored walk in aid of Sierra Leone. This is not the first time they have been sent home with a sponsorship form, it's usually 3 or 4 times a year. On the accompanied letter it states each child MUST get a minimum of £10 sponsorship. My son informs me that the children are told that if they fail to collect the minimum amount then they are not allowed to participate in the walk with their classmates and are even threatened with detention. However if the child collects say £7, the school will. Still accept the sponsorship but it allow the child to do the walk as a punishment for missing to achieve the minimum amount specified.
1, can they force the children to collect money for a charity the school chooses to support?
2, can they punish the child for failing to collect any money or failing to collect the minimum amount the school demands ?

Do you mean they would NOT be allowed to do the walk if they only collect £7. Otherwise it would be odd to punish kids who collect nothing by stopping them walking and punish kids who only collect £7 by making them do the walk and you'd probably need to check that with the school. Many kids would see not doing the walk as a treat.

Yes will not allow. I can't believe the school is allowed to put a minimum amount burden on the child and even worse, punish them if they fail to collect that amount !

Yes it's strange. Dd's school do a sponsored walk too but I've not heard of there being any penalty for not raising money.