DS damaged a child's blazer at school, parents demand cash.

[InMySpareTime]

DS (Y11) was messing around, pretended to cut another child's blazer with scissors. They moved, and DS accidentally actually cut the blazer about 1cm into the bottom seam by the pocket.
School phoned me because child's parents want £30 for a new blazer, and they are now giving the parents my phone number to work it out between us. They have shown neither school nor me any pictures of the damage, though the child was apparently still wearing the blazer to school each day since.
I've offered to either mend the blazer, or replace it with one of DS's own Blazers. Given the blazer was not damaged maliciously, and is still perfectly wearable, am I unreasonable to think that's enough, and not pay them £30?
I don't think they'll spend it on a new blazer anyway, they're likely pulling a fast one IMO

DS2 was involved in shenanigans with friends in a GCSE Art lesson in Yr11. It ended up with a large stripe of white acrylic paint up one sleeve despite me telling him to take the damn thing off in Art courtesy of one of his mates. We did everything possible but still ended up with a stain. Did I contact the school/his friend/their parents to get a replacement? No of course I didn't - he was involved in the whole thing, not an innocent bystander. He wore it for the next 7ish months and now I think it's screwed up at the bottom of his wardrobe. Complete waste of resources to buy a new one just for Yr11.

YY MrsD I agree,and if my child came home in yr 11 with broke anything due to acting the maggot with pals - they'd do without or wear it for the rest of the year.
But t if they were the one who'd done the damage -messing or not- they'd be paying for another.And i'd certainly not be getting all indignant with myself over parents asking for a replacement/£!

Give them the £30 and ask for the blazer so you can mend it as what @iwantavuvezela says

"Trying it on"????

Your FIFTEEN year old son cut a hole in their child's uniform. Pay foattention another one and consider reassessing your discipline policies with your clearly impulsive near-adult son

Your son is in Yr 11. Old enough to know playing with scissors is stupid. Definitely old enough that it's his problem - he needs to earn the £30 to replace the blazer.

You definitely need to pay the £30.
All this 'repair it', buy one and give him it, get a credit note nonsense is ridiculous.

Christ hiw poorly behaved were the class?! In year 11? Tell him to stop messing around at all and concentrate.

I'm clearly soft. I think 15yo boys especially (running the risk of being branded sexist) are actually some of the daftest people you can meet. I'm not hugely surprised that this could happen. I'd pay up and as you've said he's usually good as gold that if anything happens again he'll be forking out for it. It's a £30 blazer, it's not the end of the world. Personally I wouldn't put up with someone trying to give me second hand or mended stuff but honestly I would have replaced myself and thought my ds was probably messing around too. I have to say I'm astounded how many people are incredulous you wouldn't invest £30 to keep your kids looking smart for 9 months!!!!! I genuinely have never encounted this in rl and my friends are not rich or snobby!

Your son was in the wrong, however I'm also a bit at them insisting on the cash. So I think insist on buying the blazer instead of giving cash.

Replace as someone drew with permanent marker on my child's and it was new that week. They wore it until the shiny new one arrived!

Pay for the blazer your child damaged.

I'm amazed you need to ask.

It's just 30 pounds. I know it's a lot for a blazer but is it really worth the hassle? I'd just pay it and be done with it. Consider it a lesson learnt for your son.