high school charging kids to make their DT projects.

foreversomeday

This is what I remember for Design Technology classes.

Electronics - had to buy the batteries from the school for our toy we made - £1
Cooking - had to bring in most of the ingredients ourselves.
Woodwork/metalwork - This was about £5 I think! Perhaps it wasn't though - £2?
Textiles - I can't remember. I think we had to pay if we wanted to bring the item home at the end of the term, which was probably a few pounds.

We used to do 5 modules in a whole year, one of each mentioned above.

I know in GCSE and above the costs were slightly higher. For example, I did Graphics (not available before GCSE) and we had to buy an A3 portfolio folder to put our project work in, which cost about £10. My sister did textiles and she had to buy the material and thread herself.

ETA: I attended secondary school from 1999 - 2004

Becles

It might be to cover the bits that need replacing frequently on tools - sewing machine needles, hacksaw blades, stanley knife blades etc.

Does school provide any consumables? I was thinking of things like thread for the sewing machine, glue, paint, sandpaper etc.

stef240377

Thanks to all of you who have replied i didnt expect to see so many in a short time.

My reason for posting was not solely that i object to paying 50p a term it was to find if this was a national thing before i wrote to the school to see what i were getting for my money. As previously stated if i am providing everything required for each module then why the extra expense. And when i say providing everything i mean all spices, needles and thread, batteries the works the only thing i am not providing is the electricity to use machinery.

stef240377

Son just handed me a letter from the school regarding this 50p and it states

'the majority of materials, tools and equipment and components for DT projects are provided by the school. However we ask a small contribution of 50p per project and we are very grateful for your support.'

Letter then goes on to say your child will be starting the year in the food area shortly you will be provided with a recipe sheet detailing ingredients required.
Textiles will require fleece fabric of choice and cotton to match.

So this means i am paying for the use of a few cooking utensils and a sewing machine they can never use as they are always out of order and end up finishing project at home.

Think i will be writing my letter to ask them to explain why i am asked to supply the 50p for materials if they then go on to contradict themselves if i have to provide all required stuffs.

shazrobo

i must be a very lucky mum :j , at my sons schools everything is provided for dt, and also cookery.
maybe its cos there at special schools

Loopy_Girl

stef240377 wrote: »

Son just handed me a letter from the school regarding this 50p and it states

'the majority of materials, tools and equipment and components for DT projects are provided by the school. However we ask a small contribution of 50p per project and we are very grateful for your support.'

Letter then goes on to say your child will be starting the year in the food area shortly you will be provided with a recipe sheet detailing ingredients required.
Textiles will require fleece fabric of choice and cotton to match.

So this means i am paying for the use of a few cooking utensils and a sewing machine they can never use as they are always out of order and end up finishing project at home.

Think i will be writing my letter to ask them to explain why i am asked to supply the 50p for materials if they then go on to contradict themselves if i have to provide all required stuffs.

The answer is right there....yes, you have to provide the materials - no one is disputing that. But the note does say 'tools, equipment and components'. I am assuming that is for the upkeep and servicing of sewing machines for example. Surely you would prefer that they bought important books and things like that with the budget rather than having to pay a man to fix the machines they used? And I'm sure that 50p a term from you all goes a long way.

When my daughter was at state nursery, we had to pay £1.00 a week. 50p was for snack and 50p was for the 'nursery fund'. This bought things like toys that the school didn't have the budget for and it also bought a fabby digital camera and printer thingie which meant we all got lots of photos of things that the kids were doing at nursery and we may have not have seen and I thought it was a great idea. What used to rile me was the requests for tissues and liquid soap and washing up liquid (but no lemon flavour as Mrs so-and-so didn't like it!!) I don't mind chipping in to help the school budget for things but I think they should have allowed enough money to make sure the kids could wash their hands!!!!!!!!:rotfl: :rotfl:

I think you are focusing on the fact you but materials and are then asked for the money. As stated quite clearly in the letter, it's not just for materials.

If you really feel strongly about it - which you clearly do - then you should write a letter to the head. Maybe see is you can get some other Mum's on board if you can find any that think like you:)

Savvy_Sue

We used to have to pay ten pounds each year for DT (someone's 'improved' the operating system on this computer and now the keyboard's moved all the symbols round!) but ingredients for cookery were extra, to be sent in each week.

I used to dutifully write my cheques, give one to each son, and find them screwed up in their school bags months later ...

MrsTinks

I finished my A-level equivalent in 98 and... you know what... all that fun stuff you all mention like cooking, textile, making stuff... I haven't done either since starting school in England - it was Maths, English, Geography, History, Philosophy, Advanced English, Italian, German, Danish, Economy, PE, RE, Biology and IT... And because it was a language school (which my parents felt was necessary as at the time they anticipated I would infact return with them to Denmark when our tour ended) this cost them several thousand poinds a year... The only class that would use materials you'd get to take home would be Art and that had to be paid for seperately too... Not as in Parents would send materials to school - no they'd get a bill for upcoming materials - end of.
50p... I really wouldn't question that in all honesty Then again a good friend of mine is a primary school teacher and not only does SHE pay for prizes and things for the kids out of her own money to make it all a little more special - I give her stuff too especially if I see a real bargain either crafts or something that might make a great little prize... why? Because I never had a teacher who brought prizes for us to win and only ONE who brought in sweets for us as a treat and that was in my final year of A-levels
If that 50p makes it a little easier for the teachers to not have to go cap in hand all the time to get repairs to machines and buy new spoons, equipment, etc... I'd happily pay it...

specialK

My brother is a teacher and he is never given a decent cut of the budget. Whenever he puts his order in, it always come's back short as they have took random things of his order to bring the costs down.

He paid alot out of his own money to do the lessons he had planned. This was costing him a fortune as the months passed by. He started charging the children say 10p for X, at a loss to himself still, then put that towards more materials then next time charge them 20p to buy more etc.

He works at a private school and it is not right that he is putting his salary back into the school.

I would rather pay small amounts of money out to ensure my children are participating in education, than pay nothing and they miss out because the funds are just not there. I think this teaches kids alot more than what is on the curriculum.

Just my pennies worth

xcat_girlx

my parents shelled out a fortune on ingredients when i did food technology gcse and now they're doing it all again for materials for my sisters textile gcse.

im guessing they think you pay for it out of child benefit (even though thats clearly not what its for!)