kids schools with begging bowls at the ready

edgex

what are all these outside trips to everything?
santa, cinema, foreign trips etc etc?

when i was at primary school, 20years ago now, there was 1 foreign trip, in the final year, & that was by coach to france.
there certainly wernt cinema trips, or trips out to see santa.
we used to have the animal man in, got to be a lot lot cheaper to get someone in than to be carting coach loads of kids to & from a zoo somewhere!


mufti days at secondary school were once a term, & that was £1
1st year swimming was within walking distance, & im pretty sure the pool was paid for by the school, it was their own staff doing the teaching.
1st year residential week was to uppingham, the boarding school



ive helped out sometimes at a school on various trips out,
museums/galleries etc are free, & always have been for schools
travelled there & back on the bus
christmas trip to disney on ice, that was by coach, but it was a quite firm 'get there, see the show, back to school', none of the kids had any money to buy food/drink or the tat thats always on offer. then back to school for the party food, where everyone would have been asked to supply a food item (with a shuffle of stuff between classrooms to make sure there was some variety!)




some people really do seem unable to say 'no', or only say 'yes' to one of something.
school photos, just buy the cheapest single photo, do you really need a picture of the same class for 7+ years?
if the school is having mufti days every month, tell them you wont pay for it like that, make them do it once a term for £1

Iheart2poundcoins

I think it's wrong to say that you dont have to buy anything as if everything would then be alright for the child.

Ok you dont have to pay for your child to go see Ssanta - but then how is that childs life going to be when they are the only one probably not going?
What if a parent is being asked to pay £4.50 for 4 kids say and they are struggling to pay bills as it is? Or even the £4.50 for one kid might be pushing it.

This is what I object to. I would be able to afford trips etc, but I just think, by the sounds of it, it is so totally over the top.

I can see how making funds for the school is applicable - in my day you had jumble sales where you took in your tat and bought other peoples tat.
If you wanted a book you went to the library.


What has charity got to do with school? Non uniform days? So if again if a parent simply doesnt have a spare quid, cos it would be better spent on the electric that kid is going to get picked on.
Charity work and sponsorship can be done from home. It doesnt have to have anything to do with schooling at all.

People who can't contribute must feel awful for their kids. There's a difference between can't and wont.
I bet there is a fair amount of bullying that goes on because of this stuff and a fair few kids who just feel rubbish cos their parents can't/wont pay for them to go places/do things/buy things/sponsor things etc etc etc.

Mado

rainbow81 wrote: »

Oh this makes me so cross! I thought education was free! I have to pay a yearly "fee" to cover school trips - £39. They haven't even been anywhere! After school and lunchtime classes are extra.

Education is "free" .
And why would you expect after school clubs to be free? Most aren't free to run, so why should they be free to use?
Do you expect coaches and entrance to where the kids are going to be free?

Iheart2poundcoins wrote: »

I think it's wrong to say that you dont have to buy anything as if everything would then be alright for the child.

Ok you dont have to pay for your child to go see Ssanta - but then how is that childs life going to be when they are the only one probably not going?
What if a parent is being asked to pay £4.50 for 4 kids say and they are struggling to pay bills as it is? Or even the £4.50 for one kid might be pushing it.

This is what I object to. I would be able to afford trips etc, but I just think, by the sounds of it, it is so totally over the top.

I can see how making funds for the school is applicable - in my day you had jumble sales where you took in your tat and bought other peoples tat.
If you wanted a book you went to the library.


What has charity got to do with school? Non uniform days? So if again if a parent simply doesnt have a spare quid, cos it would be better spent on the electric that kid is going to get picked on.
Charity work and sponsorship can be done from home. It doesnt have to have anything to do with schooling at all.

People who can't contribute must feel awful for their kids. There's a difference between can't and wont.
I bet there is a fair amount of bullying that goes on because of this stuff and a fair few kids who just feel rubbish cos their parents can't/wont pay for them to go places/do things/buy things/sponsor things etc etc etc.

How is the non-uniform days money collected at your schools?
As far as I am aware, they put the money in a collection that goes through; it often happens that some folks don't have the money on the day and if they never bring it in, nobody would notice!
As far as school trips are concerned, no child is ever excluded because they haven't paid (with the exception of the residential school trip in year 5/6, and again, some parents pay only what they can afford). If the school can't raise enough money the trip is cancelled. For all.
This is one of the reasons the schools have a voluntary contributuion, so that there is a kitty where they can pay for the kids who otherwise can't go.
I can assure you that no child is teased or bullied for their parents not paying at my children's school.
And I can also assure you that the school couldn't afford any school trips without the parents contributing. I don't know about you, but my children are always terribly excited by school trips and always look forward to them.
As a governor, I have seen the budget and there simply is no budget for extras. Even swimming which is part of the national curriculum can't be financed by the school budget. But frankly, I am more than happy to pay for a potentially life saving skill to be taught in schools.

milliebear00001

Iheart2poundcoins wrote: »

I think it's wrong to say that you dont have to buy anything as if everything would then be alright for the child.

Ok you dont have to pay for your child to go see Ssanta - but then how is that childs life going to be when they are the only one probably not going?
What if a parent is being asked to pay £4.50 for 4 kids say and they are struggling to pay bills as it is? Or even the £4.50 for one kid might be pushing it.

This is what I object to. I would be able to afford trips etc, but I just think, by the sounds of it, it is so totally over the top.

I can see how making funds for the school is applicable - in my day you had jumble sales where you took in your tat and bought other peoples tat.
If you wanted a book you went to the library.


What has charity got to do with school? Non uniform days? So if again if a parent simply doesnt have a spare quid, cos it would be better spent on the electric that kid is going to get picked on.
Charity work and sponsorship can be done from home. It doesnt have to have anything to do with schooling at all.

People who can't contribute must feel awful for their kids. There's a difference between can't and wont.
I bet there is a fair amount of bullying that goes on because of this stuff and a fair few kids who just feel rubbish cos their parents can't/wont pay for them to go places/do things/buy things/sponsor things etc etc etc.

The point is, that schools are not allowed to leave children out of school time trips and activities just because their parents can't/won't pay. Regardless of whether you pay, your child will still take part.

Janepig

milliebear00001 wrote: »

The point is, that schools are not allowed to leave children out of school time trips and activities just because their parents can't/won't pay. Regardless of whether you pay, your child will still take part.

Is this correct in law? So if a school is running a trip, say, skiing in France, there are going to be parents who have paid hundreds of pounds for their child to go, and then parents who can't/won't pay who get their children to go anyway? Or for instance DD took part in an after school sports club earlier in the year run by an external company which cost (I think) £15 for about 8 weeks tuition. But you're saying there could have been children there whose parents couldn't/wouldn't pay? It would be interesting to know if this is legally binding.

See, I wouldn't want any child to miss out really, although I never did or had anything that my mother objected to when I was younger and if she didn't want me to have something or do something, it didn't matter if the rest of the class had it or did it, it was tough. But my experience (and it's just my experience, maybe others know different) is that the biggest moaners are the ones who can afford it no problem, they're just miserly whingers who just want to have a moan :rolleyes:.

Jxx

tandraig

I think some of you are missing the point! to most parents its not the school trips - if we cant afford them then the kids dont go. My son couldnt afford the school trip last july so instead borrowed our car and took kids to seaside. its the constant demands (yes, demands) for £1 for this event or that charity event. every week! sometimes this comes with the request for money for school photos or educational trip. (how many of these trips are really educational? i dont think you could describe amusement parks as educational) which he would try really hard to pay for. he is currently on sick and has lost his job due to severe brittle asthma - and they are struggling to make ends meet. i try to help where i can by providing the girls tuck money - but honestly - when i see a letter home - I groan - more money wanted! honestly - its even worse than when my kids were at school!

Mado

Janepig wrote: »

Is this correct in law? So if a school is running a trip, say, skiing in France, there are going to be parents who have paid hundreds of pounds for their child to go, and then parents who can't/won't pay who get their children to go anyway? Or for instance DD took part in an after school sports club earlier in the year run by an external company which cost (I think) £15 for about 8 weeks tuition. But you're saying there could have been children there whose parents couldn't/wouldn't pay? It would be interesting to know if this is legally binding.

Residential trips are different; some children have reasons, others than financial not to go, and the cost doesn't compare. Although I know that the school fund helped 3 families sending their children to the residential camp last year.
After school clubs from outside companies are different, because they are run from outside!

tandraig wrote: »

I think some of you are missing the point! to most parents its not the school trips - if we cant afford them then the kids dont go. My son couldnt afford the school trip last july so instead borrowed our car and took kids to seaside. its the constant demands (yes, demands) for £1 for this event or that charity event. every week! sometimes this comes with the request for money for school photos or educational trip. (how many of these trips are really educational? i dont think you could describe amusement parks as educational) which he would try really hard to pay for. he is currently on sick and has lost his job due to severe brittle asthma - and they are struggling to make ends meet. i try to help where i can by providing the girls tuck money - but honestly - when i see a letter home - I groan - more money wanted! honestly - its even worse than when my kids were at school!

I am not saying it is easy; but if you can't afford it, don't give to charity.
It isn't an obligation.
School trips may not appear educational to you... but apart from a whole school trip organised and financed by the school council (hence they have their own fund raising events for these) they don't go to amusement park.

elisamoose

A school can't leave out any child fpr a curriculum linked trip , such as a Victorian day at the local museum or stately home BUT if there are not enough paying the trip can be cancelled. School budgets do not have room in them for every child to be funded on every trip.
At my school we do have to subsidise trips to keep the cost to parents to a minimum. This year , for example, we did not have a residential trip as it was thought that in the current climate it would not be affordable. We put on a week of day trips , some of which involved a cost and others that did not (such as a treasure hunt around town).Parents paid £40 to cover the whole week and could pay in installments for several weeks prior.
We always consider affordability when planning trips and other activities for the children. We have a Christmas panto coming in soon and will be charging parents a nominal fee. The cost to school for this professional show is almost £500. We aim to split the cost 50/50. No child will be left out if they cannot afford to pay!

tandraig

elisamoose - you mean to say that parents had to pay £40 per child to cover the week of day trips? but some of the trips didnt cost anything? so those parents who couldnt afford £40 per child missed out? and by the way - what happened to school curriculum that week? no lessons? and they call this education - sorry hun but this post infuriates me. you must live in a very affluent area..........try living in south wales valleys and asking parents for £40 for a weeks activities!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh - and as for the school nativity play - when my kids were in school it was free.......now we have to pay to see it.......then there is the raffle and who on earth is going to object to paying a pound in front of hundred or so parents? even if they cant afford it?
not all parents can afford these things - obviously my message isnt getting through!!!

Janepig

tandraig wrote: »

elisamoose - you mean to say that parents had to pay £40 per child to cover the week of day trips? but some of the trips didnt cost anything? so those parents who couldnt afford £40 per child missed out? and by the way - what happened to school curriculum that week? no lessons? and they call this education - sorry hun but this post infuriates me. you must live in a very affluent area..........try living in south wales valleys and asking parents for £40 for a weeks activities!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh - and as for the school nativity play - when my kids were in school it was free.......now we have to pay to see it.......then there is the raffle and who on earth is going to object to paying a pound in front of hundred or so parents? even if they cant afford it?
not all parents can afford these things - obviously my message isnt getting through!!!

Blimey, you're not my mother in law are you?!!!

When I was in school (mid-70's to mid-80's) parents used to pay to see the school nativity play. Parents used to pay and get a "programme" which was a list of what performance each class was going to be doing. DS/DD's school charges about £2 for the school concert which I have no problem with - I'm pretty sure my parents didn't pay much less than that back in the 70's!! Plus, it's such a large school that they can't really have it in the hall so they have it in a large chapel in town, the hire of which obviously costs too.

As I mentioned, we did naff all when I was in school, which obviously cost my parents nothing (although we had the occasional sponsored walk/silence/spelling, etc.. and raffle tickets, so they're nothing new) and I'd far rather be in school now with more interesting stuff going on for the kids. Alot of people moan because schools put on events to celebrate the children who are leaving the school for the last time. When I left school it was on the day of my last exam with nothing to mark the event at all. It would have been so nice if we'd have had even a small gathering or something. Or maybe that's just me.

And I live in South Wales, although not the valleys, but not a particularly affluent area. And judging by the number of Chelsea tractors and other cars with vanity plates etc, dropping the children off in school of a morning, most of the other parents aren't too badly off.

Jxx