Things are even worse that I suspected!

Really2

thriftybabe wrote: »

Not sure how the budgets work but they are having a new school built at the moment! The children are being bused from one area to another. Would the money come of the school budget or the council budget for the transport?

There is no mention of this on the email. They only state it is as a result of a 2% reduction in budget.

Sounds like BSF (building schools for the future) unfortunatly that means capital expenditure will be virtualy stopped until the new school is built.

It is a bit like sacrificing kids for the future. Your new school will be great (but expensive to run for the first three years) but it's not great for your kids now.

The new school is part council part private sector funded, that is where the money is going. It is not "worse than expected" as your title hints too.

I presume your children will be going to a new £20M+ school soon!

MissMoneypenny

lostinrates wrote: »

while cuts in education are abysmal and absolutely wholeheartedly to be among the very last economies we should make...is it so very bad to ask parents who can to contribute extra?


FWIW, I wish the local schools or education authorities would have a box put in the supermarkets or at school gates for those vouchers they always ask if you want. I always, always ask them to keep them for the next person who is collecting them, but you never know if they do, or if that person will deliver them or leave them clogging up the bottom of a handbag...

I have absolutely no connection to any of the local schools but would be happy enough to do something to help if there were official collections.

The local primary school where I use to live had a box in the local garage for all the school vouchers nobody wanted.

The senior school just asked parents to set up standing orders if they could afford it. I can't remember what I paid - something like £80 per term (for two children). I didn't have time to help at school fund raising events, so I paid. I didn’t mind as those with children are taking more out of the tax system than those without. My aussie sister told me that every parent is Australia is required to pay per term, per child for the state schools unless they are on benefits.

I use to pay cash rather than help at the scouts fund raising too, unless it was a jumble sale then I always asked if I could man the bookstall. Nobody else wanted that stall and I use to buy a lot of the books anyway.:D

Davesnave

thriftybabe wrote: »

Thanks for that. They do have their own pencils cases but TBH they dont take them in all the time. Will ensure in future.

It may seem a trivial thing, but for teachers, who have classroom budgets to spend on 'consumables,' the wholesale handing out of pencils, pens, rulers etc can hit more exciting purchasing quite severely.

I used to involve my class by showing them what we could buy in the way of specialised art equipment, if we could use the day to day stuff economically through till the third term. That met with some success, but many kids can't relate to long term objectives. I also recorded every new pen, pencil & ruler given out so that those careless individuals costing us the most money could be identified. That worked better!

TBF many children (parents) still provide all their own 'tools,' like the old-style apprentices did, but going back thirty years, it would have been almost all of them. Nowadays, in the age of camera phones and MP3 players, a pencil case full of felt pens etc gains its owner little kudos.

We live in a world of disposable items and culture, but I have a feeling all that is about to change.

lostinrates

I never knew that writing equipment would be provided by the school. I never was at any of mine, and tbh I'm a bit shocked that parents with the wherewithal to provide this wouldn't ensure its taken everyday.

Beyond costs, its part of teaching children to be organised and prepared, isn't it? To care for their things, to remember them....

The_White_Horse

should cut the teachers salarys then. they moan they are underpaid, but to be frank, most are overpaid for the useless service they provide.

Personally, I would like to see teachers remunerated based on the results their pupils obtain. This way decent teachers will be paid well and useless teachers paid less (and ultimately get the boot).

Plus, I would like to see teachers having to work throughtout the school holidays and taking holiday like normal people - with a temp taking over. They are only teaching a sylabus and therefore the stand in shoudl be able to do it no problem.

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

I'm a bit shocked that parents with the wherewithal to provide this wouldn't ensure its taken everyday.

Doubly annoying when the parent of a chief offender is a celebrity, whose restaurant is beyond your personal budget! :rotfl:

These days, it isn't just the children from sink estates who might arrive disorganised, unwashed and sometimes unfed. We have reached a certain level of 'equality' in that respect.

thriftybabe

lostinrates wrote: »

I never knew that writing equipment would be provided by the school. I never was at any of mine, and tbh I'm a bit shocked that parents with the wherewithal to provide this wouldn't ensure its taken everyday.

Beyond costs, its part of teaching children to be organised and prepared, isn't it? To care for their things, to remember them....

When talking to my DD about taking pencil cases to school every day she said that it was not needed as she was supplied items at school. It did not cross my mind to speak to the school about this. Never mind will ensure in the future. The donation that we made to the school will definitely cover both her pencils and those of her class mates until they leave!

MissMoneypenny

The_White_Horse wrote: »

Personally, I would like to see teachers remunerated based on the results their pupils obtain. This way decent teachers will be paid well and useless teachers paid less (and ultimately get the boot).

Most of the learning and work ethic comes from the parents. What about the schools in areas where the parents aren't much help to their children in this respect? Teachers have an uphill struggle with these disadvantaged children.

Davesnave

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

Most of the learning and work ethic comes from the parents. What about the schools in areas where the parents aren't much help to their children in this respect? Teachers have an uphill struggle with these disadvantaged children.

It's best not to counter White Horse's soundbites with questions about the real world.

It seems that the disadvantaged children of whom you speak, would be further disadvantaged by having the worst-paid teachers under WH's scheme of 'payment by results,' last used in the Victorian era.

Unless, of course, we are talking here of 'value added,' but somehow I doubt it.

bizywizy

There is no harm in asking parents to provide things for their own child to bring in but in a state school I dont think there should be a direct debit monthly payment type thing???

Re the smartboards - raising money does take a while. Are you on the PTFA - they may like your help too. fresh ideas to raise more money so it doesnt always come out of your pocket.

Also what about board of governors - you can then see whats going on properly and get a feel whether this is a genuine problem or them holding cash for something else.

If you have queries you should ask the head teacher/head of governors.

Dont pay anything without knowing exactly what its going for and why it is not covered under the school budget.

I agree with the others about mismanagement of funds.

good luck at getting to the bottom of it all.