is it fair for a school to run expensive dinner time clubs?

mrcow

artichoke wrote: »

BUT i dont think it is fair to run an expensive club in dinner time, when those who are not taking part will be able to see those who are taking part.

I would not object if it was an after school club and my kids although upset they can not take part would not have to watch their friends getting good coaching.

I'm sure they'll get over it.

It's 7 lunchtimes worth. £2.50 per session.

Last time I paid for football lessons, it was a comparable cost. How much do you pay currently for their coaching? Why do you think that this price is expensive?

Courgette

Sorry, misread. The sessions would be 45 mins not the whole lunchtime, it still seems extortinate to me and seems like profiteering.

Courgette

mrcow wrote: »

It's 7 lunchtimes worth. £2.50 per session.

I don't think it is, I think it's £17.50 per session not for the full course.

OP - can you clarify?

artichoke

Hi Dizziblonde

I don't usually post on this board so i dont know your history but i do understand where you are coming from, and i am really sorry to hear of your loss.

One of the children i am referring to is the result of ivf after nearly ten years of trying to conceive. She was our third and final go at ivf. I am very lucky to have my kids, and i did not go back to my well paid job as i decided that now i had been so lucky i was going to stay home and enjoy them - hence we now live on very little money, and i am trying my best for my children.

Your post has made me remember how i used to feel - hearing people who had kids moaning about them (even if jokingly) and i thought how dare you moan - at least you have kids.

So - i do understand how awful life is when you are unable to have a child.

I am not just moaning about a lunch club, i am moaning about the fact that some children will be excluded from a popular activity occurring during the school day, because it is expensive AND that whilst they are playing out at dinner time they will have full view of the rich kids playing football with the local premiership logo flying around everywhere. It seems unjust to me.

and by the way i was a teacher before i had kids, but i have always campaigned for fair education that does not exclude any child on any grounds.

As i said i have never posted on this board before as i usually post on OS, i did not realize there were infertility threads on here.... maybe it would be better to have a separate board for infertilty threads as they do on infertiltiy bulletin boards, as i do know it is upsetting to read about other people's problems with their children.

Anway Dizziblonde i do wish you all the best and hope you are able to have a child soon

art

artichoke

Courgette wrote: »

I don't think it is, I think it's £17.50 per session not for the full course.

OP - can you clarify?

hi

it is £17.50 for 7 weeks but the course will run for 6 terms so if they do it all that is 17.50 x 6....

plus i have two children in the same class and they both want to do it...

i know it is not that expensive - i could if i really rejigged the food budget find £6 a week - but it is the principle that really grates .....

i think dinner time activities should be free and something like this - with a premiership club -should be after school and not literally flags flying in the faces of those who can not afford it.

art

mrcow

So it's £105 for a full years worth of football sessions with a premiership club once a week.

I think if I was unhappy about the money I'd be asking my son whether he wanted to do it and part of this birthday/Christmas would go towards it.

Or even ask them whether they'd rather do this training, or the one they already go to (one of my pet hates is trekking people around to clubs on different days of the week - I'd personally love it if more was offered in school time as it would give me more "me" time with the children).

tiamai_d

I'd be worried about my son scoffing his lunch, running round like a loon then throwing up during class later on.

No, I've never heard of lunch time clubs, I doubt our school would allow it to be honest. I think there is a reason for a lunch time break, the kids need to get out and not have to concentrate for a while, so they can better concentrate in class. Can't help but think it would have a negative effect in other areas at school. Football training is a lot different to them playing a game of football amongst themselves.

I'd say no if it was offered, I know my own boys and lunch time would not be a good time for football training.

Allegra

artichoke wrote: »

I am not just moaning about a lunch club, i am moaning about the fact that some children will be excluded from a popular activity occurring during the school day, because it is expensive AND that whilst they are playing out at dinner time they will have full view of the rich kids playing football with the local premiership logo flying around everywhere. It seems unjust to me.

and by the way i was a teacher before i had kids, but i have always campaigned for fair education that does not exclude any child on any grounds.

I understand your point of view, and I suppose that part of me agrees with it. On the other hand, it is excellent value for what's on offer, and having it during a school lunchtime does mean it is open to all, which might not be the case if it was run out-of-hours in a far-flung location.

Mind you, my daughter is now at secondary school, and everything seems to cost an arm and a leg - from transport to music lessons to school trips. It can be a struggle finding the money, but bearing in mind that a school music lesson costs less than a third of what an out-of-school lesson would cost, should I feel that it's unfair to offer these lessons in school hours because some children might feel jealous because their parents can't afford to pay for them ? If they weren't offered at school, my DD -and many other musically talented kids - would likely not be able to have them.

Just a different point of view.....

SandC

The course will run 6 times and they get medals for each stage. So that is £17.50 x 6 per child for the year.

I'm not understanding how this would work - don't schools run to 40 weeks in the year?

Might it be worth suggesting to the school that some of the course stages be run in school holidays, condensed into 3 days? It might reduce overall cost and may also help with some holiday childcare issues.

artichoke

Allegra wrote: »

I understand your point of view, and I suppose that part of me agrees with it. On the other hand, it is excellent value for what's on offer, and having it during a school lunchtime does mean it is open to all, which might not be the case if it was run out-of-hours in a far-flung location.

Just a different point of view.....

i am not against them offering the coaching but i just think it should be after school, not in a far flung location but in the school playing fields...

I think it is not after school as it would compete with their own after school club (and probably have far more takers).....

The issue of how much time will the kids have for eating lunch, and is it good for the to have lunch and then straight away have 45 minutes of coaching is a very good point..

I know two thirds of the school will not be doing the coaching but as my two both already do training with the village team i am imagining that many of their friends who play in the village will be asking their parents for the coaching.... so the third who do take up this coaching are likely to be their teammates in the village and so they might be left behind in their skills levels....

agghhg - i am talking myself into letting them do it - but i just feel as a matter of principle that it should not have been offered at lunch time...

art