do you think this is fair or acceptable?

bestpud

Good grief!

People lumping voluntary charity events and holidays with educational trips.

People complaining a play area prevents them getting their children out of the school.

People buying pyjamas and leggings because their children only have nighties. What is that about - absolute madness if you ask me??? I'd have sent mine in the nightie and normal trousers underneath - wouldn't most parents?

People moaning about PTA decisions but then saying they are unwilling to join or get off their butt and help out at events.

People who clearly lack interpersonal skills blaming the PTA for not listening to them.

People blaming the school for making them seem a bad guy in the eyes of their children because they won't pay for an expensive school holiday (and said little darling has already been on one holiday with the school).

I could go on.

Seems to me most of these 'problems' are a result of poor or weak parenting.

Parenting is often about helping our children deal with disappointment - it is actually harmful to make them think they can have anything they want and if they can't afford something they have a right to complain and/or have it banned for every other child.

Why do people have such a problem saying 'no' and why are people so afraid of their child being different every now and again?

I honestly despair when I read threads like this! And I speak as someone who is not at all well off!

mishkanorman

Morglin wrote: »

Don't they do School Fund payments any more?

Years back, all the kids HAD to pay in a small amount per week - it was about 5p per week per child in the 70's, when my children were at school.

That stopped all this constant asking for donations, money, gifts etc., - all that was requested, other than the school fund payments, was a tin at Harvest Festival time.

I don't know about 'free' eduation - my daughter's got 4 of them at different schools, and she (and me!) are constantly paying out for field trips, holidays with the school, sponsorships, this day, that day - on and on it goes.:eek::eek:

I know the PTA and teachers like to raise money, but it goes a bit far at times, and I feel sorry for those parents on a low income who must struggle a bit with all thse demands from schools.

Lin

The education is still 'free' as such as everything you have listed is voluntary, the parents dont have to send their children on all the trips, the child would still get the same in school education as the rest if their parents didnt contribute anything towards the extra fundraising the PTA does.

Since january the only requests from the school have been a voluntary contribution of £7.50 for a trip to the dinosaur park which was the topic for the term. If not enough people paid the trip wouldnt go ahead - the PTA paid towards the coaches. The PTA themselves have done 2 discos and a mothers day secret shop which comes to £7 total.

I cant believe that some schools are sending home 'constant' letters for things

Caroline73_2

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

the primary's PTA is made up of the dinner ladies (who been at the school for years and years)and morning and evening cleaners(whos been there years) a local councellor, head of course and some teachers that live local so can stay on for meetings and a parent or two of the elder children. rarely a chance to get on the PTA comes up!

That will be the PTA COMMITTEE, anyone who is part of the childs life (parent/carer/grandparent etc) can be part of the PTA. The way you get onto the committee is to attend meetings and then get nominated onto the committee at the AGM.

Lunar_Eclipse

[QUOTE
we send our children to school to be EDUCATED! please dont lose sight of that! Its all very well that the children have 'nice' things etc. but basic education IS provided at the taxpayers expense and none of us mind that!


I totally agree with you, but I also think the extras (fund raising for charity, school trips and outdoor classrooms etc) are vital too, in educating the whole person for adulthood.

Whilst I appreciate financial requests can be very difficult for some people, I'm
not interested in my children receiving (what I interpret to be) a basic education, since that will not fill them with a love for learning and prepare them for a balanced and successful adult life, IMO.

Having said all that, there is no educational benefit to the mufti day mentioned, but since no-one would want their child to be the odd one out, I guess I'd send in a bottle that matched my budget (at our school, they range from ketchup to expensive wine, not that our Head allows mufti day - the tombola requests are 'in return' for nothing) but question the short notice by all means.

kutsu119

Don't like the costs of children? Should have kept your legs closed, or saved your dole money and bought a TV instead.

red_devil

kutsu119 wrote: »

Don't like the costs of children? Should have kept your legs closed, or saved your dole money and bought a TV instead.

delightful arent you!

Fang_3

meritaten wrote: »

my son has been on single persons incapacity benifit for the last 4 months. but he has a partner and three children. the benefits agency lost the claim for his partner and and he has filled in more forms - which they promptly lost..... he has been trying to sort this out but has still had to provide for the family. now tell me how he can afford all the extras the school ask for?
oh and before you call him a lazy !!!!!!... his consultant made him retire on ill health as he has severe brittle asthma and his job was making his condition worse (though he loved the job).

Why doesn't he have any savings? Why can his OH work? All the extras come to about 50p per week, maximum. There isn't a single person who can't afford that, and if they claim they can't, then they shouldn't have children. But I'm sure that you've chipped in to help your grandchildren? Right?

meritaten

Fang wrote: »

Why doesn't he have any savings? Why can his OH work? All the extras come to about 50p per week, maximum. There isn't a single person who can't afford that, and if they claim they can't, then they shouldn't have children. But I'm sure that you've chipped in to help your grandchildren? Right?

Fang? do you live in the real world??? he didnt have any savings because he had a very low paid job. barely above minimum wage. and the extras come to MUCH more than 50p a week - in one week alone it came to over £5 and he has twins so that is £10. when you are struggling to put food on the table and pay the utilities £10 is a lot of money! and quite frankly how do you expect people who are poverty stricken to be concerned with giving money to charity?
AND I HAVE CHIPPED IN MANY MANY TIMES!!!!!!!!! (hit the caps lock button then just for you).

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Caroline73 wrote: »

That will be the PTA COMMITTEE, anyone who is part of the childs life (parent/carer/grandparent etc) can be part of the PTA. The way you get onto the committee is to attend meetings and then get nominated onto the committee at the AGM.

i know this but if no info is given on commitee meetings then how the hell you suppose to joit!? i left my number and asked to be contacted but they dont its been the same people the last 6 or 7 years!!!

those who say instead of ciggies or drink put away money for your child how about thinking perhaps some dont drink smoke or take drugs but still struggle its ok being in a cusy job getting paid over £30.000 pa and get child benefit of what ever a month depending on how many chidren.

i would rather see a threshhold on child ben of £25000.00 then all that wasted money can go back into the government and settle a little defesit! and hopefully lower tax's in some years then that money can be redistrubuted into schools! but thats my take on it.

any ways i'm not attcking my local primary i would like to join but when its as hard as it is at my local primary it puts off allot of parents that would join if it were easier untill then us parents have to deal with the outcome and complaints the parents in my local primary make go unoticed and shrugged off by the committe it seems.

Fang_3

meritaten wrote: »

Fang? do you live in the real world??? he didnt have any savings because he had a very low paid job. barely above minimum wage. and the extras come to MUCH more than 50p a week - in one week alone it came to over £5 and he has twins so that is £10. when you are struggling to put food on the table and pay the utilities £10 is a lot of money! and quite frankly how do you expect people who are poverty stricken to be concerned with giving money to charity?
AND I HAVE CHIPPED IN MANY MANY TIMES!!!!!!!!! (hit the caps lock button then just for you).

50p a week comes to £26 a year. What exactly cost £5 that week? I find it highly unlikely that that's typical of a week. He also won't be paying for school dinners, gets child benefit amongst other benefits so I don't think asking for a small contribution is uncalled for. My other questions still stand. But my overriding one is if you can't afford children - why have them and expect the rest of us to pick up the tab?