Cruel School?

Proc

What's the big deal?

Sure it's a little mean on the kids. But it teaches them a valuable lesson; you can't have what you can't afford.

"Sorry to disappoint kids, but I don't have any money because I'm working very hard to support us but I don't earn very much so can't afford it."

There might be some tears, but they'll learn from it, and possibly be more grateful for things that they do have in the future.

pigpen

DaisyFlower wrote: »

If a parent chooses to have eight children then they should ensure they can afford them - its not the schools or other parents responsibility to pay for them. Not to mention the mass CB and CTC they will be getting for 8 children.

The end of the school year often brings trips and treats for the chilren, its no surprise and can be budgeted for in advance.

So many people have a huge sense of entitlement and believe that everyone else should pay for their lifestyle choices. Maybe the school are fed up of the mum with 8 children not paying and had already paid for her children on many other occasions.

I have 8 children and have only once not paid for a trip.. that was purely because I had not received the letter until the day of the trip and it was £35.. The number of children is irrelevant.. you get CB for each child and that is what we use for trips etc.

I actually feel mine get more than a lot of the other children from smaller size families because there are so many of them (cheaper to buy in bulk and all that ) and I sometimes feel a bit bad they don't get the trips out, holidays etc other children do because I don't drive and I cannot manage the ones with mobility problems on my own etc not through lack of funding ..

SingleSue wrote: »

I've had times when middle son has forgotten (he has extremely poor short term memory) to give me a letter and then have found out on the day of the trip/event at school etc.

Cue a phone call from the school and a mad dash to get things organised, sometimes having to borrow money from my parents because that outlay just wasn't in my budget that week.

The high school now give the letters direct to me....and follow up with the TA's ensuring I know about any trips or events by verbal means.

My middle son has apalling short term memory and forgets EVERYTHING.. however most school have a website now which has most letters regarding trips/holidays etc that are coming up.

Last Thursday DS2 brought home a letter which said it had to be returned and the trip paid in full (£30) by the 5th.. yet he had not received the letter until the 15th!! The trip is.. tomorrow!!!

Tropez

To be honest, at all of my schools (nursery, infant, junior, secondary) all entertainment and school trips required some sort of fee except for a couple of end-of-term video days that they would have. I, personally, don't see a problem with it. I appreciate it might seem unfair for a 3-4 year old to be left out because their parents haven't paid the £5 but if those are the rules then I think it is necessary to abide by them.

onlyroz

For things that are purely for entertainment I don't see a problem with expecting people to pay for them. If you can't afford it or don't want your child to do it then don't pay - but I don't think that the people who can afford to pay should miss out, or be made to subsidise those who don't pay. If the trip/event is part of the curriculum then that's another matter.

I paid last week for a trip to a farm. At a cost of £12 I thought it was good value - I was a little miffed that I only got the letter two days before, but that's most likely my son's fault for losing the original letter. I'm glad that children are offered these experiences and I'm happy to pay for them.

POPPYOSCAR

I am with you Op on this one.I don't see why children of this age should be treated like this and I think it is disgraceful.So what if the parents prefer to spend the money on fags booze etc that is not the fault of a 3 year old, and as others have said the parents may not have even had the letter in the first place.My DD has missed a letter before when she has been off sick.

thebaileys

Luckily I had budgeted for the last few weeks, as I knew they would be expensive, what with new school uniforms to pay for too.

Having 8 children is a choice, and the parents will get CTC and FA for the children, but how the parents choose to spend that money is not the childrens choice.

There will always be parents that would rather have 20 fags, and cheap booze than provide for there children, and believe you me there are many people like that round here.

But why should a 3 year old child have to suffer???

Fang_3

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

I am with you Op on this one.I don't see why children of this age should be treated like this and I think it is disgraceful.So what if the parents prefer to spend the money on fags booze etc that is not the fault of a 3 year old, and as others have said the parents may not have even had the letter in the first place.My DD has missed a letter before when she has been off sick.

It is down to the parents of the child, not everyone else. It's time people took responsibility for their actions rather than the good and decent parents bailing them out at every opportunity.

Fang_3

thebaileys wrote: »

Luckily I had budgeted for the last few weeks, as I knew they would be expensive, what with new school uniforms to pay for too.

Having 8 children is a choice, and the parents will get CTC and FA for the children, but how the parents choose to spend that money is not the childrens choice.

There will always be parents that would rather have 20 fags, and cheap booze than provide for there children, and believe you me there are many people like that round here.

But why should a 3 year old child have to suffer???

Why should everyone else have to pay for their child and allow them to shirk their responsibilities? Where does it stop? Skiing trip to Canada? How about a car when they're 17?

onlyroz

thebaileys wrote: »

There will always be parents that would rather have 20 fags, and cheap booze than provide for there children, and believe you me there are many people like that round here.

But why should a 3 year old child have to suffer???

What lesson would you be teaching the child, if they were paid for in these circumstances? That it's OK to spend all your money on fags or booze because someone else will always pick up the tab for the things you can't afford? No, if mum decides to buy fags instead of pay a fiver for their child to see a show, then I'd be livid if I was asked to subsidise that child.

thebaileys

Fang wrote: »

Why should everyone else have to pay for their child and allow them to shirk their responsibilities? Where does it stop? Skiing trip to Canada? How about a car when they're 17?

Bit OTT!!!

Im talking about £15.00, thats how much it would have cost the school.