School charging for broken equipment

Lotus-eater

milliebear00001 wrote: »

So are you saying that because others get away with stuff, he should too? We don't know what motivated the boy to tell the truth. Maybe he's honest, maybe he knew it would become obvious when they started the lesson. Regardless, he has been careless and needs to make amends for that. If he's genuinely an honest lad, he won't have a problem with that.

No I'm not saying that, I'm not sure what I'm saying, just it seems a lot of money, for what might have been a couple of seconds of silliness from a decent lad.
Might not have been, but we don't know, do we?

jodie114

I just have to say something here... maybe its also a case of the surprise of getting a bill for a piece of equipment they didn't even know they used.
For me, i would have expected, at the beginning of the school year to be told that they will be using expensive equipment (way above normal microscopes etc), and should any damage be done that is deemed deliberate, the child/parent will be responsible. That way it would not have been a shock, and probably they could have already had that chat about "if you break it, you fix it".
Also, there does have to be some relaxation regarding if it was deliberate, if it was, then no question, it needs to be paid for, but if it was truly an accident, then the school have to expect things are going to happen to delicate equipment.

rachbc

Of course they shod be billed, and unless in extreme hardship they should pay. There is no need what so ever to squeeze the screen of a netbook so by default he was doing something he shouldn't have done - whether the damage happened on purpose or by accident it happened becasue he did something wrong.

The school should have handled it better I agree but its nonsese to suggest there shold be an opt out on using netbooks etc

puddy

fine if you're talking about 3 year olds that have little physical and developmental control over how they handle things, but this is a 14 year old, he im sure, has 'delicate' equipment like this at home like computers, games and gadgets

no, the school should not have itemise every single piece of equipment they use in school, all equipment is capable of being broken by misuse (whether accidental or not) and therefore needs to be replaced or fixed

my OH is like some people on here, making the distinction between accidental damage and purposeful damage. what difference does it make to the person who suffers sentimental loss or financial loss how the damage was caused. every time he breaks something (he is very clumsy) he says 'i didnt do it on purpose' as if that makes a difference to the fact that some treasured item of mine has been broken. he feels that this means no apology is needed and no replacement needed.

this is not case, its about taking responsibility for something you caused to happen. paying for it to be fixed is not a punishment its responsiblity. if the damage was malicious, then parents should put a punishment on top of paying for it, but they are 2 separate things

Foggster

puddy wrote: »

with regard to insurance, even if the item was covered and able to be claimed on for this sort of damage (which doesnt seem to have been accidental, perhaps just enthusiastic?)

the school would still have an excess, i know our excess for our home and buildings insurance (and we dont have accidental damage to keep costs down), is about 400 quid or something (to keep costs down)

Absolutely correct.

I know from experience that the excess on most Council policies runs into £1000s! Almost 20 years ago I worked at a large Council and their insurers had a £20k excess on claims.

I dont know of any LEA school that has an accidental damage insurance and when we tested the market as a co-op of schools we couldnt even get them to quote!

I wonder if someone has left a pen on the keyboard and slammed the lid shut??? This is unfortunately the No.1 cause for broken screens in school.

I have invoiced parents for damage and pursued if economical to do so. Most schools will have a School/Home policy which will normally cover damage to school property.

mizzbiz

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I think what really matters here is if the damage done was malicious, or accidental.
When I was at school we didn't have the expensive things they have to use now, but if I had accidentally broken something in the science lab, then I wouldn't expect a bill.
If I had broken something on purpose, then I wouldn't have been surprised if I had a bill. But it would have to have been purely on purpose, not just playing about a little.

It sounds like he was just playing about a bit, no malicious damage, so I don't think he should have a full bill, but a small one would probably be a good idea, so he won't do it again hopefully, or as someone said, maybe he'll learn the lesson never to fess up.

Totally agree with this.

Laptops are so easy to break - I should know - I've broken three since 2007! Unless the products are very robust then I doubt children should be charged for accidental damage.

It just doesn't seem fair at all, especially as the poor s*d owned up. Besides - this will teach him owning up to accidents doesn't pay and it's better to cover it up - at least then there's a chance not to be punished. It's like saying ot kids 'tell the truth and you won't be punished' then punishing them anyway when the truth is a bit worse than thought. Double standards and poor example to set.

Desperado99

awkward_aunty wrote: »

Can the school charge my sister? I'd welcome feedback.

Yes they can, but she doesn't HAVE to pay....

However, I would do.

Years ago, queue the black and white flashback:p, a girl in my domestic science class broke one of the food mixers (stuck a wooden spoon inbetween the beaters). She was horrified to have damaged it, and in the next DS lesson came in with a brand new one. She had not been asked to, or billed by the school, her parents quite simply felt it was the right thing to do. It was quite a heart-warming moment.... the teacher was rather overwhelmed

milliebear00001

jodie114 wrote: »

I just have to say something here... maybe its also a case of the surprise of getting a bill for a piece of equipment they didn't even know they used.
For me, i would have expected, at the beginning of the school year to be told that they will be using expensive equipment (way above normal microscopes etc), and should any damage be done that is deemed deliberate, the child/parent will be responsible. That way it would not have been a shock, and probably they could have already had that chat about "if you break it, you fix it".
Also, there does have to be some relaxation regarding if it was deliberate, if it was, then no question, it needs to be paid for, but if it was truly an accident, then the school have to expect things are going to happen to delicate equipment.

I find it very hard to believe that any parent of a teenager in school today doesn't know they are using 'expensive equipment'!! Has the internet age completely by-passed you? Do you not attend Parents' Evenings and get school reports where you find out they have been having ICT lessons? Do you never talk to your children about what they've done in the course of the school day? Of course all children, from primary school upwards, are using expensive equipment.

It doesn't matter that you didn't know they were using the equipment - what would you have done differently had there been a letter at the beginning of their shool career listing all the expensive equipment they might be using?

The boy has stated he squeezed the netbook, so he isn't attempting to claim it was an accident!

If we want out children to have the right to use such educational equipment, then we need to instil in them that they have a responsibility to look after it. It's surely a basic lesson for all children isn't it?

ETanny

At 14 years old he should know better and not to squeeze the screen of a delicate peice of equiptment - I mean even my 3 year old knows not to do that.
Unfortunately, he broke it so should pay to repair it. Hard lesson tought I am afraid. If it was my child I would make him do chores to earn his money to pay pack that ammount of money - Make him wash the car, wash dishes etc.

Sally_A

Firstly...the lad owned up :T

Secondly...he was a twonk for squeezing the screen with undue force.

Options..

1) Pay up
2) Do chores around the school to value of said damage; if only litter picking, doing the washing up in the staff room.
3) If student get's gobby and refuses, bring the whole of the class in, they can share the task (he will soon incur the wrath of his class) - and deprive them of a fun subject like games, and make the do extra English Lit.

As for the poster that said it was fine to bill parents unless they were on low income/benefits - GET REAL! This is how the benefit scrotes get their rioting/looting mentality that the state owes it all to them over those that pay their way.

Admission time in biology, circa 1976, we had a rig up of diaphragm and lungs, courtesy of an open ended bell jar with a rubber sheet at the bottom, and glass tubes with 2 balloons affixed, the idea was you pulled down the "diaphragm" and saw the lungs (balloons) expand. Well it wasn't working too well, so I blew down the pipette (wind pipe), announcing I was giving it the Kiss of Life, and promptly popped the lungs . I was NOT billed for the cost of a replacement perished balloon. My mishap probably made the diaphragm/lungs scenario stick in many a students head.

Think I got a B at O Level