School seem to think we have a money tree at the bottom of the garden!

the_cat

In defense of school trips (for those lucky enought to be able to choose to afford it if they want to)

We went without a family holiday last year in order that DS2 could go on holiday with the school (DS1 decided not to come away with us anyway as he is older). I'm so very glad we did

He had a trip of a lifetime to China. He is studying Mandarin for GCSE and got hours of help with the chinese tutors every day at the university, plus saw all the Beijing sights. A 2 week holiday of a lifetime which helped him mature beyond belief and will be a memory for life. Yes it was expensive but definately worth it (subsidised by Chinese government so not quite as horrific a cost as you might imagine)

The idea that no child should be allowed this sort of experience because some cannot afford it is just as unfair surely as some missing out whilst others partake?

Swampmonster

When my daughter used to go to a 'uniform' school I used to think that it was a good idea as it would avoid competition over designer brands etc.

It came as a complete shock to me when she moved to a 'non-uniform' school that this was just a myth. You tend to think they will be in their 'branded' clothes like they usually are on non uniform day but it just doesn't happen. No parent could afford to do that everyday. So they just wear what they are warm and comfortable in and no-one really bats an eyelid. It really has to be seen to be believed.

From a parents point of view it is significantly cheaper as you can wear stuff off ebay, clothes have adequate wear before they are outgrown and you don't have that mad uniform panic in the mornings because something hasn't been washed.

It is truly enlightening.

She is now back in uniform as there is no non-uniform school in the area we are now living which is a great shame.

euronorris

Mandarin GCSE? Do they offer that now, or was it specially requested? ie, with a private tutor?

Awesome if it's offered to all at that school!

the_cat

euronorris wrote: »

Mandarin GCSE? Do they offer that now, or was it specially requested? ie, with a private tutor?

Awesome if it's offered to all at that school!

I wish it were available to all! DS comprehensive school was one of only 2% offering it when he started. His is sadly the last year's intake to be offered it at his school ( but yes it was available to all the year he started)

Absolutely crazy really, considering how useful it is likely to be in the coming years. Frustratingly not available anywhere locally at A level, due to being too scarcely taken at GCSE:wall::wall::wall:

WestonDave

I don't see a problem with paying for extras like music lessons - it would be somewhat unfair if some kids had things like this funded from the school budget meaning that there was less cash for core education. Similarly if you use the school as a catering or childcare facility then you should pay for school meals or breakfast/afterschool clubs.

Where it does get annoying is all the "everyone" requests. If the whole class is going somewhere it should be part of school funds and/or the number of requests kept to a sensible number per term/year. Its not just financial ones - its the coming home at 3:30 in the afternoon with the "I have to go dressed as a X tomorrow", or "I need swimming kit with names on for swimming tomorrow". In this instance its not the kids not telling us, its the teachers not telling the kids!

My solution (at least in part) is to set every PTA up as a registered charity (legally they should be anyway!) and then let parents either pay a regular amount by standing order, or one off donations - get them all signed up on gift aid so its worth 25% more and lay off some of the daft requests through the year. I'd happily pay more than my fair share this way if it avoided the panic scramble to log on to parent pay for some school trip etc.

dizziblonde

Aaah the sniping and utter utter contempt of teachers (do you REALLY think we WANT to give up weekends and endless evenings to do residentials and the paperwork, parents meetings, reuniting everyone with the dirty washing they forgot to pack and the complaints about anything and everything whatever you do - in the interests of some kind of "free holiday" where the teachers "do what they want to do"... it's something teachers do for the kids, often to the detriment of their own family, and it's stressful and knackering - not some kind of jolly for them)... oh and the evil grabbing PTA - so we'll assume your kids want to spend breaktimes in an empty concrete playground - because it's only via PTA money (and the supermarket vouchers usually) that there are climbing trails and play equipment... and of course the teachers specifically choose to have school photos done (I flipping hated class photo day - hate having my picture taken) and force you to buy them - just to spite you.... and how dare they charge you for school meals - disgraceful (I've gone on school trips before where parents have refused to send packed lunches in, knowing full well the staff won't see the child starving and will have a whip round of bits from their own lunches to make sure they have something to eat)!

It's that level of utter resentment and hatred that makes me count my blessings I'm out of teaching now - because I'm sick to death of putting my health and my family behind the children of 30 parents - most of whom resent your very existence and will complain about whatever you do.

With the bickering and sniping and moaning and complaining - one day all the teachers are going to turn around, refuse to do things like subsidise endless school resources out of their own pockets (when the allocated 2 pencils per child for the entire year runs out mid-January - who do you think ends up buying them out of their own money?), refuse to take on the responsibility and paperwork of running trips (last one I took - the risk assessment form was running at 20 pages, not to mention parents' meetings about residentials), refuse to run clubs - because people just complain about the cost, or the fact there's an expectation kids get collected promptly, or the content of the club... and the kids will be the ones who lose out - but I wouldn't blame a teacher who decided to do that, when they're met with the crap going on on this thread.

Oh and teachers don't personally set the dinner costs, the lunch menu, the school uniform, those flipping death-by-powerpoint inset days, the incessant non-uniform days, we don't generally run the PTA (but give up our time to support the events), we're also not responsible for global warming, the local football team's league performance, or the price of fish....

euronorris

the_cat wrote: »

I wish it were available to all! DS comprehensive school was one of only 2% offering it when he started. His is sadly the last year's intake to be offered it at his school ( but yes it was available to all the year he started)

Absolutely crazy really, considering how useful it is likely to be in the coming years. Frustratingly not available anywhere locally at A level, due to being too scarcely taken at GCSE:wall::wall::wall:

Oh wow, that is frustrating! I don't think people appreciate how useful it will be, and just how much business we will be doing with China!

Are there any language schools locally, that offer courses in it? Perhaps not A-Level, but still enough to keep him moving forward and progressing with it? Or is distance learning an option with that one?

daisiegg

Mandarin GCSE is available (free) to all at my school (and not just GCSE age students - lots of kids start much younger). All it 'costs' is them giving up one lunchtime a week for the lessons, and they get an extra GCSE.

daisiegg

dizziblonde - BRILLIANT post! couldn't have put it better myself

WestonDave

dizziblonde wrote: »

Aaah the sniping and utter utter contempt of teachers (do you REALLY think we WANT to give up weekends and endless evenings to do residentials and the paperwork, parents meetings, reuniting everyone with the dirty washing they forgot to pack and the complaints about anything and everything whatever you do - in the interests of some kind of "free holiday" where the teachers "do what they want to do"... it's something teachers do for the kids, often to the detriment of their own family, and it's stressful and knackering - not some kind of jolly for them)... oh and the evil grabbing PTA - so we'll assume your kids want to spend breaktimes in an empty concrete playground - because it's only via PTA money (and the supermarket vouchers usually) that there are climbing trails and play equipment... and of course the teachers specifically choose to have school photos done (I flipping hated class photo day - hate having my picture taken) and force you to buy them - just to spite you.... and how dare they charge you for school meals - disgraceful (I've gone on school trips before where parents have refused to send packed lunches in, knowing full well the staff won't see the child starving and will have a whip round of bits from their own lunches to make sure they have something to eat)!

It's that level of utter resentment and hatred that makes me count my blessings I'm out of teaching now - because I'm sick to death of putting my health and my family behind the children of 30 parents - most of whom resent your very existence and will complain about whatever you do.

With the bickering and sniping and moaning and complaining - one day all the teachers are going to turn around, refuse to do things like subsidise endless school resources out of their own pockets (when the allocated 2 pencils per child for the entire year runs out mid-January - who do you think ends up buying them out of their own money?), refuse to take on the responsibility and paperwork of running trips (last one I took - the risk assessment form was running at 20 pages, not to mention parents' meetings about residentials), refuse to run clubs - because people just complain about the cost, or the fact there's an expectation kids get collected promptly, or the content of the club... and the kids will be the ones who lose out - but I wouldn't blame a teacher who decided to do that, when they're met with the crap going on on this thread.

Oh and teachers don't personally set the dinner costs, the lunch menu, the school uniform, those flipping death-by-powerpoint inset days, the incessant non-uniform days, we don't generally run the PTA (but give up our time to support the events), we're also not responsible for global warming, the local football team's league performance, or the price of fish....

Which rather prompts the question - if it annoys the hell out of teachers and parents, why are we all still banging our heads on this brick wall? Surely the answer is to get together and come up with something that does work, rather than keep on, keeping on with something that doesn't!