Schools demanding money with menaces

Hezzawithkids

moomoomama27 wrote: »

I don't get this attitude! It's for your child's education! Their everyday learning is free ( unless you choose private education), does a few quid every so often have to be so resented! I work in a school, it's a shame that the vast majority of parents have this attitude, and my children's school do give plenty of notice for day trips ( at least 2 months) and 6 months plus for residentials!

I don't resent the money, I resent the school's attitude in asking for it - thoe whole "pay up or else" approach. And this is not the first time either.

Treevo

Hezzawithkids wrote: »

A bit uncalled for I think. I'm not trying to pick a fight with the school, I'm suggesting they treat parents with a but more respect especially when they are asking us for money to fund the curriculum.

Who benefits from the trips? It's not the school.

Schools are not glorified childcare for you. If anyone should have more respect it is you - for the people who are ensuring that your child gets a deent education.

Mojisola

Hezzawithkids wrote: »

I don't resent the money, I resent the school's attitude in asking for it - thoe whole "pay up or else" approach. And this is not the first time either.

Have you spoken to anyone at the school about the tone of the letter? If not, try talking to one of the parent governors.

If the letter says that the trip is necessary for the curriculum but that children who don't pay won't go, ask about that to. As peachyprice said - they can't do that.

securityguy

CH27 wrote: »

There are a lot of people struggling to feed their children & pay the bills.

Most schools have a fund for children who are on FSM. It's another of the many reasons why FSM should be claimed by everyone who is eligible: not only does it benefit the school (because the %age FSM drives funding) and the child (as well as getting dinner, if you can tick the "claimed FSM within the last five years" box on things like Sutton Trust applications you go to the top of the pile) it's also a passported benefit for a whole stack of other benefits.

There is a poverty trap for people who are just above the FSM threshold, and although schools might have other funds available to deal with that they won't find it as easy. But just getting a strop on doesn't help anyone.

DCodd

Treevo wrote: »

Who benefits from the trips? It's not the school.

Schools are not glorified childcare for you. If anyone should have more respect it is you - for the people who are ensuring that your child gets a deent education.

To be fair Treevo, if it is a compulsory part of the Curriculum then the School has already had funds for it. If it is not a Curriculum required trip then it is a voluntary trip and a request for money should be issued.

It's about manners, we expect the kids to show respect and be mindfull of their manners but seem to think that Senior School Management shouldn't have to show that same level of manners to the Parents.

Treevo

DCodd wrote: »

To be fair Treevo, if it is a compulsory part of the Curriculum then the School has already had funds for it. If it is not a Curriculum required trip then it is a voluntary trip and a request for money should be issued.

It's about manners, we expect the kids to show respect and be mindfull of their manners but seem to think that Senior School Management shouldn't have to show that same level of manners to the Parents.

There is a world of difference between an aspect of the curriculum that can be better taught with a field trip being compulsory and the field trip itself being compulsory.

I don't see a problem with the wording of the letter (if the bits from the OP are accurate). Anything that stops certain parents from getting away with paying for anything and then passing the cost on to the rest of us is a good thing.

DCodd

Treevo wrote: »

There is a world of difference between an aspect of the curriculum that can be better taught with a field trip being compulsory and the field trip itself being compulsory.

Yes there is, the first one being voluntary and the second one being part of the National curriculum and is already funded.

I don't see a problem with the wording of the letter (if the bits from the OP are accurate). Anything that stops certain parents from getting away with paying for anything and then passing the cost on to the rest of us is a good thing.

You don't see a problem with a School misrepresenting and mis-selling? Which is effectively what they are doing. I have held back from including lying but it's tantamount to the same thing.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Schools providing trips that Parents have to pay for but to deliberately mislead the Parents into thinking they have no choice but to send their child on that trip is very wrong on many levels including the legal level.

Hezzawithkids

I get that there are some parents who will avoid paying for anything if they can get away with it. BUT if the school showed a bit more respect when asking for funding for anything - voluntary/extra curricular/compulsory etc - they may get a better response.

I have raised this issue (of the way they write letters home) at parents evenings in the past but nothing ever changes.

Hezzawithkids

Treevo wrote: »

Who benefits from the trips? It's not the school.

Schools are not glorified childcare for you. If anyone should have more respect it is you - for the people who are ensuring that your child gets a deent education.

[sigh] What a ridiculous statement. Nowhere have I said that my child shouldn't go or that I expect the school to provide "childcare" - talk about twisting my words.

The school should practice what it preaches - as DCodd says, they expect students to be respectful while at the same time treating parents like lowlifes.

SingleSue

Kayalana99 wrote: »

They should be given enough notice thats all I was implying. Some people just can't afford the normal weekly shopping bill let alone extras that come out the blue.

It's the lack of notice which annoys me, sometimes there is hardly any notice and I have to somehow find the pennies out of my carefully done weekly budget to do it. A bit more notice and it would not be such a headache as I would have forward warning to work it into the budget.

That said, my boys have always gone on the trips needed for their courses, I usually find a way to get the money together but it does cause a bit of stress in the process.