Can School Charge for Lost Books

justontime

I hope I have posted this in the right place, if not I apologise.

My son who will be 20 in December left Sixth Form after his A Levels and is now at university. Today a letter addressed to me and my husband (who is not my son's father and has never had parental responsibility for him) arrived from the school claiming that my son had failed to return two text books and he has ignored previous correspondence requesting the return of the books. The letter requires us to pay over £40 for the missing books.

My son has Asperger Syndrome so I give him more help than the average lad of his age and I keep a close eye on his incoming correspondence. I know that he has not received any previous letters asking for the books. I recall the books in question, my son left the house to take them back to school and to empty his locker etc just after his A leves. I can't actually prove that he returned them but he is adamant that he did and that he was with a friend from his year when he handed them in.

My son has now had a meltdown and stormed off to his room - this doesn't indicate that he is not telling the truth, it simply means that he is frustrated at being disbelieved and doesn't feel able to deal with the situation at the moment. His firsts few weeks adjusting to uni are stressful enough without me pressing him about this so I'm not sure how to deal with it. It may not sound like a lot of money, but as a carer I have a very low income and I couldn't pay it all in one go. Can the school force me to pay? I don't recall signing anything saying that I would be liable for such things and my husband certainly didn't.

System

If he has returned the books, I would write a letter to the school saying something along the lines of: With regard to your recent correspondence I can confirm that <insert your son's name> returned the following books

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to the school on <insert date>, and leave it at that. If there is a witness, so much the better.

meritaten

agree with Avogadro - just write and say he returned them and perhaps mention a witness.

pollypenny

Most teachers record books by number and by the students' names, so that they can be ticked off on return.

Text books are very expensive and many educational establishments make students buy their own.

Is it possible that your DS just left them somewhen in school,,rather than returning then to the correct members of staff?

theoretica

Or the names and numbers have got in a muddle - either when being checked out or back.

justontime

pollypenny wrote: »

Most teachers record books by number and by the students' names, so that they can be ticked off on return.

Text books are very expensive and many educational establishments make students buy their own.

Is it possible that your DS just left them somewhen in school,,rather than returning then to the correct members of staff?

It is possible, but I would have thought it was unlikely. He has a disability but he is not stupid and the main point of his journey that day was to return the books. He says he returned them and if he hadn't he would probably tell me. He is very factual.

globalds

I can't see why the school would have been mistaken for this long?

Either the books weren't delivered to the right department and your son could help out by explaining to you who he gave them to.
This would help the school find the location of these books.
He is adamant he returned them ...Just ask him who he gave them too and tell the school.

Spendless

justontime wrote: »

It is possible, but I would have thought it was unlikely. He has a disability but he is not stupid and the main point of his journey that day was to return the books. He says he returned them and if he hadn't he would probably tell me. He is very factual.

When he's calmed down, ask him who/where he returned them to. Also double check he hasn't received any prior correspondence about them. I know you say he hasn't, but is it possible a letter came one day when you were out and he was in? Put all this in your answer to the school, in writing, so there's a paper trail.

justontime

Spendless wrote: »

When he's calmed down, ask him who/where he returned them to. Also double check he hasn't received any prior correspondence about them. I know you say he hasn't, but is it possible a letter came one day when you were out and he was in? Put all this in your answer to the school, in writing, so there's a paper trail.

No, I know he hasn't received any post from school as I have the only key to the wall mounted post box. He left after A Levels so there may have been a school reminder prior to that but there has been no communication since June.

'When he has calmed down' - if only it was that simple! He feels unreasonably accused of something he hasn't done. He may calm down eventually but as soon as the subject is mentioned again we will be back to his present state of high anxiety.

meritaten

ok - then just don't ask him again - you know by his reaction he DID return the books. I have an Aspie grandson and he is exactly the same if he is accused of something he didn't do. and he is VERY factual and truthful.

perhaps the school has 'lost' them? just write and explain he made a special trip to return the books on so and so date with so and so, and you HAVENT received any previous letters.
say that you are disputing that the books weren't returned and will NOT be paying any monies.

peachyprice

globalds wrote: »

I can't see why the school would have been mistaken for this long?

Either the books weren't delivered to the right department and your son could help out by explaining to you who he gave them to.
This would help the school find the location of these books.
He is adamant he returned them ...Just ask him who he gave them too and tell the school.

Oh, I can.

My daughter had some school library books that were late back due to being 'mislaid' in her bedroom, I happened to find them and took them back myself when I was there for parents evening in February, even had a conversation with the librarian and apologised.

Roll on September I got a stroppy letter from the school telling be that despite numerous reminders they hadn't been returned and could I pay for them.

I phoned the librarian and told her that they'd definitely been returned and that it was me who had done so, she said she'd have a look and get back to me if she found them. 10 mins later she phoned back to say they'd been put back in the wrong place.

If she hadn't have found them there was no way I would be paying for them, not when I knew 100% that they had been returned.