School fee "donations" & activity fees - Where to draw the line?

[FJRider]

I thought I paid taxes so that schools could afford those things?

If everybody paid all the tax the goverment required, to all their departments ... maybe they could.

[sugilite:Me]

School donations area necessary evil. The lower decile schools can usually manage with a lower donation, higher decile schools get very limited funding from govt, so need a higher donation to cover things like libraries, upgraded text books, technology equipment,sports and pe gear to name just a few things.
Parents expect that schools will provide all that stuff for their kids, but don't want to pay for it.
Strikes me that schools are damned either way.

While I agree with what you say, I feel the practice of publicly (in the context of school life) excluding kids because their parents did not, or in many cases could not pay is a very poor way for schools to meter out punishment for not paying a "donation". I've always paid it myself, but it still makes me sick every time I read of the consequences of non payment in the school newsletter. It is not the child's fault and they should not have to suffer the stigma.

[mashman]

If everybody paid all the tax the goverment required, to all their departments ... maybe they could.

of course they do, don't be silly.

[Geeen]

I thought I paid taxes so that schools could afford those things?

My wif was a board member at our daughters school and in charge of their finances. She said the schools get F*ck all funding from the govt. especially high decile schools. By the time they pay the wages for their teacher aides, office pple and grounds people there ain't nothing left for any trips special treats etc.

She found it was always the same kids whose families never paid for trips etc. and most of these families there was no reason why they couldn't find $3 for a trip. It got to a point where the school kept saying "if you don't pay your child won't go" but never did until 1 day my wif drew the line and funnily enough all families paid when they realised the school was serious.

Most schools are happy for parents to pay off fees like this at like $5-10 per week.

Its a user pay society. The education is free, but the camps etc aren't.

[mashman]

but it still makes me sick every time I read of the consequences of non payment in the school newsletter

in the newsletter? WTF!!! Dunno why I'm surprised but I am, yes, very much so...

My wif was a board member at our daughters school and in charge of their finances. She said the schools get F*ck all funding from the govt. especially high decile schools. By the time they pay the wages for their teacher aides, office pple and grounds people there ain't nothing left for any trips special treats etc.

She found it was always the same kids whose families never paid for trips etc. and most of these families there was no reason why they couldn't find $3 for a trip. It got to a point where the school kept saying "if you don't pay your child won't go" but never did until 1 day my wif drew the line and funnily enough all families paid when they realised the school was serious.

Most schools are happy for parents to pay off fees like this at like $5-10 per week.

Its a user pay society. The education is free, but the camps etc aren't.

bagga that's depressing. I've never had a problem with kids not going on a trip because the parents wouldn't/couldn't pay, but when it comes to libraries, textbooks and equipment etc... that annoys the fuck out of me as I thought I had paid for that sort of thing. Live and learn I guess. It must drive yer missus mad.

[FJRider]

It is not the child's fault and they should not have to suffer the stigma.

Tell that to the parents ... (and they are told) but ... the parents dont care.

[James Deuce]

What's more wonderful is when you pay all activity fees for the year up front and then junior comes home from school having been denied "x" because "your parents haven't paid".

"Have", we say.

"Haven't", say the school.

Get bank statement with relevant payment. Go to school. "Have".

"We have no record of that."

"No worries, argue with bank. No, we have number, look, we'll dial it for you."

Bank says, "They HAVE paid, stop being dicks."

School says, "We have no record of that."

Bank says, "We'll talk to your bank about that - Hang on! Is us! You were paid. STFU n00b."

We write letter to school board asking for written apology and refund for denied "x".

Bored of Trustees laugh and hassle wife in playground.

Wife beats Chairman to death with own child - wait that bit not true. Rest is.

[JimO]

Wife beats Chairman to death with own child - wait that bit not true. Rest is.

that was the best bit

[JimO]

I thought I paid taxes so that schools could afford those things?

trouble is your taxes are going towards the lazy cunts that dont work and get paid to breed, best thing you can do is work harder

[merv]

.... but Bill English gave everyone a tax cut didn't he?

[p.dath]

Yeah, so much for a "free" education. Not everybody can afford to pay these "donations" and the stigma it causes for the children when they are very publicly excluded from school events is reprehensible.

We don't pay school donations anymore. We have 4 left in school still. One of the schools wanted a $600 donation this year!

[mashman]

trouble is your taxes are going towards the lazy cunts that dont work and get paid to breed, best thing you can do is work harder

I don't mind the unemployed not filling jobs that aren't there. They keep my money worth what it is.

[tigertim20]

it amuses me the amount of people who whine and bitch that kids today are getting a shit education, arent learning any respect, dont listen, ignore their elders, cannot write clearly and are unable to spell or punctuate properly.
Those same people then tend to bitch that they are asked to contribute a small fee towards the resources the school consumes in its attempt to teach the kids.

as for the sausage thing, thats fucking wrong, why did your friend not tell the teachers to get fucked, and just give the hungry kid a sausage?
Id have thought a simple threat "kids are at your school camp, and you are the teacher, imagine if the newspapers heard you refused to feed the kids that were hungry while under YOUR care" would have been enough to make them begrudgingly cave in.

[Bald Eagle]

what about the school that charges kids for the teacher relief for the staff that go on the trip with them. nice little double dip by a college I know in my local area

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[Ocean1]

pay all activity fees for the year up front

Ah, the world stopped working that way a generation ago, dude. Cash on the barrel head? you gota expect to be treated like a weirdo eh.

In future pay on the second reminder, it's what they understand.