Do you agree to this 'voluntary contribution' the schools ask for?

AlanG · 29-08-2018 4:17pm

While I think the school should not need it in reality I want my kids to have the best opportunities so I am happy to pay - it is really only the cost of a night out for a couple. I am involved in the parents association so I know money in our school is well spent, even though we don't manage the voluntary contribution part of it.
For those who want to know what it's spent on they should attend a board of management meeting - there is usually ones year where they are looking for a new parents rep or two so all those sort of questions are addressed at it.

mariaalice · 29-08-2018 4:17pm

Neyite wrote: »

Ours is only €40 and the school PTA run an excellent book club which means that from JI to sixth class the books will cost me €40 per year and handed to me every August in a pile, covered. I don't have to buy a single other thing than a school bag, not even a pencil.

The uniform has generic alternatives too.

So I'm happy to pay what we pay. I think we get great value for our money compared to some schools. In return, I offer to help out any fundraising event if I can.

Again if one school can do that how come another cant? that is the bit that needs transparency.

koheim · 29-08-2018 4:19pm

In a modern society like Ireland, education should be 100% free. FG and FF is a disgrace for allowing this to happen. But then again privatisation is their policy for everything...

meeeeh · 29-08-2018 4:19pm

Ger Roe wrote: »

Parents partially funding or providing their time and services to schools hides bigger problems with the system and in the end leads to educational facilities inequality where those who can pay ... have, and those who can't ... have not.

That's true however I think many of us wouldn't want facilities to deteriorate to be at the same level as schools in poorer areas. If that means contribution for school extension so there are no prefab classes or that there is proper gym, building is adequately heated and so on, many of us would contribute. It might not be fair to poorer areas but who wants their kids in a school that just about meets minimum standards.

Ger Roe · 29-08-2018 4:32pm

meeeeh wrote: »

That's true however I think many of us wouldn't want facilities to deteriorate to be at the same level as schools in poorer areas. If that means contribution for school extension so there are no prefab classes or that there is proper gym, building is adequately heated and so on, many of us would contribute. It might not be fair to poorer areas but who wants their kids in a school that just about meets minimum standards.

That approach would be fine if you were talking about a private school setup where you voluntarily pay for what you get above and beyond what might be available elsewhere. I am talking about having to privately donate funds to keep a national school system operating at an acceptable level.

It's a question of what type of society you want to have. Of course some of us can look at a bad system and pay our way out of it.... but people in government and their associated departments are being paid (by us) to manage that system. Why stop at the Dept of Ed?, should we help every other government department out too, so that they can continue to operate systems that clearly aren't fit for purpose? Where is the accountability?

29-08-2018 4:40pm

twenty odd million on a pope visit that was a damp quib, ask the church for a handout I'd say.

myshirt · 29-08-2018 4:41pm

I can well afford it but I will never pay it.

It's a liquidity solution to a solvency problem. Additionally, school principals need training on a budgetary process and the teachers themselves need to stop absorbing increased funding to the sector via their wages. The wage bill needs to drop.

banie01 · 29-08-2018 4:42pm

At my son's school the requested voluntary contribution is €300.
This is in addition to the €75 photocopying fee, the €15 locker fee.
The compulsory uniform jumper and jacket costing @€;120.
As it's an exam year this year, he has pre's to pay for costing €120 as well as the actual exam fees.
Those charges are on top of the usual books, uniform and other cost associated with back to school.
If he decides to go to supervised study, that's another €360 and that's before any tours,trips or off sites.

As my mother was fond of saying...
Free education my hole

Chinasea · 29-08-2018 4:52pm

The amount to pay is not really that much when you consider what you get in return.

While we are at it, it is time we stopped dishing out medical cards, bogus disability cards and bus passes like smarties and ridiculously cheap medicines (medical card holders) there might be a bit more funding. We have the highest disability claimant figures in Europe...

mariaalice · 29-08-2018 5:01pm

When mine were in school I could have sent them to a community school which was about equidistance from the school they went to, the community school has no voluntary contribution. The school they attended has a steep enough voluntary contribution which got very steep by the time the second one attended and even well over 20 years ago the uniform was about 200 pounds they had a blazer and PE and sports gear with the school emblem on them you had to get it.

SEPT 23 1989 · 29-08-2018 5:50pm

My kids go /went to a decent school with excellent teachers who are giving them an education

A few hundred quid is nothing compared to what they are getting

Star Bingo · 29-08-2018 5:59pm

Andy From Sligo · 29-08-2018 6:00pm

its compulsory to send you children to school - if you dont you are in a lot of trouble with the authorities.

so for that reason alone that by law you have to send your children to school then its only right that the conditions are suitably supplied without the asking of voluntary contributions like this from the parents thats what I think.

at the end of the day you cannot ignore that an awful lot of people across the country are already on the breadline - along with that voluntary payment there is an awful lot more payout for sending your child to school - books , uniforms, meals, bus fares

Very well saying its voluntary and its not expected but it (well used to be) still frowned upon if most parents in the school have paid it but some really really cannot afford to pay it .. or dont pay it for whatever reason

meeeeh · 29-08-2018 6:04pm

Ger Roe wrote: »

It's a question of what type of society you want to have. Of course some of us can look at a bad system and pay our way out of it.... but people in government and their associated departments are being paid (by us) to manage that system. Why stop at the Dept of Ed?, should we help every other government department out too, so that they can continue to operate systems that clearly aren't fit for purpose?

We do. It's called private health insurance.

corks finest · 29-08-2018 6:06pm

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

My children are all grown up now but i remember this 'voluntary contribution' their schools were looking for around about this time when they went back to school after their summer holidays. - do you agree with it?

Don't like,but it's necessary,and if a parent think their kid gets a decent education there, give some thing

keith_sixteen · 29-08-2018 6:26pm

I live in a country where education is free.

-No school uniforms / jackets
-Books / stationary provided by the school for free
-No "voluntary contributions"

Sometimes I get the feeling in Ireland that the costs associated with education are all a bit of a scam.

DChancer · 29-08-2018 6:28pm

bluewolf wrote: »

Do they give a breakdown of what it's for?
From what i hear it's threatening and bullying if you don't pay

It's coercion pure and simple
Blackmail

keith_sixteen · 29-08-2018 6:30pm

Don't forget throughout the year there will also be fees for "Arts & Craft", "Photocopying" and other bollox.

Springfields · 29-08-2018 6:35pm

We are asked for photocopying, arts materials, book rental etc up front at beginning of school year but get a full breakdown of what the money goes on so I've no problem handing it over. That said it a relatively small amount...just over 50 Euro for 2 kids...it's not optional anyway

29-08-2018 6:42pm

While ideally it should be based on ability to pay, in reality that’s very hard to legislate for.

The act of placing money with your local school while your children are attending there places parents in a role of responsibility and interest in that school and encourages participation in the decisions that the school makes. And I don’t think overall that’s a bad thing. Though it should be capped if a number of children in the family attend the same school.
A central government or local government “tax” makes it more a passive thing. While in general I’m not really in favor of stealth “taxes”, in this case asking parents directly may have some positive effects.

Church on Tuesday · 29-08-2018 6:44pm

Well someones gotta pay for the prefabs...

suicide_circus · 29-08-2018 6:52pm

Grayson wrote: »

50 grand of hobnobs though......

at normal retail price I calculate that to be approximately 8,000kg of hobnobs. if you can get them wholesale you can double that.

LirW · 29-08-2018 6:56pm

There's such a huge disparity in schools around the country. My son attends a rural primary with around 120 children.
That school gets do little funding they struggle to keep basic activities going. Don't get me wrong, the school is well run because the staff go above and beyond but it's tough. Schools didn't have any computers until last year because some well off family donated a few to the school.
For them it's a struggle between keeping costs down for a very diverse financial background and scraping by.
They're asking for 90 but are okay when you pay 30 per term.

I'm not cool with schools being so underfunded and certain areas being left out more than others. All schools should get the same funding and the same basics regardless of the area they're in. In his first year he went to a school bordering a disadvantaged area in Dublin and that school was equipped miles better than the one he goes to now. The current one is being run a lot better though.

Keyman123 · 29-08-2018 7:13pm

My daughter is going into junior cert.Received a letter/bill for €160 on top of the €150 yearly admission fee -note voluntary contributions has now turned to fee, no get out clause here I’m afraid,
The trousers, jacket, shirts. T shirts, track suits and jumpers all have to be crested. My question is why can’t they have a dunnes stores/ Tesco uniform instead of the bloody crested one and maybe then I’ll be able to be able to afford their requests for payments.

Snugglebunnies · 29-08-2018 7:22pm

I haven't ever paid it to my daughters school because I simply can't afford it. I'm a single mother scraping by on a minimum wage job. The costs of getting her back to school are huge without forking out another 150 euro. I feel so embarrassed that I haven't been able to pay it.

suicide_circus · 29-08-2018 7:27pm

Snugglebunnies wrote: »

I haven't ever paid it to my daughters school because I simply can't afford it. I'm a single mother scraping by on a minimum wage job. The costs of getting her back to school are huge without forking out another 150 euro. I feel so embarrassed that I haven't been able to pay it.

you have nothing to be embarrassed about. it's the government that should be embarrassed.

doolox · 29-08-2018 7:28pm

The upper class will always be able and willing to pay more for their children's education than lower class people can afford.

The government effort at funding education is an attempt to equalise opportunity and give every citizen born in this country an equal chance of grabbing a good job and getting a good wage in their future lives.

The present system only partially works.

The upper class can still pay large amounts to private grinds schools, educational therapists etc and get their children through the complex maze of modern education.

It all boils down to parental expertise and support.

I was lucky that my wife is well connected with health and education professionals and could manage to get our two daughters through education despite difficulties with anxiety, bullying, problem teachers autism etc.

In my day school was a nightmare with almost constant bullying, undiagnosed autism, difficulties with concentration and performing complex and demanding tasks and making progress so very necessary in modern education.

Aspergers was not known or recognised in the 1970's and I was not diagnosed until I was 52 yrs of age in 2010........

Too late to do anything with my atrocious academic record or my mediocre work life.

It is a safe bet that lesser able and lesser funded families do not get access to special needs, educational therapy or solutions to learning problems as easily or readily as their richer neighbours, like what happens in our health service.

It is also a safe bet that one of the main causes of poverty, inequality and lack of opportunity to be self sufficient is underperformance by individuals in education. The government do not want to do more than a token effort at resolving this problem of underfunding because it will create more competition for scarce well-paid jobs, something the rich do not want to happen.

Until people perceive education as a general good for all of society nothing will be done. The present system is a cram contest for scarce University places and a generally negative and hostile experience for a lot of people who lack the critical parental support and effective guidance and financial support needed to get through Irish education successfully.

freshpopcorn · 29-08-2018 7:44pm

If anybody is stuck with uniforms/etc. Try this out just encase your entitled to it.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/social_welfare_payments_to_families_and_children/back_to_school_clothing_and_footwear_allowance.html

SEPT 23 1989 · 29-08-2018 7:52pm

doolox wrote: »

The upper class will always be able and willing to pay more for their children's education than lower class people can afford.

The government effort at funding education is an attempt to equalise opportunity and give every citizen born in this country an equal chance of grabbing a good job and getting a good wage in their future lives.

The present system only partially works.

The upper class can still pay large amounts to private grinds schools, educational therapists etc and get their children through the complex maze of modern education.

It all boils down to parental expertise and support.

I was lucky that my wife is well connected with health and education professionals and could manage to get our two daughters through education despite difficulties with anxiety, bullying, problem teachers autism etc.

In my day school was a nightmare with almost constant bullying, undiagnosed autism, difficulties with concentration and performing complex and demanding tasks and making progress so very necessary in modern education.

Aspergers was not known or recognised in the 1970's and I was not diagnosed until I was 52 yrs of age in 2010........

Too late to do anything with my atrocious academic record or my mediocre work life.

It is a safe bet that lesser able and lesser funded families do not get access to special needs, educational therapy or solutions to learning problems as easily or readily as their richer neighbours, like what happens in our health service.

It is also a safe bet that one of the main causes of poverty, inequality and lack of opportunity to be self sufficient is underperformance by individuals in education. The government do not want to do more than a token effort at resolving this problem of underfunding because it will create more competition for scarce well-paid jobs, something the rich do not want to happen.

Until people perceive education as a general good for all of society nothing will be done. The present system is a cram contest for scarce University places and a generally negative and hostile experience for a lot of people who lack the critical parental support and effective guidance and financial support needed to get through Irish education successfully.

If you had been "perfect" without your quirks your life would have taken a different route and you would not have the things you do now

Think about it

screamer · 29-08-2018 7:57pm

The cost of sending kids back to school is just ridiculous. I think teachers need to pull their heads in and be more resourceful than expecting parents to hand out money for this book, that workbook etc. Load of cobblers. Rental systems should be in place and generic uniforms with no need for fancy crests or one supplier only rip off. Then, I'd gladly contribute to the school, but right now you just feel fleeced for everything and the schools are not helping with their mile long requirements and utter precociousness.

Do you agree to this 'voluntary contribution' the schools ask for?

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