Divine Comedy

Well its that time of year again, School donation.
I have paid mine for the last 3 years along with all the other fees schools request both at the beginning of the year and thoughout. But this year I am struggling, I have paid my daughters college fees and donation already as the whole thing is done online. $600. There is also a stigma if it is unpaid.

.My quandry is my 3 primary school children which is $150 each, along with classroom fees of $70 each extra. But that is just for starters, the list goes on and on. Stationary, books, homework help extras, music, sports , PTA fundraising , uniforms ,etc etc..

Times have been hard last year with everything going up
I could probably afford to pay if I scrap luxury things out of our budget , but I am beginning to wonder why I do this?

Do you pay up??? that is my question????

P18PPS

Feel for you - I'm sure there are lots of other parents in the same position too.

It is voluntary, why don't you "donate" what you can comfortably afford, and let the Principal know what the situation is.

Woodpigeon

Know where you're coming from.

If your children are all at the same school do they do a discounted donation for the family? My kids' schools do/did.

Up until ours were in High School, I only paid what I thought I could afford for each child/school (at one point we had three different schools to pay for). With daughter's High School, we found out at the end of year 9 that girls whose parents hadn't paid the full 'voluntary' donation weren't given a copy of the year book You can imagine the stigma that resulted in! So, of course, every year since we've had to pay her donation in full I've also had a past incident where I have only paid for the items listed that I knew my child would be accessing themself. Though that has also resulted in us receiving several reminders of overdue fees!!

TBH I view the fees thing from daughter's school as something akin to those charities who send you stuff in the post asking you to make a donation - unsolicited junk mail.

*rant over*

Divine Comedy

Hi, no there isn't a sibling discount . If I am going to pay I will work something out , it's not really that I can't i would just budget accordingly probaly small payments through the year , it's more I'm not sure I want to ? I feel I have already paid enough .

I also pay my daughters college donations and all fees in full as I don't want her excluded from anything as there IS a big stigma to 'not paying. The child shouldn't have to suffer though through choices that the parents have made . Totally wrong .
Only 56% of parents paid the donation last year ( primary school)which leaves me wondering why the other 54% didn't pay ? It's quite a big percentage isn't it ?

I think what really has set me off is the school news letter my kids brought home with the push for payment guilt trip . Stating that your childrens education should be top of your list and the donation top priority . wow!
My rant !!

rick78

Whats all this about??!

I wasn't aware of this... surely our taxes pay for this!!?? I'll be paying enough of them when I start work there!!

Woodpigeon

Sorry no, the taxes you pay don't cover the 'free' education in the way that your UK taxes do. Schools rely on parents paying the voluntary donation at the start of each year, along with the usual ongoing fundraising events. The donation is usually itemised to cover such things as sports uniforms, paper, subsidised trips (although you'll still probably be asked to pay something towards the trips that your children go on throughout the year), newsletters, equipment etc.

Hope you're also aware that you will be required to kit your children out with all their stationery - excerise books, pens, pencils, rulers, etc? You will be supplied with a stationery list either at one end or other of the year. In High School you will also probably need to pay for exercise/workbooks - last year we even had to buy our daughter her own copy of the set novel for English (and this year we are likely to do so through choice, since the school doesn't have enough copies of the novel for everyone to borrow one, so they are given out at the start of each lesson and then collected back in again at the end - how the hell she's supposed to study if she isn't able to bring it home with her?). We also have to pay for our kids to access some computer programmes that the school uses in class and for homework (mostly language ones IIRR).

I've budgeted around $400 for the start of this year for fees, stationery etc for our two HS kids. But also paid over $600 to kit out one child in senior high school uniform as well (thankfully the other one only needed shoes at this time!)

Woodpigeon

Very interesting ay?

Bummer if no discount for siblings - but you could probably contact the school and arrange to pay in installments?

Just remembered that one year daughter's school sent home the fees letter, which included a donation for the PTSA, and then a couple of days later daughter brought home a letter with books of raffle tickets for us to sell for the PTSA fundraiser!

rick78

Stationary, clothes, trips, books etc. I have no issue with whatsoever... similarly fundraising, buying raffle tickets etc. etc... but being expected to pay a voluntary lump sum? Forget it.

P18PPS

rick78 - it's really a case of 'when in rome'. Stay in england if you have no intention of paying!

rick78

What a load of old codswallop!

Robbie2010

I don't pay the "donation"... Its voluntary and entirely your decision.
I simply tell them that I can't afford it or that I don't want to pay it ... they then happilly tell me what else I don't need to pay that's on the bill.

P18PPS

You do what is socially expected of you in a different country, it's part of embracing the culture of the country you're moving to. If you have no intention of paying regardless of your ability then don't come. If however you emigrate and are struggling financially and it's not possible to pay - then it's questionable whether you should be allowed into the country in the first instance .... because then you are a drain on the tax paying rest.... why should I pay for a new immigrant who has managed to find funds to pay for visas, tickets, removal companies, setting themselves up in New Zealand, but suddenly cannot find the equivalent of 50pounds a term to contribute to the running of the school?

Divine Comedy's situation is poles apart though - contributing year on year and then having a tough year and finding it difficult to pay is completely different.

rick78

Its voluntary so I will not pay!.

I am already involved with fundraising, buying raffle tickets etc. etc. at my daughter's current school and have definitely paid/raised way more than 50GBP per term... and long will this continue... whichever school my daughter goes to. I believe people should get more involved with the school instead of simply writing out a cheque

Being expected to pay such a voluntary donation is a contradiction in terms

This is interesting... and I totally disagree... I for one wouldn't want to be associated with certain "socially acceptable" actions in certain islamic states... would you?

And back to the OP, I wouldn't pay and just do as much as you can re: fundraising

Robbie2010

What a load of cobblers! Its a donation! It is not compulsary! and it is nothing to do with culture as many kiwi's don't pay it either!

rick78

There goes the culture argument!