It is sad that for many the beginning of the school year is marred with $$$ concerns. We are all fighting for the dollar. Parents want to try to limit the amount of it that flows endlessly from bank accounts at this time of the year and schools want more of it to put in place the programmes and experiences that parents are wanting for their children. At the heart of it and often most hurt by it all are the very people we are all fighting for - Children!
$$ is an adult commodity and I cannot understand how any school can embarrass/ punish / remove a child from class to get at a parent - and why are parents sending their child into that type of environment? Money is never a child's fault. Do you really want their memory of school to be about not having a bag tag or spending a week in a corridor because mum hadn't paid the fees.
I can appreciate that many schools are stuck. Parents want their children to have access to specialist teachers, ICT's, experiences, small classes, school camp etc etc but all for free. Schools that are able to provide these experiences are deemed 'better' and so the vicious cycle begins.
So what do I think:
Well I think parents need to be looking for an education where their child/ren are valued, encouraged to learn and enjoy going to school. And much of that is free- it comes from the school culture, the input of the wider community and of course some excellent classroom teachers. We all want happy, confident kids and somehow that is being translated into dollars. Research shows that it isn't necessarily about the experience, it is about the time taken and the feelings associated with the day.
Last year our end of school day was a huge slip n slide, potatoes smothered in butter and grown in our school garden, teachers initiating water fights and lots and lots of laughter. A day that probably cost the school $50 ( sausages, bubbles and some treats) produced as much fun and enjoyment as a day that could have cost $600. What did the kids love - the teachers getting wet!
I think schools need to think a little differently about the word 'donation' - why does it seem to revolve around money when actually the most valuable of donations are time and expertise. Sometimes by asking for less you get more!
Our school does not ask for a donation and many of our trips are funded by the generosity of our PTA - in terms of a 'free' education we are pretty close to it. And when we do ask for money we make sure families have the opportunity to pay it off. We have one amazing lady who pays $3 per week. She is often in credit and can use this to pay for school photos, school lunches etc.
What does happen for our school though is that parents do donate - we have beefies that are sold and the money donated to school because parents choose to. We have parents who care for the gardens. We have parents who bake treats for the kids. We have parents volunteer their time. Things that money really can't buy.
Yes my views are simplistic but something that I am beginning to appreciate more and more as I age is that life is about the simple things.
Less is more!
