Paying the voluntary contributions at Primary school?

[*Twinkle*]

We pay both the compulsory fees and voluntary fees.


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[anney]

Our compulsory is about 260 and voluntary 110. Compulsory covers books and pencils etc.it is a state primary school. Only extras we have are that kids need to take a box of tissues and we cover their books in contact. This yr dd is in grade 4 and they have a one on one netbook program so we will lease that this year which makes things a bit more exxy.
I always pay the voluntary contribution and also naively assumed those that could pay would. I totally get that people that don't have it shouldn't pay it.

[Catastrophic]

Wanna here something really nieve after three years of kids in school, end of last year was the first time I knew that there was a voluntary payment, I always just figured that that is what you did...


Cat xox

[LimeSlice]

Ours are quite small for Kindy this year, about $100, and we paid them.

Like you MD, I just assumed that if you could, then you should and would. I am used to paying for DD's education - we had her in a private kindergarten (3yo Kinder just doesn't exist here otherwise) and that was $1700 a term...so an actually public school is cheap! lol
I think it is sad to hear people who can afford it just choose not to pay it Mak.

[Early Kids]

Our kindy fees last year were just over $100 and that included the booklist. I paid it. Our pre-primary fees this year are $60 and the booklist is going to cost around $40 I'll pay that and have most of the booklist ready, just a few more bits to get.


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[Mak]

I agree - so get that sometimes it is too tight to manage it but have been a bit surprised at the idea that there are better places to spend their money. It has been a bit of a revelation tbh. Kinder last year we had a really surprising compliance rate for both fundraising/chipping in for projects/pressies etc and the classroom helpers. I am admittedly struggle with the fact I work parttime so I try really hard to make sure I am involved in the kids stuff and that they are not disadvantaged by me not being about all the time. However there was a large contingent that were quite put out that they were expected to be involved and help out. Ended up being 25-30% who didn't partake in each section of the year be it duty/fundraising/excursions etc. I do realise everyone has a life to juggle and other issues that may crop up etc.
Seemed to me (yes judgement here) that people were happy to book personal trainers, coffee dates and babysitters on a regular basis yet got quite disgruntled about contributing to a fab community kinder. I wonder if it is the area? hmm....

[Olive]

Totally agree mak!
After paying $1240 for 3 yr old kinder and $1000 for 4 yr old kinder....school is next to nothing! People are prepared to pay for kinder because they have to then don't want to pay for school because they don't have too...

[Beach Mama]

Totally agree mak!
After paying $1240 for 3 yr old kinder and $1000 for 4 yr old kinder....school is next to nothing! People are prepared to pay for kinder because they have to then don't want to pay for school because they don't have too...

Yep - plus add to that childcare fees of $240 a week I can't wait for the kids to hit school (Kidding people kidding)

The sad fact is that many school are grossly underfunded, particularly smaller schools in lower socio-economic areas where parents don't pay fees let alone voluntary fees. You then move a few suburbs towards the city and you have schools that raise over $100,000 just at fundraising events. Unreal. Anyhoo as a teacher I think any little bit help and yep if you genuinely cannot pay it then don't but most of the time it really isn't a huge chunk of cash that will ultimately assist your kids teachers do what they do best and that is teach.

MD - that situation you are talking about is simply bad management! Not hard to make sure all the kids stuff is labelled before it is pooled and then distributed to the kid it belongs to. Then once their stuff runs out parents are contacted to replace items!!! Kids with 4 glue sticks in their pencil case at the start of the year is a joke and if it's at home it doesn't generally make it to school! Teachers just need to manage the items better rather than pool them for all to use.

[Beatrix]

Totally agree mak!
After paying $1240 for 3 yr old kinder and $1000 for 4 yr old kinder....school is next to nothing! People are prepared to pay for kinder because they have to then don't want to pay for school because they don't have too...

in SA there is no such thing as 3 yr old kinder and 4 year old kinder is majority thing, most kids do it... And there are LOADS of public kinders, they average about $400-500 a year in cost.

We also don't have book lists (well not in any of the schools I know of) and stationary is not labelled for each child.. At my daughters school they have group tables and things are color coded and keep in a holder in the. Idle of the table... Every term they are restocked.

I have never once been asked to send anything in extra.... But always send in my recycling stuff for art etc.

And as for people choosing not to pay the VOLUNTARY payment.. I'm sorry but you have no right to judge them. You may think you know what's going on in their lives and believe that should be able to spare the money or even their time but until you live in their shoes, you can't judge them.





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[Olive]

Darl I'm not judging you, in love the fact that you and many others including myself involve themselves in other areas of school..volunteering etc... I'm talking about people I know in similar situations.

[Beatrix]

Olive..I didn't mean to single you out, this quoting thing on the iPad is kinda difficult and well yours was the most recent post.

I know I'm not being judged.. And yes I help out at the moment, but I don't know for how much longer I can (return to study) and I would hate to think that people thought less of me because my circumstances changed and I don't have the time, or the money to do what I used to be able to..


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[Mak]

Ness - I am usually on the same page with you hun about not judging so I get where you are coming from. I certainly haven't meant any offence and agree that things can change and you may find yourself in less of a position to help both financially and from a volunteer basis.
However I have been completely baffled by the coversations surrounding this topic as I do know all the people fairly well. Certainly there are lots of outings/holidays/weekly hairdos/cleaners/expensive clothes/bags and frequent use of babysitters that are paid by for the same people and most of them ARE on a very good wicket - I was interested in others experiences. I have understood when people chose not to support certain fundraisers etc as they chocolate for eg but it seems to be a more common undertone that people expect a very high level of services and then not to be responsible for any of it.

[~MummaBear~]

we dont have fees at our school. we do have the voluntary contributions and they are only $30 per child. Our school is relatively small ( 200 students from kindy to yr 7) we however supply all stationary ect my kids are in year 1 and year 2 and their book lists this year were $117 and $129. We also then pay for excursions and swimming. i am on the school p+c and the school committee ans i see how many people pay those contributions and it is not very many. People are also unwilling to do fundraisers or volunteer for pretty much anything at our school... It is really say to see that some people really dont value their childs education. Im not talking about people who can afford to pay fees either and i really am not judging anyone here just some of the parents at my school!

[Beatrix]

Ness - I am usually on the same page with you hun about not judging so I get where you are coming from. I certainly haven't meant any offence and agree that things can change and you may find yourself in less of a position to help both financially and from a volunteer basis.
However I have been completely baffled by the coversations surrounding this topic as I do know all the people fairly well. Certainly there are lots of outings/holidays/weekly hairdos/cleaners/expensive clothes/bags and frequent use of babysitters that are paid by for the same people and most of them ARE on a very good wicket - I was interested in others experiences. I have understood when people chose not to support certain fundraisers etc as they chocolate for eg but it seems to be a more common undertone that people expect a very high level of services and then not to be responsible for any of it.

I'm certainly not offended... And if that is the case with the people you know, then yes it is disappointing..

But it kinda goes with the VOLUNTARY aspect of things, if it's not mandatory then a lot of people won't do it...

Maybe it's the school system that should change... Make it mandatory fees, and require say 10hrs per parent over the school year help... 10hrs is easily spread out and IMO doable... It's not even 2 full days help... Hell even have a pay opt out for the help... You pay the $$ it would cost to hire someone to do your 10hrs


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[Traveller]

Maybe it's the school system that should change... Make it mandatory fees, and require say 10hrs per parent over the school year help... 10hrs is easily spread out and IMO doable... It's not even 2 full days help... Hell even have a pay opt out for the help... You pay the $$ it would cost to hire someone to do your 10hrs


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Honestly that is the silliest idea I have ever heard of. 10 hours a year would have been impossible for me before I started uni because I had toddler twins and no family who could watch them. Not only that, I didn't want to leave my babies with anyone, even aged 2. Now I am at uni, I have no time to volunteer at the school. I am doing two degrees, parenting 4 children, and working part time as a bookkeeper for my husband's business. Time is tight, money is tight. I pay twice what most local people do for schools because our school chooses to have a large non mandatory contribution. Seriously I would love to be able to afford to pay all voluntary fees but I just can't.

I won't lie though and say I would love to volunteer. I hate volunteering at the school. I hate the snooty parents who judge the mums who work or study. I hate being looked at like I am scum because I have tattoos instead of a twin set (and yes it can be like this in our area). I hate trying to talk to people only to be not understood and ignored because of my accent (and yes this has happened at the school) and more than anything I hate being in a large group of children. I have 4 kids all the time, I don't need to increase that number in my rare spare hours. I would rather have a cup of tea and put my feet up. And whilst I am quite happy for those mums to volunteer to do so I neither expect nor demand that it be done.

There are enough mums who actually enjoy volunteering. So many in fact some get told they can only volunteer fortnightly instead of the weekly they ask to do it. Let those mums do it. Why put an expectation on parents who find it difficult or unpleasant?

[Beatrix]

10 hrs a year...... Not a week


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[Traveller]

10 hours a year is a big issue when you have no childcare at all for your younger children. Plus 10 hours a year sounds like a nightmare to me, as someone who hates school volunteering.

ETA oops sorry I wrote it wrong in my response to your post. I did realise you meant a year when I responded, I just made a typo. I'll amend it now but I stand by my opinion.

[Beatrix]

That's fine... It was just a suggestion. That I knew was far fetched.

And I'm gonna give you a volunteering mums side of things.. Yeah I hate listening to other kids read, don't really like serving school lunches nor do I enjoy many many other aspects of volunteering, but want to know why I do it... Because the look on my children's faces when they see me in the canteen serving rude children and the way the proudly tell anyone who is listening that's my mum... I don't do it for me... I do it for them..


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