charging for lessons

[adamsmum]

My boys have only been back at school 3 days and i now have 2 bills . One for �45 for 12 weeks swimming lessons. One �5 a week horse riding. I now somtimes shcools can ask for a folentry contribution towerds a school trip but can thay realy make you pay by not letting a child take part if thay dont. I thout if somthing took place in school time it had to be payed for by school. We dont work and this is getting expensive. My DH is going crazy and my eldest is insisting he has to go to thes swimming lessons how can you say no but then wher do's the cash come from. We only have 5 days to pay the thirst �15 for swimming pluss �5 horse riding is this realy legal eny ideas whot i can do

[mossgrove]

My understanding is that schools may ask for a contribution but if parents are unable to contribute the child cannot be excluded from any activities as a result. It might be worth ringing your LEA to clarify this. Whenever our boys school asks for a contribution then the letter always makes it clear we are only being asked to give if we can, not being told to pay, this should be the case with your school as well.

 

Simon

Edited September 7, 2006 by mossgrove

[summertime]

In all the years Ive taught in school I have never heard of having to pay for swimming lessons

 

usually if classes are optional ie french lessons at lunchtime or after school there will be a small charge but not for things like out of school PE activities, if they are demanding payment for these then surely they should also offer a cost free alternative such as another PE lesson in school.

 

Your child is entitled to PE lessons and if the alternative is they stay in class at school and do some other kind of none related lesson then I think you have a right to demand an explanation.

 

with all school having to at least be on their way to healthy schools status this should be a high agenda issue and one the school will not be able to ignore if they are trying to fob you off with 'if you dont pay he doesnt do PE'

[zaman]

I think that while PE is on the curriculum, how the schools interpret that as to the sports it offers differs. Our school asks for �1.45 a week for swimming lessons to cover the cost of the teachers, no transport invloved as it is a 2 minute walk. Again, it is 'voluntary'.

 

Many schools near me don't have swimming lessons at all, presumably as they can't raise the funds to cover the costs.

[Kazzen161]

For things like this it should be voluntary payments, and then either no-one goes or everyone goes (regardless of payment or not).

 

If it is the compulsory swimming lessons (part of the National Curriculum in certain Years) they can't refuse to take him.

 

Have you spoken to the Head and explained that you cannot afford it? It can be a bit embarrassing, but most are willing to waive the fees or discount them (I had problems as I have Twins, so all costs were doubled). Schools usually have a contingency for these circumstances. If you feel guilty, are you able to offer to help on the trips instead, or help out in some other way?

 

I have been told it is often the less well off parents that do pay, and that it's the richer ones who just can't be bothered to pay!

 

 

Karen

[ullean's mum]

Our kid's have been learning the chanter all of last term free of charge,this term we have been told we will have to pay �40 per child per term,we have 3 kid's all playing chanter ,this is not extra tuition,this is normal music lessons,so we have had to decide which one is most interested in carrying on with lessonsas we cannot afford to pay for them all,if we were on benefits they would all get lessons for free but hubby and i both work so thats us stuffed.

[lil_me]

http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=9921

 

Seems to be getting more common to charge for the additional activities which were provided free, my sons have brought out of school hours activity sheets home tonight but unlike before these have to be paid for.

[trance]

The Education Reform Act (1988) requires that schools do not charge for activities that take place wholly or mainly during school hours.

 

The school may ask for a 'vouluntary' contribution though and cannot exclude your child in activities within school hours.

 

xx

Edited September 9, 2006 by trance

[lil_me]

Thanks for that trance, I couldn't find that when I was looking but knew there was something about it

 

Does make you wonder how suddenly schools need to do this (or are they copying from others who have done so)

Edited September 8, 2006 by lil_me

[Kazzen161]

>>Does make you wonder how suddenly schools need to do this

 

Often things are started because some funding is available initially - when that funding is no longer available (often it is only start-up funding), the prices have to be increased to make it viable.

 

I have raised this issue on several occasions - and explained that in some ways it is worse to provide something and then take it away once you have got used to having it.

 

Karen