It's time for a College Cake Sale (Again)

Have cake stalls and trash and treasure, include all families to do this.

Cool

Don’t get me wrong – I believe that if the contributions are VOLUNTARY, then they should be just that – VOLUNTARY.

That’s why I send my kiddies to a private school – where the funding is absolutely guaranteed!

So – this raises the question – if the contributions are voluntary – why have them at all?

A mate of mine is the treasurer for a community organisation, at a recent meeting, people were whining that he wouldn’t let them put down $20k in the budget for fundraising. The other committee members went a bit spako when he highlited that in the past 5 years, they had put down fundraising money, and none had come in, so they should build a budget assuming that none would come in this year….

Wow – reality in budgeting – That will never catch on!

I filed and bd84 – agreed. Schools should be funded properly in the first place.

And it would be unethical to target the kids of parents who don’t pay the VCs and/or give preferential treatment to those whose parents do.

Essentially, the issue is lack of funding, but it does not follow that financial issues are all the fault of non-paying parents. Perhaps the funding model that expects bits and pieces to be funded in such a piecemeal and fragmented fashion is suss in the first place? . . . after all, we ALL pay our taxes to fund a proper and decent education for all.

I pay it. I don’t believe there are many who genuinely can’t afford it.

I-filed said :

some schools shamed children whose parents didn’t pay.

Really?

gospeedygo said :

I would have thought that it should always be that way. Hence it being called a contribution.

I don’t agree (why should those prepared to pay not be entitled to have better, and subsequently encourage other students). However, I would much prefer that the Government fund schools appropriately, ie, if they commit to a “free education” – they shouldn’t do it in words only – they should back ’em up with a funding model that states that commitment more genuinely. When the name was changed to VCs, there was no change in systemic funding to allow for the loss of funds. This is not “big money”… it is an average of probably $20,000-$30,000 per High School – and probably double that for Colleges.

Historically, schools had always asked for these funds to cover the costs of individuals who *choose* more costly elective subjects that involve additional “consumables” costs (Cooking, Wood, Metal etc).

Additionally, each school has access to discretionary funding to cover those who cannot afford VCs – and all they need to do is write to the Principal of the school to request their VCs to be covered (however, Aussies tend to be too proud to ask for $ help).

Gerry-Built said :

So children from those families that actually pay are not able to receive any benefit above and beyond the rest of the group.

I would have thought that it should always be that way. Hence it being called a contribution.

I-filed said :

They aren’t allowed to write to parents demanding a contribution that’s voluntary, which is as it should be. Schools funding is a government responsibility. Some parents can’t afford the contributions, and there were problems apparently years ago, when some schools shamed children whose parents didn’t pay.

Some things arnt free in this world including schools. If parents can not pay a simple contribution why do they have kids in the first place. Buses are goverenemt but we pay to use them, car parks are goverenemt but we pay for them and roads we also pay to use them. So whats wrong paying for your kids education. This is another example of soft soft governements

They are voluntary for a reason, public schools are *supposed* to be free. There are many families out there that can genuinely not afford the contributions. However I’m sure that there also some who just can’t be bothered or refuse on principle.

Given that the Government couldn’t properly fund schools, even if they had a few billion dollar economic stimulus package to waste, I think where additional materials are needed a user pays subsidised system would work, with allowances for those students who genuinely not afford it.

They aren’t allowed to write to parents demanding a contribution that’s voluntary, which is as it should be. Schools funding is a government responsibility. Some parents can’t afford the contributions, and there were problems apparently years ago, when some schools shamed children whose parents didn’t pay.