PAY TO LEARN
‘Covert selection’ warning Rise in demands for cash
CHILDREN’S opportunities at school are increasingly being dictated by their parents’ ability to pay, teachers claim.
Soaring costs are acting as a “covert form of selection”, dictating which school families choose and what subjects their children study.
Teachers’ union leaders fear “creeping privatisation” is having a detrimental effect on education.
The warning comes after the Mirror revealed earlier this week that many state schools are begging parents for cash, asking for donations of £20 a month or more.
And now a survey of 4,000 parents for the NASUWT teachers’ union has revealed that the funding crisis in our schools could be much worse than first feared.
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Nearly one in five (19%) says they are paying between £51 and £100 a year and one in 20 (6%) pays £400 or more a year.
More than half (51%) claimed the school had requested financial contributions to enhance resources, while 23% admitted it was because of budget constraints.
Some 13% revealed they were expected to make regular donations by cash or cheque.
Dr Patrick Roach, deputy leader of the NASUWT, said ahead of his union’s annual conference in Manchester: “I am concerned about creeping privatisation.
“We are witnessing the increasing commercialisation of education.”
The survey also found that nearly one in five (18%) said they were required by their child’s school to purchase computer equipment, such as a tablet or laptop.
One in 20 (5%) told how the cost of equipment affected what subjects their child chose, potentially missing IT and technology courses.
And nearly one in five (19%) confessed to having been in arrears or debt to the school for payments for things such as lunches or activities.
More than one in 10 (11%) said a sanction was applied to their child as a result of the debt. Nearly a quarter (24%) claimed the potential costs associated with attending a particular school affected where they chose to send their child.
Two-thirds (69%) of parents said that uniform had to be bought from a particular supplier, often meaning the items were more expensive.
Chris Keates, the NASUWT’s general secretary, said: “The Government’s introduction of policies, which allow schools to charge for provision, has resulted in substantial financial pressures being placed on parents and carers.
“It is not only unacceptable that the curriculum options for young people are being determined by whether their parents can pay for books, equipment or field trips.
“And some of these practices may also be unlawful.”
The Department for Education insisted that it has “protected the core school budget in real terms”.