Two in five parents being asked for money to help school funds

MORE THAN 40 per cent of parents have been asked to give money to a school fund, with some making voluntary donations of up to £30 a month, new data suggests.

Charity Parentkind’s parent survey indicates the average monthly amount being donated has increased from £8.90 in 2017, to £11.35 in 2018.

A survey by Research Now highlights that more than two in five parents have been asked to contribute to a fund, which is used to ensure all children are able to participate in every aspect of school life. The 36 per cent of parents who said they had donated were asked how much they had given to the fund in 2018. Of those, 45 per cent of respondents said they donate less than £10 a month, but 29 per cent said they are giving between £10 and £30 – up from 21 per cent in 2016.

Further findings from the research suggest parents have been asked to help meet education funding shortfalls.

This includes 26 per cent of the 1,500 parents surveyed saying they were asked to pay for school clubs that used to be free, and 28 per cent said they were asked to pay to attend events such as sports days and concerts.

More than a fifth said they were asked to help with the supply of teaching equipment – such as stationery, books, glue pens – up from 15 per cent in 2017.

Michelle Doyle Wildman, acting CEO of Parentkind, said: “Mums and dads have told us that they are donating more to the school fund and are under increasing pressure to pay for clubs, materials and events that used to be free. Not only does this indicate that the impact of school funding shortfalls on families has been underestimated, it also raises the spectre that increasing parental financial contributions may have the unintended consequence of reinforcing and increasing educational disadvantage – driving a wedge between home and school.”