Where Is The Vision For Education?
Wednesday, August 20th, 2008
In Today’s NZ Herald a story on schools struggling to get parents to ‘pay a donation’.
Some schools budget on an 80% uptake but so far are only getting 40% of “donations” paid. The schools are saying that parents offer excuses like ‘we’ve no money left after petrol and food bills’ while others won’t pay out of principal because ‘in New Zealand we are guaranteed a free education’.
Fair enough I also refuse to pay extra money to our ‘free’ school.
Our family already provides extras for the school. My wife is on the board of trustees, we help out with extra bodies on school outings, we pay extra money for some class trips, we do the working bees and we kick in with fund raising. Now schools are getting worried about parents not paying a “donation”
Where are the teacher Unions on this? They are quick enough to shout loudly first chance when they want extra money, study time or some other perk. Yes I know some teachers are wonderful, devoted, hard working individuals, but give me a break they get 12 weeks holidays every year, start at 9 and finish at 3! On top of a good salary!
