Poor kids who couldn't pay $10 not allowed to join school carnival

gregbrighton · Jun 3, 2015

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[h=2]Poor N.Y. Students Banned from School Carnival for Failing to Pay $10 Fee[/h]About a hundred kids from PS 120 in New York were banned from joining the Queens schoolyard affair because their parents failed to pay the required fee.

About a hundred kids from PS 120 were not allowed to join the school's end-of-year festival because their parents were not able to pay the $10 fee. Most of them were from poor Chinese immigrant families who, as school staff described, were "struggling to keep their heads above water."

While other kids from their school enjoyed the Queens schoolyard affair, the poor students were guided into a dark auditorium where an old Disney movie played. There they stayed to wait it out, under the supervision of aides.
Meanwhile, they could hear the festivities outside.

"Are we being punished?" a student asked one of the aides when the movie stopped playing, the New York Post reported.

A 7-year-old girl cried "hysterically" because "she was the only one from her class who couldn't go, so she was very upset," a teacher said, according to the New York Post

I think the school principal (head teacher) handled this very poorly. We are talking about very young children (primary school) here. It was in school time so they all should have been allowed to join in. To divide kids based on wealth like that at that age is horrible, in my view.

Lord Bracknell · Jun 3, 2015

That's what happens when public education climbs into bed with commercial entrepreneurs who make money out of selling their plastic products to school heads.

SteveTheSeagull · Jun 3, 2015

Not just happening in the US. It's happened here too. One of my cousins friends couldn't afford £15 to allow the school to take her daughter on an outting. From what i've been told she was made to sit on another class while the went out.

yxee · Jun 3, 2015

We live in desperate times....

In all seriousness, who should pay? If we're going to increase the schooling budget, use the money to make classroom sizes smaller, not subsidise trips to Chessington. Same with free healthcare, dental, opticians, prescription, is all good for levelling the playing field. But don't take the mick, someone has to pay, why should that be me instead of the parents?

StonehamPark · Jun 3, 2015

I know it is a sad story, but I never went on school trips or days-out all through Primary and Secondary as my mum couldn't afford it.
I had to sit in a small class-room with the other poor kids and spend the day doing nonsense work; colouring in, watching films, making bookmarks..!
Isn't that the norm?

8ace · Jun 3, 2015

StonehamPark said:
I know it is a sad story, but I never went on school trips or days-out all through Primary and Secondary as my mum couldn't afford it.
I had to sit in a small class-room with the other poor kids and spend the day doing nonsense work; colouring in, watching films, making bookmarks..!
Isn't that the norm?

Same here, thought it was a decent skive myself.

Albion_Dave · Jun 3, 2015

StonehamPark said:
I know it is a sad story, but I never went on school trips or days-out all through Primary and Secondary as my mum couldn't afford it.
I had to sit in a small class-room with the other poor kids and spend the day doing nonsense work; colouring in, watching films, making bookmarks..!
Isn't that the norm?

This. Never did me any harm :shrug:

Justice · Jun 3, 2015

School trips were shite anyway, I only ever enjoyed the fishing trips that were free anyway.

Westdene Seagull · Jun 3, 2015

SteveTheSeagull said:
Not just happening in the US. It's happened here too. One of my cousins friends couldn't afford £15 to allow the school to take her daughter on an outting. From what i've been told she was made to sit on another class while the went out.

Which, if the outing was in school time, they are not allowed to do. They are allowed to ask for a suggested donation but that's it. When I was out of work we only paid 50% of the suggested donation to my daughters school and the school did once complain or prevent her from going.

gregbrighton · Jun 3, 2015

I get everyone's point but this was not a school trip. I question whether this type of activity (a carnival) should have taken place during school time at all.

Wouldn't a better solution be to do it after school so those who couldn't afford it could go home. I think it was a bit mean to coop up the kids within earshot of those enjoying the fun outside and seeing their peers come in with fluffy toys and popcorn....

ExmouthExile · Jun 3, 2015

It's harsh on the children, but what are the alternatives? If they're allowed to go for free then the following year ALL the parents will be saying that they can't afford it.

Westdene Seagull · Jun 3, 2015

Westdene Seagull said:
Which, if the outing was in school time, they are not allowed to do. They are allowed to ask for a suggested donation but that's it. When I was out of work we only paid 50% of the suggested donation to my daughters school and the school did once complain or prevent her from going.

And that should have read 'didn't once complain or prevent her from going'.

Simster · Jun 3, 2015

ExmouthExile said:
It's harsh on the children, but what are the alternatives? If they're allowed to go for free then the following year ALL the parents will be saying that they can't afford it.

I agree, somewhat reluctantly. I think this sort of story is the sort that certainly offends my middle class sensibility as it seems so avoidable - and it is. But it's also just life, and has been the case since the year dot. Nobody wants less privileged children to suffer at the end of the day. And it's interesting to read that some people on here who did miss out on these things didn't feel like they missed much at all.

Herr Tubthumper · Jun 3, 2015

yxee said:
We live in desperate times....

In all seriousness, who should pay? If we're going to increase the schooling budget, use the money to make classroom sizes smaller, not subsidise trips to Chessington. Same with free healthcare, dental, opticians, prescription, is all good for levelling the playing field. But don't take the mick, someone has to pay, why should that be me instead of the parents?

Personally, I'd happily pay more to have kid's education enhanced.

hans kraay fan club · Jun 3, 2015

This particular case sounds a bit rubbish on the part of the school. They've ruined the day of 100 kids, and brought a heap of bad PR on themselves over $1000. A bit of enterprise might have seen that donated by a local business in sponsorship, to allow the excluded kids to attend.

On the whole though, I agree with others above - trips to Chessington or Thorpe Park are really not a vital part of any child's education, and are not the wisest use of anybody's funds.

Hopefully the parents of the kids that were excluded on this occasion took the trouble to explain to them that they were not being punished in any way, and that they simply had more important things to spend the money on.

My own kids' terribly middle class school runs some completely inappropriate trips, imo. They've never had to miss a museum / theatre / theme park one, but they understand why they will never be joining some of their classmates on a £1,400 skiing trip, or a £1,200 drama department 'cultural' visit to New York.

Nibble · Jun 3, 2015

Schools seem obsessed with the idea that kids need to learn to ski. Quite a few from my junior school used to go on these school organised trips. I never felt left out. For a start there is no way my Mum could have afforded it and second , I had no interest in it.
Having a carnival on the school grounds and excluding kids due to their lack of funds is unacceptable in my opinion. A school can either afford to do it or not. Kids should not have to pay.
As mentioned above, I'm sure local businesses would have chipped in given the opportunity.

hans kraay fan club · Jun 3, 2015

Nibble said:
Schools seem obsessed with the idea that kids need to learn to ski. Quite a few from my junior school used to go on these school organised trips. I never felt left out. For a start there is no way my Mum could have afforded it and second , I had no interest in it.
Having a carnival on the school grounds and excluding kids due to their lack of funds is unacceptable in my opinion. A school can either afford to do it or not. Kids should not have to pay.
As mentioned above, I'm sure local businesses would have chipped in given the opportunity.

Quite right.

As to the skiing thing - I was lucky enough myself, to go on a school skiing trip when was about 14. However, Hove Park's take on this was a week in Bulgaria, flying into Plovdiv military airbase. Cost about £200.00 I think, and I learned to ski. I knew full well that it was an indulgence rather than a necessity though.

Why my lads' school thinks such trips now have to be to Whistler* or Klosters* in five star luxury, I've absolutely no idea.

*Chosen for illustrative purposes :jester:

. I can't remember where their trips actually were.

clippedgull · Jun 3, 2015

On foreign trips the teacher/carers are on a jolly! Getting paid to have a holiday! Nice work if you can get it!

Teachers Inset Days = Planning the next overseas/long haul trip!!

BigGully · Jun 3, 2015

SteveTheSeagull said:
Not just happening in the US. It's happened here too. One of my cousins friends couldn't afford £15 to allow the school to take her daughter on an outting. From what i've been told she was made to sit on another class while the went out.

That just doesnt ring true although there are choices to be had, from after school activities to more luxurious trips.

As I understand it, if you qualify, on free school meals etc. you are entitled to funding (Pupil Premium) and would therefore limit discrimination against those that are deemed 'poor' on accessing school initiatives, there will be a cut off point where those that dont qualify may not wish to find £15.00 for a school activity, there can be some animosity from those that do not qualify and need to find personal funding whilst being aware of their friends/colleagues getting it for 'free'.

BigGully · Jun 3, 2015

Lord Bracknell said:
That's what happens when public education climbs into bed with commercial entrepreneurs who make money out of selling their plastic products to school heads.

Choices, I might not want my children to experience what you deem appropriate or not.

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