School criticised over sports equipment fund

[Still Waters]

School bosses are under fire over a scheme to fund sports equipment for children to play with at lunchtime that "separates the rich from the poor".

Parents were each asked to pay an annual £6 voluntary fee per child at a West Midlands academy - but pupils from families which did not make a financial contribution were reportedly not allowed to use the equipment.

The move has been labelled "disgusting", "bullying" and "discrimination" by parents and some have set up a petition calling for the scheme to be axed.

https://news.sky.com/story/school-bosses-criticised-for-scheme-that-separates-rich-from-poor-11202933

[+and-then]

According to the article, it isn't the entire playground, just a special area that is segregated by the extra fee.  I still don't think it's a good idea.  Why intentionally create a source of conflict?  OTOH, as long as the fee is kept reasonable, why not just pay it?  Children need to learn that there IS a difference in a life without sufficient resources versus life with a comfortable income.  I don't think that lesson is being taught any longer in many homes.  In some children, it will produce anger and self-pity but in many, it will drive a desire to achieve.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

That is nuts.

[Still Waters]

Update:  "the school has decided to stop the scheme “with immediate effect”.

Quote

School bows to pressure and ends playground segregation over sports equipment in ‘rich and poor zones’

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/school-bows-pressure-ends-playground-segregation-sports-equipment-rich-poor-zones-124322647.html

 

[kartikg]

so basically poor people are not allowing rich kids to play. 

[aztek]

i read a story something similar happened in Russia, parents were asked to chip in for new desks, even thou the old ones were fine, some did some did not,. those kids whose parents did not , simply did not have extra money,  were sitting behind old desks, but than 1 parent got p***ed, and bought even better desks, and brought them in at night,  after finding  it out parents who chipped in were complaining that this is discrimination, everyone should be the same, the parent who bought it said, "you wanted some to have  better desks, so you got it".

if anyone can read Russian here is the story. https://pikabu.ru/story/partyi_dengi_i_odin_adekvatnyiy_otets_4474584

not sure if it is 100% true, but knowing how things happen in Russia it absolutely could happen

Edited January 12, 2018 by aztek