This story appeared in the Daily Mail this morning, they're probably right that there are parents all over Australia sending their children to state schools and deluding themselves that education is still 'free'. Well it is still a lot 'freer' than private schools ( put a few extra zeros on those expenses if you were going private Ms Bogan!) Parents buying teacher supplies is a new one on me. You wouldn't need 25 packs of white board markers for the school year so I imagine some of those are used by the kids. As governments cut back on funding state education and teachers get 'bolshie' about paying for their own teaching aids I suppose parents will be asked to pick up the slack? ( Don't worry, teachers will still be paying to do their work properly)
Not for the first time I should say that this doesn't happen at Glen Park PS. Parents do not pay fees or buy pupil requisites.
A mother-of-four has called back to school expenses a 'joke' after spending $578 on the mere basics for three of her kids.
A Facebook rant by Queensland woman Cindy Bogan has resonated across the country after the Schoolkids Bonus Scheme was scrapped and left parents to pick up the tab.
She said the hundreds of dollars did not include the cost of the compulsory school uniform, school shoes or backpacks – but the mere basics.
The public school her child attended asked each student to provide whiteboard markers for their teacher, at a cost of $88 for six packs of four, Ms Bogan said.( I assume that's her real name?)
She said she also had to provide tissues and A4 paper for teacher supplies.
The mother's Facebook post has been liked 4,100 times and shared more than 2,200 since she posted it last week.
Fellow parents across the country said they were also expected to foot the bill for whiteboard markers and tissues.
The Schoolkids Bonus was last paid in July last year, and will not continue in 2017.
Its axing means parents will lose up to $856 for each of their school aged children this year.
Families with a combined household income below $100,000 will lose $430 per primary school aged child, and $856 per high school aged child each year.
The bonus had been dished out in two payments in January and July to help pay for school uniforms, books, sports and music, the Department of Social Services website says.
Without the bonus, 2017 will be $1,712 more expensive for an eligible family with two high school aged children, to save the government $4.5 billion.
Welcome to the new world Ms Bogan. Make sure you vote for a party committed to Gonski reforms then maybe your child's school will be able equip their classrooms without seeking a parent contribution!
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