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What to do for parents if they are asked for money at school
Renovation of the class, going to the theater, curtains and security. Again security, new notebooks, renovation of the classroom and again a trip to the theater, do not forget to hand over the money to the teacher for a present! As well as payment for sections, a circle, preparation for exams and, of course, school meals. Are all these fees legal?
The post-quarantine reality is making its own adjustments: in some schools, according to rumors, they even demand money for antiseptics and sanitizers. Overkill? Undoubtedly. What the school should pay, and what should the parents pay, how to make the fundraising process easier and more transparent, we figure it out together with an expert.
Founder of the service for processing payments in educational institutions PC “Axioma”
What do they collect money for
According to experts from the National Front, parents annually leave at least four thousand rubles at school, and somewhere the amount reaches ten. Of course, this depends on the city and the average level of the general education institution. Every year, the state budget allocates an amount to finance schools, but it is still not enough. It is believed that this attraction to voluntary school fundraising dates back to the nineties, when funding from the state was not enough even for floor paint. But those days are over, but school fees remain.
Over the past two years, the amounts requested for the needs of the school and the fund have decreased, but the collection for teaching aids and textbooks has increased. By the way, according to the law, basic educational literature should be given out to schoolchildren free of charge. However, every year the textbooks are getting older and shabby, and not all schools have the money to buy them. There is also the opposite situation, when every year you need a textbook in a new edition, and endless purchases are beyond the reach of anyone. Now a set of textbooks costs 4-5 thousand rubles on average. Plus voluntary contributions for renovations, class supplies, school meals, and more.
More than half of the parents surveyed regularly donate money for school repairs, and the same amount for paper and printer cartridges. 48% of respondents talk about fees for curtains and furniture. A third buy detergents with their own money, and a little more than 10% – drinking water for a cooler and toilet paper. Also, in most cases, parents are forced to pay for security, and in some schools they also collect to pay for cleaning ladies and other technical staff.
With such extortions, parents find themselves in a twofold situation. On the one hand, they understand that all funding must come from the state. On the other hand, independent contributions are the only way to provide decent conditions for your children. Most of all, they complain about extortions in the Krasnodar Territory – more than 10% of all complaints, the Chelyabinsk Region and Bashkortostan – about 7%. Only 4% of complaints are received from the Moscow region. This was reported by the Public Chamber for the Development of Education and Science.
How legal is it
As stated by Law No. 273 “On Education in the Russian Federation”, additional fees may be charged for the provision of additional educational services. However, the list of services for which a parent should really pay is strictly regulated:
teaching additional material in some subjects or studying an additional subject that is not in the school curriculum;
teaching any disciplines for the special development of children;
tutoring: a more detailed explanation of school material on any one subject, classes are carried out separately with one student or two;
teaching material beyond the school curriculum, for a deeper understanding of the subject;
other services, the list of which is not provided for by general education programs in accordance with Russian law.
The types and forms of additional educational services are determined by the charter of each specific school.
The law does not say about any material goods like an electronic board or new linoleum. In accordance with Article 5 of Federal Law No. 273-FZ “On Education in the Russian Federation”, the state guarantees citizens the accessibility and free education in accordance with federal state educational standards. That is, a school or other educational institution must be sufficiently equipped with everything necessary for education. But the quality of everything you need is not regulated.
Our country still has schools with outdoor facilities, painted wooden floors and old desks – a legacy of the Soviet era. However, probably every parent wants better conditions for their child. From here there are fees for improving the class, new windows, security – after all, children should be safe.
Alas, the school administration may speculate on the desire of parents to make the learning environment for their children more comfortable, demanding more and more money from them to improve the welfare of the school. But what is important is that collecting money for such needs is voluntary. If the parents believe that the class is in a satisfactory condition, then they have the right to simply refuse to take the required amount.
How to avoid conflicts with the parent committee
Often, news appears in the media about another student who has been bullied for the fact that his parents refuse to donate for the needs of the school or for a gift to the class teacher. Sometimes the family simply does not have money, but it happens that parents deliberately refuse contributions, not seeing the point in this.
To avoid conflicts with the parent committee, it is important, on the one hand, to be able to listen, on the other, to learn to say “no”. If you are asked to hand over the amount for an expensive item that you do not see the need for, refuse or demand a logical justification for this purchase.
Some parents, after financial conflicts, go to the prosecutor’s office and write statements. There is little hope for help and settlement of the conflict in this case, since the issue concerns ordinary communication, unless there were facts of extortion or threats. In the event of a serious protracted conflict, only a change of school or publicity in social networks and the media can help.
How to control school expenses
Controlling school expenses is a tough business: every month you have to check in for meals, keep track of upcoming trips and theatrical trips of children, pay dues for class repairs, and so on. It is most convenient, of course, to transfer all the money to the account of one parent, but these illegal payments and transfers may interest the tax office.
You can also transfer money in cash with a child, but this is also not always convenient, since in the age of cashless payments, we have already lost the habit of going to the ATM. The most convenient option is to use special applications, like an electronic wallet for school fees. Through such applications, you can make contributions without leaving your home, track the receipt and withdrawal of funds, and also receive an account statement in your personal account. Of course, this will not reduce the amount of spending for which money is collected, but at least the process will become clearer and clearer.
Interview
Do you donate money for school expenses?
Sure. In our school they don’t ask for too much.
Yes, within reason.
Yes, I am afraid that the child will be persecuted in case of refusal.
No, I don’t rent.