Whats the Story With School books?

deisemum

Yes I'm sure of it, having been on the parents association for a number of years, the different teacher reps said the school had plenty of funds for a whole list of things including art and craft materials. The school has different accounts for different purposes and have more than sufficient funds. The school must be getting generous donations from somewhere.

It's very wrong if teachers are using their own money for materials.

The only thing some teachers did with their own property was bring in a portable tv on days they had half days for end of term, half term etc and when some of us on the parents association saw them struggling up to the school carrying in their own tvs we organised a one off quiz (apart from the one for the special olympics) and were able to buy a number of tv's and trolleys for the school.

I wouldn't mind getting involved in something that could recycle the books but due to other genuine commitments and not excuses I don't have the time at the moment. I think I'll phone my local adult education centre that have schemes for adult illiteracy since apparently 24% of adults are illiterate. They may have use for some of them. At least it would be a start and then when some of my commitments ease up I may have more time to see about doing a bit more.

I couldn't see the majority of parents at our school wanting to buy second hand books so maybe finding another use for them may be a better option.

I nearly got my head bitten of at a parents association meeting when as a parent's rep for one of my son's class, I mentioned (on behalf of another parent) that as the curriculum had been finished by easter as the teacher was going off on parental leave and the replacement teacher sent a note home with all the class to have a certain book by next morning so they'd have something to work with.

A few parents were annoyed with the short notice and also having to buy another book. When I asked (on behalf of the other parent) why couldn't the teacher just make a phone call to the local library who had 33 of them in the teachers resource section and that the library would have delivered them. Jeez a few of the well off do gooders went to town about what sort of parent would deprive their child of material that would benefit them. No second hand books for them. Thing is they'd still have the material but could have it from the library.

Blush_01

God, it sounds like things have changed dramatically in the past few years. In primary school we always had a book rental scheme, it was IR£5 for the year. Our uniform was a grey trousers for the boys and skirt/pinny for the girls, white shirt, red elasticated tie and navy jumper. You could get them in whatever shop you liked. No specific tracksuits were needed.

Starting secondary school, the locker scheme they put into place had a special offer - if you hired a locker for the 5/6 years you were going to be in the school it would cost you IR£25 for the duration of your time. The uniforms were ferociously expensive, but apart from shirts (Dunnes jobbie again) I only ever needed one skirt and two jumpers in my entire time in secondary school. Not bad for 6 years. Books are and always have been different from school to school, but we got books from cousins and my parent's friends who had finished school. English was the only thing that changed on an annual basis, and when I was doing my leaving a book was released that covered either 4 or 6 years, so it could be passed on. The CD that came with it wasn't a required element of the course, it was just a perk of some sort. My sister's doing her leaving this year and she had to buy two new books, a few shirts and socks going back to school. If the whole thing came to €100 I'd be very surprised.

It really is madness.

TempestSabre

My secondary had a 2nd hand book store in the school. 2nd hand books can be very handy often they have other students notes on them.