I’m not sure how I feel about this. It makes sense when explained but still unsure.

Bad message to send to children if the one they get is they can buy their way out of trouble. So I guess it depends on how well the situation is explained to children so they can see the damage they caused and the fact it costs to clean/fix the damage. The second is a good lesson to learn.

I think this hits the parents and the poor kids the most! Who is really learning from paying a fine. Maybe they should pick up rubbish around the school or plant plants

It’s a handy way for schools to raise some funds. My mother used to pick us up from school so if she had to wait two hours for one of us she would not have been happy. If she had to return for one of us she wouldn’t have been happy. So she may have just forked out the $20 to avoid a hassle. Although once again she wouldn’t have been happy and would have put me to some sort of slave labour. Either way the kids cannot avoid telling the parents..

I can see both sides to this, but I can tell you I wouldn’t be paying for my kids to get out of detention.

Not the lesson we should teach our kids indeed.
A better lesson would be to have them clean it up themselves.

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  • • mom93821 replied
    • 12 Sep 2018 , 8:03 am

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  I agree – you mess it up and you clean it up. Being accountable is important!

And…..where does the money go – how it the money accountable? Seems to be a lot of questions?

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  • • mom93821 replied
    • 11 Sep 2018 , 7:09 am

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  There would need to be transparent accounts for clean up fees!

Of course that’s what its teaching them. But don’t we already have a similar system in place for adults with fines? I wouldn’t like this at all if it was brought in at my kids school, we teach that if you ruin something you help fix it. I doubt it’s costing the school $20 for someone to remove one wad of gum.

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  • • Blossom replied
    • 11 Sep 2018 , 9:30 am

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  While it may not cost $20.00 to remove one lot of chewing gum the school’s aim may be to deter the child from doing it again. Some children are given too much pocket money and it may not make a big hole in their savings. Some parents wouldn’t think twice about paying the fine. I hope the school gives parents notification of detention before starting it so they know their child will be late home from school.

Unfortunately it’s what often happens in life but definitely not a lesson that should be encouraged at school.

I think they should still do the detention but if their actions cost the school money maybe they should have to contribute as well !

It’s quitr a lot to ask from a student, who sometimes gets only that for pocket money for lunches. I think it sends a very bad message