More than a third of parents have been asked to donate money to their child’s school, according to a new survey by the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Education leaders have said the findings again expose the “inadequacy of school funding”. Of 1,514 parents surveyed, 37 per cent recalled being asked to add to a school’s funds. Younger parents (aged 18 to 34) donated the most, at £9.40 per month on average, compared to £6.20 by older parents (aged over 55). The average parent is contributing £7.30 a month, according to the PTA’s report. Mary Bousted, general secretary for the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said the findings were “very concerning” as many less well-off parents would be unable to afford a contribution. But she added that schools felt “compelled to ask” for money because of the “inadequacy of school funding”. More than half of parents (63 per cent) who were asked to give money said they did not know, or were “unsure”, how the contribution was spent. Bousted added: “They [parents] will also wonder what the school is doing with that money, whether it’s going on extracurricular activities or lessons.” Schools feel compelled to ask for money because of…http://schoolsweek.co.uk/over-a-third-of-parents-asked-for-school-donations-survey-finds/