A mum was left reeling after her child’s school asked parents to pay £9 for their children’s artwork.
The mum-of-two, who preferred not to share her name, told Stoke On Trent Live that “a lot of parents cannot afford” to buy the artwork given the cost of living crisis.
The school in question, The Co-op Academy Glebe, had asked parents to pay for framed drawings and paintings created by pupils as part of an art exhibition it’s hosting, with proceeds reportedly going towards boosting funds.
But the request left some parents seeing red. One mum was worried that “the cost of living crisis means that people have no spare money” and added “a lot of parents are so upset but don’t have the courage to say anything”.
She also said it wasn’t very “inclusive” for families – adding: “It is sad that parents are going to be missing out.”
Despite being annoyed about the request to pay for her child’s drawing, the parent said she would still go to the gallery and buy one.
A spokesperson for the academy said its Art Gallery event is something it has run for 15 years.
“Students spend time working with a local art company, creating pieces to display at our Academy Exhibition. The company we work with takes their art away, frames and displays it for our academy gallery,” they said.
The school said parents can buy framed art for £9 or, if they don’t want to, the art is returned to the school at a later date, minus the frame, and parents can then request the work for free.
It reiterated that the cost is related to the framing and is totally optional for parents.