School Demands Parents Pay For Their Own Kids Art

A Kindergarten and Preschool in Brisbane facing financial difficulties sent emails to pupil’s parents requesting AU$2,200 for their preschoolers’ artwork portfolio, with the kids only aged up to 5. The centre’s volunteer management committee sent the email to help pay off its mounting debt owed to staff and keep the preschool afloat. The one-man committee later claimed that the portfolios were the ‘intellectual property’ of the centre.
Parents were outrgaed by the bizarre request, and some went to the school and physically removed their own child’s work, which then escalated as police were called, who then launched an investigation into the ‘stealing’ of portfolios from the centre.
C&K, the company affiliated with Craigslea Kindergarten then intervened to end the hostile stand-off. They stated ‘These important records are now available for families to collect free of charge’.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli slammed the committee’s demands as ‘pretty un-Australian’ and desperate.
‘I think it’s emotional blackmail,’ he told the Today Show.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been in that position. I never saw any Picassos come home, that’s for sure. But they mean something to you. It’s special. It’s an achievement.’
‘I just think it’s wrong on so many levels. There are better things to be worried about at the moment. Let’s give the kids their finger painting and let’s get on with life.’
