Warrington School/Warrington Free School
From WikiEducator
Warrington Free School is a model of economic sustainability for Warrington School that does not rely on asking parents and funding bodies for money. On WikiEducator "Free" is often mentioned "as in Freedom" but here it means "as in Free Beer" too. The two are not mutually exclusive.
Warrington Free School will:
- recognise that it is already in the top 10% of schools in the World in terms of funding
- Operate a fiscally responsible budget, meeting all its costs from taxpayer funding
- accept donations from anyone who spontaneously offers
- Sit back and watch everything we need come our way, because good things always happen to those who try to do things right.
Warrington Free School won't:
- ask anyone for money
- levy any fee for any school activity
- advertise any company or organisation in return for money or supplied goods or services
Warrington Living Within Our Means
- Sustainability of education within the Warrington area is dependent on working within our means.
The Ministry of Education in their wisdom fund the school in an equitable manner sufficiently to manage the day to day running of the school, its on going maintenance and for the employment of necessary staff members.
Key Questions
- Should we need or seek external funding to run Warrington School?
- If we do need external sources of funding in what form should it come?
- Should the school compromise its ethics by accepting funding assistance from the proceeds of goods and services that are not aligned philosophically with the direction of the school, for example gambling or the sale of alcohol?
The school surveyed its community in 2008, a resounding majority chose any funding, as long as it benefited their children.
Some organisations with "Free" in their name
- Wellington Free Ambulance: they say "Since 1927, Wellington Free Ambulance, New Zealand’s only free metropolitan ambulance service, has been the sole emergency ambulance provider for the people of greater Wellington."
- South Canterbury Free Kindergarten Association: so free that they don't make a big deal about it on their website