New-look school fairs mean business when it comes to raising money

A school fair: 'It is a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and there is definitely a competitive edge to it.' Photograph: Alamy

The traditional school fair was often a summer ordeal to endure, rather than enjoy. A few hours despairing of the futility of life while trying to hook a duck, with only a dusty bottle of Blue Nun to show for it.

But as parent teacher associations (PTAs) become more ambitious and fundraising becomes ever more important, schools across the country have transformed their summer events, ditching Lambrini for champagne, and dog-eared board games for holidays.

"It's completely changed. I remember it used to be a couple of stalls and some warm soft drinks, but now there is much more hype," said Chris McNamara, head of the PTA at Oakdene community primary in Rainhill, Merseyside. "It is a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and there is definitely a competitive edge to it. In our area there are three schools, and each one wanted to be the best and offer the best prizes in the raffle."

Such prizes in some affluent areas range from weekends away in parents' holiday homes to Apple gadgets untouched in their boxes. "We really upped our game in the last couple of years, with a raffle with real gifts to be won to get people to put their hands in their pockets," said Angela McCormack, an advertising manager who helped organise her Carribean-themed school fair in Harrow-on-the-Hill, London.

PTAs are using Facebook and Twitter to draw in a wider net of parents and use their skills and contacts, said Siobhan Freegard, founder of the parenting site Netmums. "We see a lot of mums with professional backgrounds are finding their schools are less interested in them manning the cake stand and more in what business contacts they can bring to the table. But I also think a lot of parents have seen the second-hand tat on offer, have thought they could do much better and have rolled their sleeves up and got stuck in."

Olivia Brown, a self-employed interior and events designer, created a summer fair around an Alice in Wonderland theme at Whittington primary in Staffordshire and used Facebook to source prizes. "We definitely upped the ante this year, and at the end had 250 to 300 people who went home with light hearts and lighter pockets."

Companies, such as local estate agents, are increasingly being encouraged to sponsor the fairs, provide funds or donate prizes in return for a mention in the programme or a banner on a school field. Barclays is one of several firms which matches the funding raised by their employees, while others sponsor schools as part of their corporate social responsibility schemes.

"PTAs have really upped their game in the past five years or so, and some of them are now incredibly successful and running as small social enterprises," said Annette Wiles, of PTA UK, a charitable body that supports PTAs. "We're seeing more creativity and people moving beyond the school and linking up with business, seeking out sponsorship. It's a mutually beneficial relationship."

Wiles added that, although the upmarket shift was marked in some schools, it was the fete staples that still often brought in the crowds. "Putting headteachers in the stocks and throwing sponges at them is still unsurprisingly popular," she said.

It is not just about pushy parents, though, according to Lisa Stone, still recovering after helping raise ￡10,000 at her children's primary in Putney. With extra funding for schools drying up and difficult economic times, schools need extra funds more than ever. "It's so important, for state schools in particular, to get that extra funding," she said. "Parents know the schools can't afford the things they want their children to have, they know what the funds are for and they see the benefits immediately."

Some have taken fundraising to the next level. At Cathy Ranson's son's sixth-form college in Buckinghamshire, students visited parents asking them to pledge money over a period of years to fund a new building. Within a few months, Chesham grammar school had raised the required ￡500,000. "If you are lucky enough to have parents at the school it makes a big difference," she said. "I think PTAs are getting better at targeting valuable parents, looking at what skills they have and what they can offer."

Which works well in leafy Buckinghamshire, or affluent north London suburbs. But in schools where parents are struggling to make ends meet, it is much more of a challenge, said writer and mother Natasha Edwards. She has found it difficult to attract much-needed funds for her son's school fair in Harlesden, north-west London.

"There are two sides to this story," she said. "If your school is in the middle of a housing estate and nearly 40% of the kids are on free school meals, businesses are just less keen to get involved." A neighbouring school, with more affluent parents, had an iPad in the raffle; another was offering a week's holiday in a house in Spain that belonged to one of the parents. "Our school has a different intake and some of the parents lack the language skills and confidence to get involved," said Edwards.

She convinced a local estate agent to fund the bouncy castle, and was heartened when Tesco and Homebase offered help. The Argos, Superdrug and Poundstretcher stores on the parade of shops close to the school were less willing to help, she said. "It can be frustrating. But the great thing is, like any school fair, you see parents from all different backgrounds contributing what they can to make their child's school better."

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Business and management studies

The skills you gain on a business course will mean you are well placed to get a job in the City. Photograph: Bertrand Langlois/AFP/Getty Images

What will I learn?
Degrees in business and management are among the most popular among students. Fortunately, universities have sought to match demand with plenty of courses.

These degrees focus on how organisations operate - what they do, their styles of management and their business strategies.

There is a diverse range of courses, each with a different emphasis or specialism. For example, some courses will lean more towards commerce or retail, while others will focus on tourism or international business. The common threads of any business degree, however, tend to be looking at finance, marketing and human resource management.

Some business courses will have a more defined vocational element to them, so you'll be working in a team to create a company and market a product before you've finished looking at your reading list. Other courses will make work placements a compulsory part of the degree. Most universities will boast of having good links with business, which means visiting lecturers and the chance to build contacts.

Big business is no longer just about making money and ruthless takeovers, however. Companies are trying to improve their ethical and environmental standing, so expect to see relevant course modules popping up in the prospectus.

What skills will I gain?
As well as an understanding of how things work in business and management, by the time you graduate you should be able to demonstrate an understanding of markets, finance, managing people, operations, information systems, policy and strategy.

You probably won't be afraid of standing up in front of the class to present your ideas or argue your point around the negotiating table.

With group work a key part of many courses, you will have built up your teamwork and leadership skills, and be able to demonstrate your ability to consider all things related to establishing your own business and marketing a product.

You should also have an understanding of the ethical implications of business operations. If your work focuses on retail, you should be able to debate issues surrounding fair trade, for example.

A key part of managing others is the ability to relate to them and understand their needs, all skills you should be developing during your degree.

What job can I get?
A popular subject among students will inevitably mean tougher competition for jobs. And because it's not as specialist a field as architecture or medicine, say, you may find yourself up against graduates with history or economics degrees who decide in their final year that they want a career in business.

That said, the nature of your business courses and the practical experience that you've gained will mean you are well placed to get a job in the City or in one of the top companies that recruit graduates for their annual programmes. These graduate schemes should give you a good general grounding in business and the chance to focus on a particular area, such as human resources, or finance or marketing.

What will look good on the CV?
· Evidence of effective problem-solving and decision-making.
· Self-awareness and sensitivity in relation to business and management issues.
· The ability to address issues at international level.

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Internships: why paying for experience is bad business

Psst. Want a job working for Miami Heat basketball star LeBron James? There's a nice internship in online marketing and another in content development currently being advertised on his website. If you are interested, you best get on it quick. Applications are due Tuesday.

Salary? Funny you should ask. The site doesn't specify the amount on offer but the ad specifies that no one will be considered unless they are enrolled in college.

That's probably a hint. We don't know what James is or isn't paying for the gig – his representatives did not return a request for comment or clarification – but it's worth noting many intern gigs appear to be offering to help arrange college credit in lieu of even receiving minimum wage. James himself, who in the past complained he was underpaid, makes over $17.5m a year.

Certainly many fans do not believe James should pay, despite his estimated $90m net worth. As someone wrote on his website, "The fact that the internship is with LeBron is payment in itself."

Welcome to the latest version of intern hell, where it's no longer enough to be willing to work for free. Now you need to pay for the privilege of working for no salary.

There are a few ways this works. On the most basic level an intern works for no payment in return for college credit. It's a good deal – or so it seems – unless you realize you are paying a tuition bill in return for a job that either doesn't offer a salary or pays an amount so minuscule it's unlikely to cover the cost of books, much less the tuition bill.

Needless to say, all too many colleges and universities love these arrangements.

Not only do they get to collect money in return for not offering a class, they also get to claim credit in the greater world for offering their students both book learning and opportunities to acquire real-life smarts.

But some of the most desirable intern gigs go to the highest bidder – and I mean that literally. Earlier this spring, the charitable fundraising site Bidding for Good auctioned off a one-month internship at Marc Jacobs in the Collections Accessories Sales Department for $4,000. Over at Charity Buzz, another such platform, there are currently ten internships on the block including a one-day gig with Fox 2000 Pictures executive Jessica Goodman that offers to help someone "get your foot in the door." With nine days to go, the leading bid is $325.

These sound like bargain basement rates compared to some other recent sales. The all-time record appears to be a week-long internship at Vogue that went for $42,500 in 2010, but other numbers are also jaw-dropping. Last month saw an internship with an unspecified United Nations affiliated non-governmental organization go for $26,000, with the funds to benefit the Robert F Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.

So why do people pay to play along? As jobs become scarce, internships are viewed as an alternative way of buttressing up one's credentials. Employers want employees with skills, and internships at least provide the illusion.

Here's proof that there's demand for these non-jobs: there are now internship brokers, no charitable veneer required.

There are outfits like Dream Careers, whose website boasts of "Guaranteed Intern Placement. Top Companies" in cities such as New York, Washington DC and San Francisco and says that spending $8,499 for a two-month internship (food and housing included) is a "practical and wise investment in your professional future." Another such company is the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars.

And if you lack the money to pay? No need to worry. That's what bank-offered student loans are for. According to the website for Dream Careers, about 50% of those taking part in their program receive private student loans to help offset their expenses. (Dream Careers also did not respond to a request for comment.) The site supplies links to helpful banks, including Wells Fargo, Citizens Bank and Chase, while reminding would-be interns to list their college and not Dream Careers as the school they are attending. Just think about it: you can pay for that job that's not paying you, decades into the future.

There are obvious problems with these arrangements. Rich students gain their employment experiences in the executive offices of the Gap, while poor kids are more likely to start out with minimum-wage, service-sector jobs that offer little in the way of security or job growth. Guess which is thought to lead to better professional advancement?

Are these sorts of unpaid arrangements legal? It's almost certain in the majority of cases, that the answer is no. It seems likely the moment an unpaid intern is asked to take on a task, they are replacing a paid employee. Even assistants who get coffee for the boss expect a paycheck, after all. Yet with the exception of a few scattered lawsuits, no one is cracking down. People are simply too desperate for any opportunity, and fear being blackballed if they complain.

The internship economy is one that already promotes everything from a perverse form of conspicuous consumption (I can afford to work and not get paid!) to the continued gains of those at the top of the financial pyramid at the expense of everyone else. Pay-to-play internships twist the already tight economic screws a little tighter.

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Protestations de visages de school de l'Université de Oxford business sur visite par le Président du Rwanda Paul Kagame

Paul Kagame, the unique boy poster development whose reputation has been tarnished by accusations of authoritarianism and fomenting conflict in Congo, will be greeted by protesters when he attends the Said Business School tomorrow to give a conference speech.

A coalition of activists, including Congolese refugees and a prominent Oxford University, are backing calls for the University to cancel the invitation, saying: it's a vote of confidence in Mr. Kagame at a time when it is under pressure from human rights violations.

The clash is the latest controversy surrounding Rwanda leader, who last year saw Britain suspend 16 million pounds of direct budget support to the Government by "credible" information that supported guerrilla M23, responsible for atrocities committed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo nearby.

The ongoing dispute has done little to dent the enthusiasm in financial and political circles for continued economic growth in Rwanda, which will reach 8% this year. The first country ever sell Eurobonds this month, securing $ 400 million in funding for infrastructure and investment projects, was over-subscribed.

In a sign of thaw of relations with Britain, help single donor who rest by Rwanda, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the country, Louise Mushikiwabo, met Foreign Minister William Hague Thursday during the visit to London by a large Rwandan delegation.

But critics said the decision by the Oxford Business Network for Africa, a student organization within the school of commerce, to Mr. Kagame the first recipient of the Distinction of honour for African growth might taint the University.

A petition calling on the Group of students and the business school to cancel the price reached yesterday near 5500 signatures. A counter-petition, applauding the award, had collected 2,300 signatures.

In a letter to the Dean of the school, Professor Barbara Harrell-Bond, founding Director of the University of respect Refugee Studies Centre, said: "give honor to Mr. Kagame at a time when he and his Government are increasingly isolate themselves faced with evidence of their mounting human rights violations represents a serious error of judgment."

"It positions the organizers of the Conference and the University of Oxford, against the international efforts to pressure Mr. Kagame to end its abuse and play a more constructive role in the realization of African peace and development".

A spokesman for a coalition of opposition groups Rwandan and Congolese, including the release, a group of Congolese women's rights, added: "It would be shameful as the caliber of any Oxford University to ignore all information in the public domain on the Kagame crimes both on his people and abroad to roll out a red carpet for him."

School of business, ranked in the top ten outside the United States, said that the price was the decision taken by the Group of students but said that it allowed the event to today go forward due to its commitment to freedom of expression.

In a statement, the school said: "we attach an open discussion and... we have not sought to prevent students from the extension of this invitation. The presence of President Kagame in the Said Business School does not imply an endorsement by the school or the University, its opinions or actions. We are aware that President Kagame is considered by some as a controversial figure. ?

Group of students has defended the sentence, saying it was "in recognition of the work of [Mr Kagame] into the opening and development of the economy of Rwanda"and there would be a possibility for those who critique of his Government to ask questions. ''

The Rwandan Commission in London did not respond to The Independent requests to comment on the criticisms of Mr Kagame, who also will attend a celebration of the day of Rwanda for hundreds of members of the Rwandan diaspora in London.

Rwanda has strongly denied any involvement in the M23 and condemned a report of the United Nations, the Chronicle of links between the Group and senior members of the Rwandan army. Critics have also accused Mr Kagame's trampling on the media and political freedoms, maintaining a hostile environment for opposition politicians.

The Independent revealed that Scotland Yard has also served notice on two dissidents based in the United Kingdom in 2011 warning of "reliable information" that their lives were under threat from the assassins sent by the Rwandan authorities.

Britain earlier this year reinstated aid to Rwanda after put an end to direct budgetary support to the country in November last due to the activities of the M23. The 16 million books will be distributed in the form of direct payments to the poor to Rwandans and textbooks for schoolchildren.

The Independent understands he has no immediate plans to reinstate payment of direct aid to the Rwandan Government.

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