School announces students can skip exams for $100 each — and parents are asking if education is even real anymore

Exams are an important part of a student's academic life. However, when a school announced that students could skip exams for $100 as part of a fundraiser, the notice left parents confused about the school's actual intention. Sharing a photo of the flyer on December 1, u/vindictive101's Reddit post has attracted more than 1,200 likes so far.

u/vindictive101 shared a picture of a school flyer with a caption that read, "First Place Prize being $1000 CASH or 1 year Tuition for 2026-2027 year!!" The flyer revealed that as part of their holiday fundraiser, students between the 4th and 6th grade could sell packets of tickets, with each pack costing $100, in exchange for being exempt from their Christmas exams. One packet sold equals one exam exemption, two packets equal two exemptions, and so on. Students may even choose which exams they want to skip. The notice also stated that for younger students, from K3 through 3rd grade, the reward was selling at least three packets, which would grant them early dismissal for the Christmas holidays "as their reward."

The event was described as a "successful annual effort" that has funded a new bus, kept tuition stable, and supported campus improvements in the institution. The school also encouraged parents to help by selling the tickets and returning all money to the school treasury by December 9. According to a 2023 study by Irit Levy-Feldman, assessments act as a guiding force in education because teachers plan instruction around what will be evaluated, and students adjust their study strategies based on the type of tests they expect. Hence, skipping exams through fundraising changes the educational purpose that exams are meant to serve. It also fosters the idea that one can simply pay to get out of doing anything 'hard' in life. A 2019 survey by Joshua Marland et al. found that in New York, the State Education Department found that students who chose the "opt-out" option belonged to wealthier backgrounds. In Oregon, too, these "opt-out students" were found to be significantly wealthier than their classmates. 

Soon after the post went viral, many online users raised their concerns over the matter. u/Unlikely_Leader1506 wrote, "Selling your way out of exams feels like the exact opposite of what a school should be teaching. This is basically pay-to-skip academics disguised as a fundraiser." u/FilthyDwayne commented, "What the hell did I just read? Basically teaching children you can get away with anything if you have enough money." u/fDar wrote, "The 'get out early' is the 'best.' Can't you just pick up your kid early for free? Any day you want?"

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