Teacher has a heartwarming reply after a student misses the fee payment deadline for band instrument

Money gives people easy access to the opportunities they want and that is the sad reality of the world. This is even more hurtful when a child has to give up on their dreams due to financial restrictions. 8% of the children in the world miss out on schooling because of financial reasons, as per UNESCO. Institutions charge money for activities that have the potential to enhance the children's capabilities and talents. Even after attending school, students feel isolated as they miss out on things like going on trips or participating in group activities due to money, which shouldn't matter at that age. In such times, when someone opens their doors for opportunities without any sort of selfishness, it goes a long way in giving them a positive outlook toward the world. u/swayy1141 was one of the lucky ones who was subject to understanding from other people surpassing monetary concerns. She shared the entire story on Reddit.

Her kid wanted to participate in a musical band. For the sake of instruments, each member was instructed to deposit a certain fee. Unfortunately, the student forgot to take note of how to deposit the fees and ended up missing the deadline. Fearing that they might miss out on a desired opportunity, the kid began panicking, but all their worries were subsided when they received a note from the authorities. In the note, the teacher informed the kid of their inclusive policy. The policy stated, "We accept payment at any time and never deny students the opportunity to play in the band." This is done in an attempt to ensure that the wishes of the students do not get suppressed for any reason.

"Please don't worry about the timing of the payment. There is no stress whatsoever. I put the deadline in place to encourage people to pay but we accept payment at any time," the reply from the teacher read. The policy provides flexibility to students in terms of depositing the fees. Students can collect money and pay at their convenience. The deadline is given so that people who are capable do not take advantage of the opportunity. Moreover, it also helps them to account for their set budget. There is no discrimination on the basis of money. The objective is to not "deny students the opportunity to play in the band, regardless of whether or not they can pay." 

The instructor has also given students liberty in the method of payment. They can pay with cash, cheque, or even in the office if they do not want to make the matter public. This initiative is great as it truly places the focus of the programs on where it should be: the students. The heartwarming story touched netizens who appreciated the teacher as well as the policy.

u/mellowyearning loves how this opens up the gates for students and makes them feel involved, "That's an inclusive and heartwarming policy! It ensures that every student has a chance to pursue their passion for music, regardless of their financial situation." To this, the Reddit user replied: "Agreed. They purchase instruments and request a fee of $50 to rent them for the school year. They have been really great about communicating 'if you can't afford to pay, that's okay, reach out to this person' but I wasn't expecting them to reiterate it when I asked how to pay it. We can, and will, pay the fee but I worked at his elementary school and know there are many families here that can't afford it. I love knowing they can still participate regardless."

u/kllove shared how they did something similar, "I taught high school theatre for 15 years and this was basically my policy always. Deadlines helped us budget and prepare for upcoming expenses, which the kids had a huge part in planning and so limited funds might make us change things, but never meant we left anyone out. I also taught them grant writing and business sponsorship fund development so that they learned the skill of how to work to acquire funds to get to do the big ticket things they wanted to do."