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Original poster

GCSEs and extra costs involved for certain subjects.... How can this be fair on low income families

26 replies

teamcullen · 06/03/2010 12:57

Ive just realised that come September I am going to have to pay costs to make sure DD can complete her chosen elective subjects.

She has choosen Music, which I will have to pay £75 per term for piano lessons and Drama, which includes at least 4 visits to the theatre each year.

So my estimation is £450 in music tuition and £200 in theatre visits over two years.

Other subjects included
History £260 trip to France/belgium
Geography ££ Field trips

The school did say that they would subsidise any child with the cost of music lessons if their parents could not afford it.

But it doesnt seem fair that children should have to worry if their parents can afford the aditional costs involved when choosing what subjects they wish to take.

OP posts:
roisin · 06/03/2010 13:05

If it's essential to the course, they're not allowed to charge for it. So if they have to go on the Geography field trip, ie they can't write their coursework otherwise, then it should be free.

My school has a catchment area with high levels of deprivation, so we simply wouldn't get away with this sort of thing. Students do music GCSE without having had private instrumental tuition, and GCSE drama students do not go on lots of expensive theatre trips.