£2800 for a college biology trip!

[dinnafash]

Is this cost usual for college trips?
Dd started her A levels last week and has come home today with information about a trip to Honduras for £2800!
We've already heard about another one that costs £1500.
I'm absolutely gobsmacked that they think it's acceptable to offer trips at that cost to students. Surely there are very few families who can afford such things. That's more than we've ever spent on a holiday for the 4 of us.
Dd informs me they've been told they will get a qualification with this and UCAS points too. So once again poorer families are being penalised and not being given the full opportunities that richer students will have.

flopsy £233 per month for a year for one child to go on a field trip for 1 A level.

4 A levels could mean 4 trips, 900£ per month... Two kids, £1800 per month for a year, pre university.

Excellent and realistic for everyone, obviously.

What's the median household income in the UK?

Are you sure this is compulsory? Sounds like a World Challenge type of trip.

My college did several stupidly expensive trips including a media studies trip to New York that included some kids who didn't do media studies because they had places going spare. As you say, very few people can afford it so very few people go.

Qualification is some ASDAN life skills thing? Worth very few UCAS points and most universities don't care about stuff like that anyway.

No. It's not compulsory. Just can't believe they're even offering something at this cost.
It's a state funded college not an independent school so I can't see many going.
I've no idea what the so called qualification is as dd threw the letter away as soon as she saw the cost.
They did a lovely presentation on how wonderful it would be apparently without mentioning the cost. Then asked who would be interested and want a letter. Dd got a letter, took one look and put it in the bin.
I'm stunned they have the cheek to offer something this expensive.
CF teacher who fancies a nice holiday I would imagine.

Is it this one?

You can get basic PADI qualifications at most local swimming pools!

www.wisepay.co.uk/store/generic/template.asp?ACT=nav&mID=208855

World Challenge is absolute bollocks, horrible company.

I'm wondering if it is an ASDAN qualification, which involved doing some sort of mini dissertation when they got back? I think this counted for UCAS points in the same way that, say, a grade 8 music pass would, so didn't count for anything if you were applying to universities that wanted certain A Level grades rather than points.
That is a ridiculous cost for a trip, and I don't think your DD will miss out by not going. My DD did A Level biology (albeit two years ago), got the top grade and I don't think went on any trips at all!

Almost definitely a World Challenge (or something similar). Students are 3xpected to fund raise before going. The trip usually involves a mixture of touristy things and something ‘worthwhile’ such as painting school classrooms etc. Most state schools around this area offer such schemes/holidays.

If she put the letter in the bin without showing you how are you so sure of the cost and how it is financed? Most replies here are incredulous, maybe there is a misunderstanding.

Our school do this, they went last year to both Honduras and Madagascar (2 trips run at the same time as they had to big a take up for the one trip). I think it's a bit to much, I know it's a great opportunity. They do conservation work and learn to dive (which is probably the qualification they get). It's through Operation Walacia, but we certainly couldn't afford to send our kids on these sorts of trips (luckly they aren't that age yet)

DD is the sort of child who'd love it, but she does Scouts does lots of camping and isn't afraid of much. I think she'll do DofE and gain just as much from that if not more then doing one expensive school trip.

Write and request they offer a UK based low cost trip with similar learning aims as a matter of urgency.

Dd says PADI was mentioned as they'll be diving the second week.
And fundraising was mentioned. But seriously, how the fuck do you fund raise anywhere near enough to pay for this.
Dd is very sensible and wouldn't want us to spend that on a trip for her. Environmental biology is not her thing anyway so she's not bothered.
When we heard about the social sciences trip to China that cost £1500 I told her that if there is a science trip that she's interested in we would do our best. We would have to ask grandparents to help out big time though. But I honestly never thought they would do something that costs so much.
Let's hope any other science trips she may like to go on are in Uk somewhere at least.

Ullupullu because she's a very sensible, competent 17 year old who can read a price on a letter perfectly well.
I'm not sure what incredulous replies you are reading either.

For those who think the teachers are after a holiday, yes it's a great experience. But they do have to rough it, the nights they spend in the jungle are in hammocks with No toliet facilities (ie holes dug in the ground). Hygienic can be a problem to, clean water isn't that easy to come by and it all has to be boiled first.

OP I think you have misread my tone. Lots of replies are as incredulous as you is my point. So optimistically I suggested maybe something had been misinterpreted, as the cost seems ridiculous.

Surely any conservation work unskilled teens do is cancelled out multiple times over by their airmiles. Unless the trip is several years long...

This hook them in and then advise price is a commercial tactic not an educational one. It must be some sort of scheme with fundraising.

Apologies. I misunderstood completely.
Unfortunately I don't think the cost is a mistake.

That was to Ullupullu

World Challenge can be a great opportunity for kids that like that kind of experience. It isn’t for everyone but part of the opportunity is to learn how to find raise- part of the funds go to the community project the students take part in once they reach their destination.

So, the students get an overseas adventure, learn a bit about another culture, have the responsibility of fund raising and the opportunity to do something for another community.

I’m not sure why you have taken such umbridge, OP. They aren’t asking you to pay.

MissSusan companies like that are sending unqualified, relatively privileged, kids half way around the world to do unskilled labour which would be done better by local labours, usually in areas of high unemployment.

Random friends of the family, neighbors, casual aquaintances, hapless Sainsbury's shoppers are expected to be happy to fund this, in the mistaken faith that it's for a good cause.

• Local labourers

Yes blueskiesandforests but that wasn’t what the OP was complaining about.

Rightly or wrongly, these projects are often finished because they come with the opportunity for relatively wealthier people to travel and therefore raise funds. How many of these projects would get funded otherwise? It is obviously fairly big businesss. I can’t comment on how much effect it has on local economies without some data on that.

Have local people to the projects objected to them?

these projects are often finished because they come with the opportunity for relatively wealthier people to travel and therefore raise funds

No, I don't think I'm buying that. How much labour output can you extract from some untrained teenagers who are squeezing in some charity work between more interesting facets of their holiday?

It's a jip. Let's not pretend otherwise. Their labour output probably amounts to pocket change.

Local communities certainly have objected to World Challenge in the past; they used to take rich teens on poverty tourism trips to third world orphanages. They have stopped that specific specialism now though.