To be cross about paying for school trips....

[fulltimeworkingmum]

..for DC's when other children can still go whether their parents stump up or not?

We received a letter from school about an upcoming trip to the theatre for DD. It stated the cost (£7) and then stated that " no child will be disadvantaged because of a parent's inability or unwillingness to pay"

I have no issue at all with people who really cannot afford it (though £7 is only a little more than a packet of ciggies) the bit about "unwillingness to pay" has really cheesed me off. The school does not clarify this any further and I am left with the impression that we who are prepared to pay are subsidising those who are not.

When I was at school in the eighties - a while ago , I admit but still within recent memory, if your parents did not pay for the trip, you did not go, end of story.

DD is in her first year at school so this is all new to me.

the things you learn on mumsnet!

Ooooh, I thought you'd meant stick of rock and was confused!

I got mine for a fiver from Sainsburys too!
In the sale, kids size 5, bargain

Mine are kids size two. A pair from Primark and a pair from Shoezone

Sainsburys sell crack now ?

You could get a whole load of pom bears for £7

What aisle is it in? Near the cream crackers or next to the coke?

42 packets from Semichem.

Move to Belgium - it is possible to get fags AND wine for 7 quid.

Yes Hassled but only organic .

sorry to go back to the original theme..... but, I've often read on here that paying for school trips is voluntary, and that schools just ask for you to pay if you can. Is this meant to be the same in Scotland, because none of the requests for payment I've had for school trips say anything about payment being voluntary? I just get a letter telling me how much it is and when it has to be paid by?

I just dont think they should do school trips. We never had them at Primary school some 40 years ago and I turned out OK.

If school trips are in school time then parents can only be asked for a 'voluntary contribution' and must take all children regardless if they pay or not, if the trip is outside school hours then they dont have to take children whose parents dont pay.

The sad thing is that school trips often have to be cancelled because not enough parents pay and the school has to make up the difference. With budget cuts coming this will prob mean less school trips

I'm in Scotland and get the same lal.
No mention of voluntary.

Missmapp - is this just an English thing though? I've always just assumed we HAVE to pay or DD wouldn't go

I dont know, im in england and its been that way here for a while now.

YANBU. You're not talking about it people who can't afford it, but people who can and refuse to pay leaving everyone else to foot the bill. I'd be very annoyed at that too.

soggy14 do your children still go on the school trips? If so, does this mean that other parents are having to cover the cost?

Many schools leave out the voluntary bit in the hope that parents will feel forced to pay. It may be different in Scotland but I do not think that it is. I do object to paying though and wonder why everyone thinks that we should have to pay. Why have school trips? dds school had a residential one. We took the whole family away for a week for less than the school wanted for 4 days of activities like "a walk at night" and "beach combing" - we take our children out every weekend as a family and do all thee activities. Why shoudl we pay extra for education just because some people cannot be bothered that take their kids to the zoo?

TankFly - yes they go on the daily ones because the school does not provide an acceptable alternative. I still don't get why we have them (school trips that it).

I just dont think they should do school trips

For some children the school trip will be the only time they get to go anywhere at all, ever. Of course they should do school trips.

And do your children enjoy the free ride school trips soggy14

I agree - I think school trips are incredibly important for a lot of children. And I think in all my many years of parent helping on trips, I've only had a couple of duds - they're usually very well organised, tie in well with the curricular work the children are doing, often bring a subject alive and are genuinely useful.

mama so why should I pay for them? Are you really saying that, in addition to my taxes which already go primarily on benefits, I should have to fork out for my child to go to a zoo that he has been to laods of times before, and is a member of, just because some kids don't get to go? They already get reduced entry for being on benefits.

Also school trips are not safe - I've taught a child who died on one - didn't even make the papers. It happens far more often than you think.

I really can't be arsed to care what anyone else does. I pay for DS because I can, so I do my bit.

If another child gets a freebie because their parents aren't interested or can't afford it, it's none of my business. I'd rather that than some child has to sit out an experience through no fault of it's own. How fucking awful would that be?

No child should be dicsriminated against because they have poor parents, generally if a child gets free dinners they get free trips too.

If you can afford it pay it.