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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to be pissed off with 'voluntary contributions' for school trips?

188 replies

Chundle · 08/09/2011 15:42

dd came home today with school trip form. It costs £19. They won't be able to go if enough people don't pay this voluntary contribution but those that don't pay still get to go blah blah blah. I'm totally not a snob- I live in a council house so don't have a ton of money but I always pay for my kids to go on trips yet it seems to me there's always a group of parents standing there laughing there tits off that they didn't have to cough off!
When I was a kid if you didn't pay you stayed at school and had a fun time anyway that was that and what's wrong with that???
I had to miss out on school trips as a kid and wasn't overly bothered.
My tin hats on I'm ready for a bashing

OP posts:

aldiwhore · 08/09/2011 16:59

YANBU... but YABU.

YANBU because people see the word voluntary and either think "cool I don't have to pay" or they think "I'm paying for everyone else"... people assume too much and nothing will make them happy.

As a member of that crazy mob which is the PTA I know that 'we' have paid for one trip's worth of 'coach' for each year group a year, but it still doesn't meet the full cost of trips, yet still parents (of all classes and wealth) complain.

'We' also try to provide at least one completely free school trip per year for each year group as well (local, within walking distance etc) and some parents STILL complain about that as its not exciting enough, or not educational enough... yadada yada.

There's no pleasing all people all of the time, so if you get your slip, either pay or don't, its a matter of conscience.... if not enough people have one, you'll get your cash back, and you can then use that money to go to exactly the same place at the weekend.

It is annoying though, hence YANBU.

create · 08/09/2011 17:00

How thick does a soup have to be before you can't get it in and out of a flask? I used to have a plastic one with Snoopy on it when I was at school...

FootballFriend · 08/09/2011 17:01

Create - I don't know, how do peas and such go through the spout?

dolphin84 · 08/09/2011 17:02

At all school they rarely use the word voluntary. The biggest joke was a visit from one of these topic based companies. We were told that money had been donated from the PTA do we only had to pay £2.50. The school even rang one parent up because they couldn't trace payment.
So much for voluntary if educational and part of school day.

Moominsarescary · 08/09/2011 17:03

I've never had a letter that said paying was voluntary,they do say you can pay by installments though

ExitPursuedByATroll · 08/09/2011 17:05

Football - do you have flasks with very thin spouts? I always used to take my mum's fabulous homemade veg soup to school in a flask. And my DB used to take frankfurter sausages in his.

BahHumPug · 08/09/2011 17:05

Through the spout?! It's a flask, not a teapot I'm sure you can just take the lid off and pour it into a bowl

create · 08/09/2011 17:05

Football, Stop! I'm in danger of having to go and find a flask to have a look! Don't they all have a reasonable wide opening? Wide enough for peas anyway

pointydog · 08/09/2011 17:06

I have never come across a school trip that cost £19. That's far too much.

SouthernFriedTofu · 08/09/2011 17:06

WHy not make the 19 pound voluntary fee a 10 pound mandatory fee?

dolphin84 · 08/09/2011 17:08

You obv don't go to my dc's school. We have had at least 2 trips so far costing that.

pointydog · 08/09/2011 17:08

I agree with stopraiging. This must be more of an english thing. Never heard of such expensive school trips in scotland.

pointydog · 08/09/2011 17:09

We don;t have this 'voluntary' nonsense either.

You either pay your fiver, you can't pay it so the school does or you won't pay it so you don't go.

Animation · 08/09/2011 17:10

It's the school at fault!

Why is it OK to announce these trips like they do - out of the blue - and expect that you have the money and can afford them. Shouldn't there be some negotiation with parents at the beginning of the year about what trips are affordable and reasonable.

pointydog · 08/09/2011 17:10

The most I've ever paid for a day trip was about £6.50.

FootballFriend · 08/09/2011 17:12

:o I have a coffee flask for commuting. It has a minimal opening, I can drink my coffee whilst driving. Right, now we know why others thought the idea of soup odd (mind you, didn't say stronger than that, just odd).

Tee2072 · 08/09/2011 17:18

football not a flask like this

but like this

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 08/09/2011 17:18

at all the soup malarky, it is actually v. thick homemade soup, more like stew, sometimes he takes beans or curry instead.

He takes it in one of these type things, no spout.

nickelbabe · 08/09/2011 17:19

ah, see, coffee flasks are different.
real flasks have openings that are at least an inch wide.

bananamam · 08/09/2011 17:20

Football, you sound like you have an insulated cup rather than a flask. Flasks have a larger opening and usually have a cup of sorts as a lid

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 08/09/2011 17:20

Tee beat me, love the idea of sending a 7yo off to school with a hip flask. He could go off for a quick nip behaind the bike sheds.

Animation · 08/09/2011 17:21

"They won't be able to go if enough people don't pay this voluntary contribution"

Yes - that line that school use is irritating. Feels manipulative.

TotemPole · 08/09/2011 17:21

FootballFriend, are you thinking of a different type of flask?

FootballFriend · 08/09/2011 17:22

Thanks for the patient explanations and links. A bit of gagging at the thought of beans and curry through the spout, but now I know where I was going wrong. Mental pictures readjusted :o

sugarandspiceandallthingsnice · 08/09/2011 17:22

As a teacher who has worked in different schools, I can agree that I have heard parents saying that they won't pay, and boasting that other people will. The worst of it has been that the more affluent parents haven't bothered to pay, the ones with twins/low incomes etc have paid in full. Makes me cross. My friend's school gets round it by organising a 'non curriculum' trip which apparently means that if they don't pay they don't go but not too sure about that.

£19 is/not too expensive, depending where and how much notice was given.

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