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AIBU?

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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:
Animation · 08/09/2011 17:22

Grin - you're all having a joke now - and I feel silly for being serious!

TotemPole · 08/09/2011 17:24

WhereTheWildThingsWere, does that keep the soup nice and hot 'til lunch time. Do you think it would be ok for pasta and sauce?

FootballFriend · 08/09/2011 17:25

Can't keep it hot, it's bound to contravene some school health & safety regulations :)

TotemPole · 08/09/2011 17:25

I thought the school had to take the children for trips that were part of the curriculum whether they'd paid or not?

TotemPole · 08/09/2011 17:26

Cold soup for lunch. :(

MrsSatsuma · 08/09/2011 17:31

Just out of interest, are those of you saying £19 is expensive mums of primary or secondary kids? Just that £19 is about average for a secondary trip. I'm a secondary teacher - I really do have every sympathy for parents with costs of trips, but the school NEVER makes profit (it's worked out extremely carefully). Coaches are expensive and there are additional costs - some schools gave to cover the cost of supply teachers for staff that are going, and the teachers' own tickets. I've never had students on trips who haven't paid, but nobody has ever asked! We do have to put the voluntary bit in for equality, as there are some that genuinely can't pay (and I reckon we'd probably work it out if someone was taking advantage). Even if the event is in school and in school hours, outside speakers cost a lot! Without the parents' contributions and with schools' budgets, it'd be a choice between that and exercise books or something!

pointydog · 08/09/2011 17:34

£19 for what? What do you get for £19?

I think we have a lot more free and subsidised things in scotland.

Witchofthenorth · 08/09/2011 17:34

I've never paid for a school trip, we fundraise and the money comes from parent council. Is fundraising for trips just a Scottish thing?

pointydog · 08/09/2011 17:35

I think every school decides what it is going to fundraise for, witch, and many do not choose to fundraise for trips.

Some schools set a limit of £10 or so for trips per year. And it is amazing what you can get for that £10 in scotchland.

MillyR · 08/09/2011 17:36

Mine both sometimes take soup to school in thermos flasks. It does stay hot and I have not had any health and safety complaints.

I think the school trip thing depends on the cost of the trips. DD's school wanted over £300 for various school trips last year, and will be asking for similar amounts this year, despite the PTA paying for leavers' week trips. I know parents have complained because it is so expensive. I also feel that the excessive number of trips is having an impact on the children's basic education in school.

saladfingers · 08/09/2011 17:36

As a teacher, when costing a trip the general rule of thumb is that you divide cost of entrance fees and coach between 28 children(of a class of 30) incorporating possibility that 2 children can't pay.If more than 2 don't pay trip is cancelled.IME most families do what they can and contribute something towards the cost.
I think £19 is quite expensive for one day trip especially if there might be another 2 planned in subsequent terms

BoringSchoolChoiceNickname · 08/09/2011 17:36

We never pay for school trips - hurrah for the tfl free transport for schools scheme!

AnnaThePenguin · 08/09/2011 17:37

"voluntary contributions" as a concept irritate me. They aren't really voluntary - I have an ongoing small protest going with DD's school as they send a letter to say "your voluntary contribution is now due"

Every time, I write a note with the money that says "if the contribution is voluntary it cannot be due"

Makes sod all difference though Wink

BakeliteBelle · 08/09/2011 17:40

I think they need to really weight up the quality of a trip. 4 hours round trip on a coach to the Science Museum from our city, (as experienced by my friend's DC), doth not make a quality day out.

A walk down to the local museum for free does and the kids enjoy it and learn just as much. And noone throws up.

pointydog · 08/09/2011 17:40

'voluntary contributions' would irk me too.

It's an additional cost, it's not voluntary, you pay it if you can and don't if you can't.

seeker · 08/09/2011 17:43

The thing is it is voluntary. If it is in school time, they can't insist on payment- but they still have to pay for the trip.

aldiwhore · 08/09/2011 17:43

My mother put me on a diet, sent me to school with slimasoup in a flask everyday, no bread and nothing else.....

I'm 37 now and still remember that luke warm powder slop, and nicking a £1 out of her purse every day so I could actually buy something that was almost like food. Not condoning theft but please 'think of the childreeeeeen'.

I actually like soup now, but never in a flask.

aliceliddell · 08/09/2011 17:45

pointydog in Scotland they still have a public sector and still believe it is A Good Thing. Which is apparently true, because they still go on school trips no matter how rich their parents are. Just saying.

inmysparetime · 08/09/2011 17:48

Government guidance says school trip fees should never exceed the cost of the trip divided by the number of children going on the trip. Anyone unable to pay should be funded out of PTA fundraising.
My DD's school has set up a system where you can make payments using your card for e.g. Trips and school dinners, and the school takes money out of your credit balance. It's easier to budget for as you can add a set amount each month and not wonder when on earth school will cash the chequesSmile.

aldiwhore · 08/09/2011 17:48

The PTA at our school worked on the same premise as saladfingers mentions... the teaching staff add up the total cost, we figure out how much we can pay (we split whatever the total cost is between each year group) we COULD fully fund every trip, but it would be at the expense of other things that the school have asked us to fundraise for.

hagridthehamster · 08/09/2011 17:50

It's the same at our school, the voluntary thing. We have 3 DDs at the same school and last year when DH was out of a job we were profoundly grateful that our girls were still allowed to go on the trips. The school they go to is insanely MC/moneyed state school and there are a few horrid entitled little sods that would have made fun of them if they hadn't been able to go. This year (thank you ye Gods) DH is back in work and we will of course pay all the trip contributions. I think YAB a little U to think that people are laughing about not paying.

aldiwhore · 08/09/2011 17:50

It does fuck me off that the government dare to comment on what the PTA should fundraise for. Truth be told. We break our backs to make the school a better place, the government should stay the fuck out lol.... one school trip per year SHOULD be fully funded, but it isn't, that's fine but the cost of them should be split between those giving their time voluntarily to fundraise, and the parents who can't give that time.

bubby64 · 08/09/2011 17:51

Our school doesnt say "voluntary" at all for payments for school trips, it just states the cost per child, if we as a PTFA have contributed and how much (we often do, as we live in a rural area and coachs are expensive) and say if parents have difficulty, they can contact the school in cofidence, and i know they try to help out if they can (again, the PTFA have put aside a "hardship fund", and the LA also provide one as well, but this is hard to access!) This negates any "Shall we pay or shall we not". If the trip is expensive (above £20) or you have more than one child going on it,(I have twins!) they let you pay in installments.

MillyR · 08/09/2011 17:53

I can't believe the controversy of this soup issue!

You put soup in a standard thermos flask. It stays hot for a long time. I often take soup myself to have for lunch because it is very nice.

It is not some kind of Oliver Twist punishment.

teacherwith2kids · 08/09/2011 18:00

It is not the school choosing to say that a contribution is voluntary. That's what the law says. It says that for a school trip that is related to the curriculum, and takes place wholly within school hours, payment CANNOT be compulsory and children who do not pay CANNOT be excluded from the trip.

However, the school budget does not include enough money for trips (coach travel is by far the biggest portion of the cost, has risen hugely, and in rural areas there is no walking or free public transport option) so schools do have to ask for the money and if they don't get it, cancel the trip. There is not a legal option to only take children who pay.

There are some, limited sources of funds to provide some money towards the costs for families on low incomes, and PTAs etc do help, BUT if a school also needs fundraising for new playground equipment etc then a PTA's money can only be split a certain numer of ways.

Interestingly, this term my DC's school have gone for a 'these are all the trips we will do this year, this is the total cost, you can pay in one go or in instalments' approach which at least allows for budgeting.

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