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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
teacherwith2kids · 08/09/2011 18:03

To a previous poster - if the letter does not say that the payment is voluntary, that's not actually allowed.... not that they'd often be pulled up on it perhaps.

AnnaThePenguin · 08/09/2011 18:08

Teacher - the letter says "your voluntary contribution is now due"

alemci · 08/09/2011 18:13

I too have got fed up in the past with the people who make out they cannot afford to pay. This happened on a school journey and the school held a bring and buy sale to make up the shortfall. One of the so called impoverished parents who couldn't pay turned up to the school in a brand new land cruiser. funny that.

Also our head tried to make people pay for swimming even though it was part of the curriculum and was funded by the borough. I stopped paying in the end as that was another annoyance as the money was being used for something else.

emmanumber3 · 08/09/2011 18:15

DS1's primary school used to ask for voluntary contributions. DS2's doesn't. You pay or you stay in school and join another class for the duration of the trip. The school does generally cover some of the cost to start with though, which keeps the cost to parents as low as possible (£10ish usually). Next week the whole of Years 5 & 6 are off on a residential course (4 nights) - at a cost of £101.00 per child. The fact that children who receive free school meals get to pay just £3.00 each has led to much anger amongst parents aswell.

slavetofilofax · 08/09/2011 18:15

I don't mind voluntry contribution for trips, it's the £20 per family 'voluntary contribution' to the upkeep of the tiny little outdoor school swimming pool that gets me Angry

It may be a bit naughty of me, but I have not paid that one for the last three years. Especially because once the children get to year 5 they ask for coach money to take them to a pool that is actually big enough for them to learn to swim in. I would always pay that, and the trips, and I spend £30 -£40 at each of the PTA Christmas bazar and Summer Fayre, but I am not going to pay £20 for my children to have 20 minutes in a waist high pool 10 times a year.

Oh, and soup out of a flask at work is yummy.

alemci · 08/09/2011 18:18

Yes Emma that would really annoy me. If they cannot afford to pay, I don't think they should go. They should pay at least half, as they probably get loads of other stuff free as well, if they get free school meals.

whackamole · 08/09/2011 18:24

YANBU and I have heard mums saying this before.

emmanumber3 · 08/09/2011 18:28

alemci quite a few people have said that they would be happier if the free school meals parents were paying half. Especially as that would then bring the cost down a bit for everyone else too. The school is not in a rich area & most parents struggle to find a spare £101.00 at short notice (we were told of the cost of the trip in June & it had to be paid by July).

Talker2010 · 08/09/2011 18:44

Parents at our school have 3 choices

  1. pay and child goes on trip
  2. parent explains there is a problem paying ... usually making a voluntary contribution or taking advantage of the instalments available
  3. child does not go on trip

We sometimes approach parents when we know paying would be difficult to explain that we will cover the cost

If there were a trip where students had to go as part of the curriculum ... no-one would pay

alemci · 08/09/2011 18:44

Yes because you are probably paying over the odds for them to go for £3. Not at all fair.

Feenie · 08/09/2011 18:47

Is that a state school, Talker?

aldiwhore · 08/09/2011 18:51

millyr yes it is.

diabolo · 08/09/2011 18:53

We cover the cost of these trips at the state school I work in, but only for those parents who we know are struggling (maybe 3 or 4 or so from those who are on FSM and really have genuine and sincere need). It's not a problem and none of the other parents / children know who they are.

The kids whose parents could pay, but choose not to, don't go on the trip!

They stay behind with the children whose parents' religious beliefs mean they don't allow them to go on school trips in case they have fun (but that is a whole other thread. Not a mainstream religion I hasten to add).

Original poster
Chundle · 08/09/2011 18:53

Hi sorry been out. Yes it is a state primary school

OP posts:
Tortington · 08/09/2011 18:54

don't sent the kids spend your money on this this here is worth it kids are prolly psoiled anyway Grin

Talker2010 · 08/09/2011 18:55

Feenie ... yes, state secondary

Talker2010 · 08/09/2011 18:56

With 2 ... they do not have to make a contribution in that case ... we just find that most people want to

Feenie · 08/09/2011 19:00

But that's not legal, Talker - your school can't exclude a child from a trip because they haven't paid.

teacherwith2kids · 08/09/2011 19:27

Annathepenguin - it was bubby64 I was responding to as she stated that her school just gave a cost per child. It SHOULD say voluntary, that is the law.

Funnily enough, we mostly have the problem that those who can't afford it make every possible excuse for their child not to go (he's sick / don't like them instead of anyone boasting that they're not paying. I have many a 'quiet word' with our (large number of) families who find it really difficult to put the money together to say that no, we will take their child for free, it's for their education and we WANT to take them. Often we get a long series of £1 coins or handfuls of change quietly handed into the office 'to pay back for that trip miss'

teacherwith2kids · 08/09/2011 19:28

Oops, deleted a chunk. Should say '(he's sick / don't like them going on a coach / too far away) instead of anyone boasting....'

sleepevader · 08/09/2011 20:05

I would like to pay a voluntary contribution for some soup

ExitPursuedByATroll · 08/09/2011 20:13

What sort of soup would you like sleepevader ? I have some Borscht in the freezer.

Talker2010 · 08/09/2011 20:17

But that's not legal, Talker - your school can't exclude a child from a trip because they haven't paid

Yes we can

As I said ... if it is necessary for the curriculum no-one is charged

KittyFane · 08/09/2011 20:31

Equal opportunities- as others have said, if you run educational trips in school time you cannot make contributions compulsory.
In my department (secondary) we ask for contributions- most people pay. We cannot afford to pay for trips out of our measly budget and most parents understand this. Some parents won't (not can't) buy/pay for anything. It's unsupportive.

mercibucket · 08/09/2011 20:35

It is plainly illegal to make any child stay behind while the rest go off on a trip - shame on that school,talker, name and shame so we can tell their lea

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