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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To Be P***** Off at yet another expensive school trip

852 replies

meah · 28/09/2012 12:58

Hi, my ds has is now starting yr 9 & dd yr 8, in yr 7 a school trip was offered but cost was in the £300s (i forget exactly how much) being so expensive i couldn't afford it and it left both kids gutted when well over half of the kids in their yr got to go. ive just recieved another school trip email (not sure which yr not that it matters) offering a ski holiday trip, abroad for 6 nights for £680. which would be fantastic if i where loaded!! Why cant schools offer school trips that are affordable to all like they're supposed to instead of making those whos parents cant afford it feel left out!!! Angry

OP posts:
ginnybag · 28/09/2012 19:41

DH and I fit the definition of squeezed middle class almost to a tee. We're both well-educated, both in salaried, professional, managerial positions, both earning the middle of the expected band for the jobs we do. We're also both the first in our families to make the 'jump'. He grew up on a dodgy estate; I was in a 2 bed flat with my brother and sister, courtesy of my mother's seriously screwed priorities.

We don't have huge amounts of spare cash. We can find, maybe, some years£500 a year for stuff like holidays. If we're incredibly careful, and don't need major car repairs to our 12 year old renault megane.

At the mo, that means a week in the UK, either travel lodge or cheapy cottage rental. It will never mean a week skiing for us all, or Nepal, or China. I (and DH) will probably never do those things.

What it might mean is exactly what people have been trying to point out. It might mean that DD does get to go. I wouldn't send her skiing, as I personally wouldn't see the value, but China? A chance to stand on the Great Wall, to experience that history and culture. Oh, yes. What parent wouldn't want that for their child?

School trips like that offer more children the chance to do things like that, not less. It's awful that not every child can afford it, but limiting trips to the very bottom of the financial ladder will hurt more than it helps.

GoldShip · 28/09/2012 19:41

Oh and it's not promoting equality or fairness at all. It's showing kids from a young age that the rich get the best end of the deal and always will

noblegiraffe · 28/09/2012 19:41

Everyone does get school trips. The ones which run during school time have to be voluntary contribution only.

ovenchips · 28/09/2012 19:57

Outraged. I think we are operating from two opposing ideological viewpoints.

I don't think it is okay that children are excluded at school from school trips solely because of a circumstance they have zero control over.

As far as I can tell, you do.

GnomeDePlume · 28/09/2012 20:09

I wonder how many more modest (and therefore affordable) school trips are never even offered because the staff who accompany these exotic trips are volunteered out?

DD1 had the letter in for her A level French trip. DH said that he would far rather give DD and her boyfriend the £600 to go to France on their own. They would see far more and do far more than on a strictly chaperoned school trip.

Laquitar · 28/09/2012 20:12

A safari trip in Africa it is at least fun and interesting.

But nearly 1K for a ski trip? It is only oneboringsport out of 100 sports, its not essential. Or do you aim for your kids to try every sport known? So, why all the fuss about skiing?

noblegiraffe · 28/09/2012 20:13

My department used to offer a modest, affordable uk-based residential trip. We had to stop offering it because not enough kids signed up. They were all saving their money for the more exciting non-residential Normandy trip.

Laquitar · 28/09/2012 20:16

Good point Gnome

RobynRidingHood · 28/09/2012 20:18

All my childs trips are in holiday time not term time. So the staff are giving up theirown family time.

Most schools are specialist status and belong to the Specialist Schools Trust which facilitates and subsidised tri[s abroad. Most schools CBA to a. look at the website, b. bid for places c. staff wont give up a week or fortnight s holiday.

I know one school that bid for the China trip, got 10 subsidised places and the staff took them all; not one child went. Wrong IMHO. Lovely cheap all expenses paid jolly for the price of the flights only.

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 28/09/2012 20:21

Ovenchips, yes, you are probably right. I would rather see as many children as possible benefit from what the school can offer. I agree completely with what Ginnybag is saying. It is a shame that all children can't have these experiences, but without the school offering them then there would be far far fewer children having these opportunities at all. Through the school is the only way for some children.

Children have little to no control over how good they are at sport, but you seem to think its ok if that takes enjoyable experiences away from them. It's the same thing.

Parents don't have to be rich to save up and afford trips for their dc. I'm far from rich, I will still do what I can to ensure my children get to experience some of the world before they are saddled with student debt.

Shesparkles · 28/09/2012 20:25

I'm another of the squeezed middle. IF my kids' school offered this kind of trip, I'd be doing my damnedest to make sure he or she could go. Unfortunately there will be some who cannot afford it, but that's the same as other families going to Disneyland every year, which we can't afford.
Does that mean that these families shouldn't go on their choice of holiday because I can't afford it? Of course it doesn't. It's the same as school trips

ovenchips · 28/09/2012 20:34

Thanks for responding Outraged.

I simply cannot compare this issue with children being excluded from sport if they aren't very good at it. It really isn't the same to me.

Different ideologies, as I said.

In fact I'm starting to think your opinion on this shows your voting preference. I'm a bit of a lefty. I wonder if those who don't see it as unfair are natural Conservative voters??

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 28/09/2012 20:42

Maybe. I just can't see why it's ok for one child to be dissapointed but not another. Yes, we have different ideologies.

I don't think it's fair to limit opportunity to the whole of society based on the circumstances of one small group. Everyone deserves equal consideration, it drives me crazy that so often on MN it seems only the poor are worthy of that from state services.

I have voted both red and blue in my time so I'm not sure I would help with that theory.

Shesparkles · 28/09/2012 20:47

I'm absolutely NOT a conservative voter so bang goes that theory.

And for the record, I thoroughly enjoyed the school hoiday to Switzerland in 1985 that my parents went without a holiday to pay for.

I just don't see why everything has to go to the lowest common denominator?

GnomeDePlume · 28/09/2012 20:50

Why do people think that the only chance that their DCs will have of travel is a school trip in year 9? That's a bit limiting isnt it? I hope for better for my DCs.

ProphetOfDoom · 28/09/2012 20:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

noblegiraffe · 28/09/2012 21:01

Definitely not conservative, not even slightly.

I just don't see the point of denying an opportunity to many who would otherwise not have it, (it's not only rich parents that send their kids on these trips, as mentioned, many parents go without and save up for years for these opportunities) to spare the feelings of those who really can't afford it.

There are many children who won't be able to go for many reasons. Parents could pay but won't let them, parents have other plans for the holidays, limited numbers meaning kids don't get places, and then there are many kids who don't even want to go.

There seems to be some kind of assigning victimhood to children of poor parents to protect them from disappointment in this sort of situation which, having been one of the kids so deprived of ski trips in my youth I find incredibly patronising.

Hullygully · 28/09/2012 21:01

Our current society is grossly unfair, and becomaing increasingly so.

Schools are supposed to give every child a decent chance at education and to be a place where the differences outside don't count, hence uniform.

Wouldn't it be great if the school had a two year fundraising target, like Blue Peter say(!) and at the end, depending on how much was raised and donated (and yes, some would donate more than others one would hope), it was worked out what could be offerec to evey child within that budget?

So they all worked together for a common aim, and the wealth of your parents didn't confer priviledge right from the start.

noblegiraffe · 28/09/2012 21:10

I don't think my parents would have liked to have been seen as a charity case on the school trip front.

School trips in term time are free for those who really can't afford them. But you want free holidays for your kids outside of term time too? And for everybody else to subsidise them?

Portofino · 28/09/2012 21:11

It is NOT about the lowest common denominator! It is about all children at A school having an equal opportunity. State schools should offer ONLY things that all children can access - be that a try out for the choir or the football team, OR a trip somewhere. Offering trips that only a handful can afford is not the business of state schools imho. Some of the posts on this thread are horrifying and "I'm all right jack - I earnt MY money - so why should the children of the LAZY bastards get to have a nice time"

Portofino · 28/09/2012 21:15

If you want and can afford to send your children on fab trips - do it in the holidays.

noblegiraffe · 28/09/2012 21:19

These trips are in the holidays.

spoonsspoonsspoons · 28/09/2012 21:20

A lot of these school trips are in the school holidays. I guess what people are saying are they are against teachers using their own holidays to take school kids away as it's not inclusive enough.

I agree that if these are term time trips it's slightly different, but schools can offer trips that are subsidised by virtue of group size and I think it would be a step backwards to not permit these to go ahead outside of term time.

whois · 28/09/2012 21:21

Portofino I think you have missed the entire point of this thread. People are talking about optional trips in the holidays which just happen to be run and staffed from school.

If schools couldn't offer exotic or exciting holidays, does anyone really think any trips would be offered at all??!

Who the hell wants to give up a week of their holiday, to go to a YH in wales with 200 of other peoples children? Not many teachers that is for sure.

These optional trips are run on the goodwill of teachers, don't forget that. And they are much more likely to organise a nice ski trip than an adventure sports holiday to Wales in the middle of winter.

Portofino · 28/09/2012 21:22

I have not missed the point at all. If these are optional trips in the holidays - that most people can't go on - they should NOT be run by the school at all.