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

[meah]

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!!!

[MsElisaDay]

Fifteen or so years ago I was the only one of my friends not to go on the school ski trip, and also one of only a small group not to go on the German exchange, both because my mum couldn't afford it.
It was a really big deal for me at the time. I understood why I couldn't go as I understood that my mum didn't have the money, but that wasn't really the problem. The main issue was that it was more fuel for the playground bullies who already enjoyed singling me out as my trainers/ schoolbag/ coat weren't the right brand.

I think that such trips really single out the poorer kids from those who are well off. Yes, children have to learn that not everyone can have the latest Merc or whatever, but this is different. We're not talking about the thousands of pounds that fancy cars cost, we're talking about a few hundreds of pounds for a school trip. The majority of kids will go, leaving the same ones behind every time.

As a teenager, being singled out for being poor is a big deal, and a week's holiday with your mates is a HUGE deal. Being the one who can't go - and who misses out on the in-jokes and gossip for months afterwards - is really upsetting.

I firmly believe that the kids from better-off backgrounds will already have the opportunities to go on expensive holidays outside of school. Certainly my friends who went on the ski trips etc were the same ones who were taken to the likes of Orlando during the summer.
What's wrong with keeping school trips to affordable foreign exchanges or outdoor pursuit-type holidays in the UK, with subsidised places for those on free school meals or whose parents wouldn't otherwise be able to afford it?

In many cases, it will be the kids from poorer backgrounds who will get the most out of these trips as they are the ones who perhaps otherwise wouldn't go away at all.

[charlottehere]

Wow that is a lot of money. There must be loads us who couldn't afford to pay that sort of money. DD (yr6) has just been on a 5 day trip and that was around the £250 mark which could be paid in installments.

[meah]

Is a basic - no was a basic county school is now an academy but none the less still not a private or up state school though some times i wonder!

It wouldn't be so bad if there where more affordable trips on offer aswell as the expensive ones, that way no children would have to miss out!!

[SlightlySuperiorPeasant]

YABU. These trips are optional extras, not compulsory parts of the curriculum. I went on a couple of skiing trips with my school as one of 40 out of a school of 1400. They were during half term, it was fun, I was aware that I was very lucky to be able to go, what's the problem? There were other trips that I didn't want to go on or my parents just said no to, again no hassle.

[orangeandlemons]

I find this really interesting........

I work in a high achieving statecomprehensive. Our headteachers are really clamping down on trips, as it takes the kids out of school for too long. We never run trips like this as they are deemed as uneeded. We are in a wealthy catchment area too, so a lot of parentswould be able to afford them

Hasn't had any effect on results either.........

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Laqueen - that's the thing isn't it.......people dont see what you have gone to get to where you are, they just see what you have!! We went without for years and years when DH was setting out, sleeping on a matress on the floor. We had no heating/hot water for 5 months as he was slowly doing our house up (after a full day at work) and I remember shivering my boobs off in a stone cold bath.

20 year later we are glad we did it and we deserve all we have, but it was a hard slog.

[ClippedPhoenix]

I'm not moaning Betty "stinky" Swollocks I'm saying this is an unnecessary pressure on a large number of parents and an upset to their kids. A school trip should be available to all it teaches.

[Hanikam]

jackjacksmummy was that £750 for a primary school or secondary school trip? Freaking out slightly. Stil A LOT OF DOSH regardless. My dd went to Cornwall for 5 days (we live in Suffolk) and two whole days were spent on the train! It cost £250. The school said the cost is high because there are few hotels / lodgings willing to insure the risk of a group of yr5/6 children on the premises.
She's my first child and it was her first time away without family so we agreed after a long talk between me and dh. Not sure if we'll cough up that much again in the future, and I think they could have gone somewhere much closer for a fraction of the cost.

[ClippedPhoenix]

Now you're just being silly LaQueen.

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Well, if thats the case then shouldnt all the activities school offer be open to everyone.

Ok then, my DS can't go to Judo because I cant get him there as I am at work.........he is missing out......not fair as some of the other kids do it.......

See, that just sounds ridiculous doesn't it.

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

Meah, no matter how 'affordable' schools tried to make trips, there would always be parents that couldn't afford it and would complain. There woudo always be children left out because some parents are bad at budgeting, don't prioritise school trips or would prefer to spend the money on something else.

I have seen plenty of threads on here where parents are complaining about £8-12 for day trips. There is no way schools will ever keep everyone happy.

The solution is not to deny all children opportunities that can easily be offered by the school.

[whois]

FFS op, these are optional trips. Why do you want every child to in the school to miss out on a skiing trip because YOU can't afford it? Not very nice, that attitude.

YOU made choices along the way of your life. How hard to work at school. Uni or not. Sell your soul in return for higher pay, or not.

School trips should be capped at £250? Having a fucking laugh. You can barely even get a ski pass for that let alone cover all the other costs.

Do you believe schools shouldn't offer DofE? Cos it's not fair if you can't afford the walking boots? Not fair to offer a world challenge trip?

Really pisses me off when people complain about the cost of optional school trips.

Oh, and If HALF the year didn't go on the last one, then your kids were hardly in a poor minority were they.

[SlightlySuperiorPeasant]

It doesn't matter whether a trip costs £10 or £1000, there will be parents who can't afford it.

[whois]

Oh, and kids from richer backgrounds often don't have the chance to go on loads more expensive holidays, cos their parents have to bloody work!

[OldCatLady]

So should nobody be allowed to go on holiday because you can't afford it? I'm assuming its during holiday time, so it's not like your children will be left at school. I really don't think it's a big deal.

My school offered a £350 French trip and £600 ski trip EVERY year, some people went every year, some people went to one or two, some people went to none, no big deal.

[ClippedPhoenix]

Well then schools should only ask for contributions and fundraise, then take the kids on things out of their "enrichment programme" budget.

Who said schools are there to take kids on holiday? Where did this all come from in the first place?

[Mrsjay]

DD1's school does offer expensive trips but they're not compulsory and I just tell her no when she asks to go. In theory we could afford it, but I refuse to spend the cost of a family holiday on a school trip for one child.

This is how I feel about it and dd2 doesn't travel great either and her trips abroad are by coach and they end up 3 days in the resort not worth the money IMO

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

I know...and DS didnt get picked for the footie team as he was crap and doesnt run very fast....I asked all the other kids to slow down and make him feel better but they didn't....I shall be having strict words with their mothers later!

[ClippedPhoenix]

Come on LaQueen give us some of what you're on, it would help pass the next couple of hours until I finish work

[ClippedPhoenix]

You've obviously shared it with Stinky Betty