to think that expensive school trips should be banned

[Nicola10]

Year 8 pupils have, today, left for a school trip to France. Very exciting for them, yes, considering that they will be going to a theme park, as well as educational stuff. But, for the rest of the kids, whose parents could not afford it, including my twins, they have to do normal lessons.

The cost for each child is £400 each!

Yep, I'm with you on this - but be warned, this will get heated!

YABU and I never got to go on these type of trips as my parents couldn't afford it for one of us let alone the 8 of us.

Yabu.

It is a pity that some children who would like to go cannot. But that is no reason to make all children miss out.

While I am sorry that your children are missing out, I don't see why all children have to miss out.
Life isn't fair, that's a fact, deal with it.

not sure about totally banning these trips, but am not looking forward to dd starting in year 7 come sept as i know this is going to now crop up for us. there is a skiing trip, cost is in the region of 1k, we could all go on holiday as a family for that.

YANBU.

Banned they should be!

especially at ordinary schools anyway...

My DS is only 9 , and on a trip for 3 days right now. Its in a residential house type thing, £85

Its unfair to those whose parents can't afford it.

YABU to think that trips should be stopped for all just to please the few.

It's a fact of life that some people have more than others. It's not nice, but it's the way that it is and it's not going to change.

I'm with you actually, there's no reason they couldn't cut the costs back a bit to make them more accessible.

Yanbu.

I've just got a letter for a trip next year.
It's for students taking GCSE drama, years 10 and 11
So that will be both my DCs then.

The trip is to New York. For 10 days. And the cost?

£1600
each

YABU. Even though not every child will be able to afford to go, why should the ones that can afford it miss out? We probably won't be able to afford some of the more expensive trips but I don't see why other children should miss out?

I went on a number of school trips that were amazing. I had no concept then of how lucky I was, materially speaking at least. I am in two minds about it but I feel that if they take place in school time, it is slightly rubbing the other students noses in it to make them do business as usual type stuff.

TantrumsAndBalloons sadly I'm not even surprised by that, it's ridiculous.

There's no way GCSE drama requires a £1600 trip to New York is there.

YABU.

As long as there are a significant enough number not going on the trip, then no one is going to feel unfairly left out.

These trips are good for children, they shouldn't have to miss out on a good opportunity because of someone else's parents.

We all know that having children is going to be expensive and that their schooling is going to involve trips at some point. Save for it and sacrifice other stuff for it if it's important to you that your children don't miss out. But don't make other children miss out because you want to prioritise your spending elsewhere.

Depends on what you call expensive. A weeks free child care, broadening horizons, travel, fun, supervision, insurance.

Mine is off to Africa for the week, £1,100 plus £480 worth of injections. I have yet to buy the specialist equipment to go with it.

However they can stuff the weeks ski trip for £450 in Austria which is pointless.

YANBU - surely they could do cheaper trips than £400!
I guess there will always be some children who even at £20 they won't be able to afford, but it is more likely they could IYKWIM?
I better start saving now...

YABVU, children learn from an early age that some have more than others dependant upon parents jobs etc. Why should they not be offered just because not everybody wants them or can afford them.

High schools usually give months of notice and have done big trips for years so they dont come as a surprise. If people want their child to experience them they have more than enough time to save if they really want too.

I don't have a problem with these trips but i do think that those that can't go for whatever reason should have some fun things planned for them rather than ordinary lessons.

I suppose I'm ranting because I feel like we're rubbish parents. Can't work full time, because on top of my part time job, I'm juggling weekly visits to my sick father 100 miles away. Therefore my kids are missing out.

I think New York would be an amazing experience for them. And the school are doing a wonderful job of telling them how wonderful it will be and what theaters they are visiting.

Sadly, the general consensus amongst the parents so far is that no one can really afford £1600 for a trip, or £3200 in our case. Whether or not it will actually go ahead, depends on who pays a £600 deposit by the 2nd week in July, the balance to be paid at £250 a month. So we will see.

I think some of them are just ridiculous.
State Schools doing:
A week's netball in Barbados.
Two weeks in China.

Wouldn't it be great if they did something like hostelling in the Scottish islands or fossil hunting in Dorset.

clouds I doubt that those who can't afford it, are spending it elsewhere

Do you think it might just be possible that they just.can't.afford.it.

eh?

You are being unreasonable.

At the schools my kids went/go to most of the trips were planned months in advance with payment schemes.

They take place in the school holidays so children not going arnt doing lessons.

Both of my lads learned to ski and snow board which we certainly couldn't have afforded as there's 6 of us.

When we couldn't afford a family holiday at least our kids could get away somewhere exciting.

There are usually less expensive trips as well as more expensive ones.

Even though dds trip ended in tragedy I am eternally grateful to the teachers for picking themselves up and organising other ones.

Some families make the decision not to do them snc that's fine but don't stop those who want to go.