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!

Thing is handcream your headteacher parent was so busy teaching all those poor children, she did rather forget to teach you how to spell and punctuate, didn't she.

I've had to tell my DD she couldn't go on school trips before. As I mentioned, one was so expensive she didn't bother to ask. Another I felt was poor value so I wasn't paying it.

Not once did I ever consider complaining to school nor ever did it enter my head to wish that everyone else should be denied the trip.

That sort of attitude is incredibly entitled and smacks of politics of envy.

I am doing a trip for three nights in this country and its £175. That's still a lot of money for what might not seem like very much, but within the reach of many. I am also (and have done in the past) thinking of organising a more far flung, 8 day trip that will cost in the region of £800. When you factor in all that it covers, its not that much. No-one at the schools profit from these trips. They cost what they cost (ie what the travel companies charge). There is a premium for extra insurance, free teacher places, tour company back up etc because you are not going to "wing it" when you are in loco parentis to 20-30 kids so yes, they do cost more than a DIY trip to the same location but unless they are compulsory, eg a biology or geog field trip, in which case you can tell the school you can't pay and they have to let you go anyway, its a market the same as anything else.

That sort of attitude is incredibly entitled and smacks of politics of envy

It would do, niceguy, if the people wanting to deny children the opportunity actually couldn't ever afford any fancy/pointless/extravagant trips for any of their children, ever.

Envy doesn't come into this. This is about people knowing what's good for them (ie "the poor").

dawndonna even if you disagree with someone, pulling up their spelling and grammar is low and unimaginative!

There are posters with SEN. Posters with very little education. Posters for who English is their second language. Posters with low IQ.

Or is MN now only available for the degree educated middle classes who all agree with one another?

wordfactory
I am aware of that. I am also aware of the fact that if you are going to continually post in a superior and knowing manner, using my Mother was a teacher for forty years, that you make yourself a target. I'm excellent at spotting dyslexia and would not have posted.
Calling people low and uninmaginative is somewhat unimaginative, is it not?

As a teacher I can tell you that there are many reasons a parent does not come to parents evening.

1 The most common one is that they are working shifts, and are at work that evening. Not everyone works 9-5.

2 They may not speak English as a first language, may in fact speak very little, and are uncomfortable at the idea of not being able to communicate.

3 They may be illiterate/very poorly educated and can't face the thought of meeting teachers. I have spoken to many parents who have eventually confided in me the fact that they hated school as a child and still dread having to come speak to a teacher about anything. The phobia has continued into adulthood.

4 Some parents are alcoholics/addicts and will not bother come in to see how their children are doing. Or they mean to - but don't make it.

5 They never got the letter about it - because their child didn't pass it on. Because of postage costs it is common to simply send a letter about parents evening home with the child. Some pupils lose the damn thing, some deliberately don't give it to parents.

6 They may already have another commitment that evening.

An AMBU, where all the posters start piling into each other, rather than the OP.

It is not the politics of envy because there are a fair few objector who can well afford to send their children.

But how many can't, MrsDe?

So far, none. All the objectors are talking on behalf of others. Maybe MN is just too much of a massive middle class ghetto.

this thread has been brilliant for updating my who is a right wing intolerant Thatcher is my home girl spreadsheet. Thanks guys!

@ AMBU, Lynette

I'll address Nicola...

YABU to think that expensive (although as others have asked, define 'expensive') trips should be banned.

YANBU however to be pissed off. Even had you known at the start of Y7 that this trip was coming up, 2x£400 would be a lot to find. 1x£400 is a lot, but not impossible given sufficient notice. Ideally, schools would take the particular financial constraints of multiples' parents into account.

So people who kill children are just something that I blither on about!

So not really worth even mentioning then...

Have read up to p 13 and just wanted to say tHe following:

DH's grandad was sent down the mine pon his 14th birthday (he was a clever boy and the teacher visited and begged he should stay at school. He was the eldest of 9; he couldn't.

DH's mum went to teacher training college (all her sibs stayed at school and took good vocational quals like teaching, nursing and the services). There wasn't anything over for trips, treats and new books but MIL was still head girl.

DH and his sibs all went to RG universities and on the school trips. I had a more privileged bakground but because my parents separated 40 years ago and engaged in high profile affairs in the provinces the school banned the german exchange student staying at my house because of my parents' public conduct. I still bear the scars of that although oddly, even though she stayed with a teacher I am godparent to her eldest child coz actually we were the one partnership who were kindred spirits !!!!

Our DC are at public schools and can go on any school trip. We limit it to one a year and as a matter of principle said no to the Canadian ski trip for 1500, no to the Galapagos Islands for 3900 (and wrote a letter of concern to the school), and no to the rollercoaster trip to Holland.

I think it's a continuum really. Also add our DC are not in the least bit materialistc relatively speaking and are very proud of their dad's roots. I'm really glad DH isn't bitter but MIL was and let it spoil the lives and hopes of her daughters which makes the whole argument more disconcerting. But, if DH hadn't perceived had it hard (and he idn't in reality), I'm not sure he would have been as hungry for success - but it didn't work for his sisters.

I'm not sure about our DC. I think DS could build on it but DD is likely to be more fragile and will do something gentle and caring and well within her weight.

If that makes any sense at all.

"Fundraising" amongst my school friends meant:

1. Asking family and friends to donate ridiculous sums of money for trivial tasks/hardships
2. Asking family business contacts to get their businesses to donate ridiculous sums of money
3. Birthday money

The children who went were the same ones who's parents could have paid directly.

OP, YANBU. Schools aren't travel agents. There are private companies who run trips for the poor, disadvanged children whose parents can afford £1000 school trips but not a family holiday
I think there should be a £300 cap, with long notice periods so family's can save and help for those in low incomes.

I have no problems with people sending their children to Africa or skiing but fail to see why schools have to arrange/endorse these trips (when they are often organised through private companies anyway).

I am not jealous or have envy for those children who are lucky enough to be able to go.

If these trips are for fun, then why can't the parent organise something between them.

Then it wouldn't be a school trip.

Fair enough, MrsDe

I have a particular chip on my shoulder about this at the moment because on the same day I heard that ds had a place on the ski trip (which I was a little fixated on, because I could never have gone on one and I'm living my life vicariously through him a bit) I found out that one of his class mates wasn't going on the £12 day trip that was announced back in September (and the parents would have known about anyway because they have an older child at the same school).

I stand by my argument however that banning expensive trips would counterproductive.

squid's post about her niece says it all, really.

Sorry I think bu. (direct reply)

Nobody gets to do all things at school. I desperately wanted to learn piano/sax but so did 4 others and I lost out. Cost for each my parents weren't happy with. I did tho go round Kent on a Charles dickens theme thing.

It's good to learn not everything is achievable. Bursaries etc exist. Yes some kids get to do more but that's very life like.

Don't be so bitter.

So people who kill children are just something that I blither on about!

So not really worth even mentioning then...

No, not really, it's not what we're talking about, is it.