to think that this is too much money for a school trip

[aquariel]

Hi all,

Eldest son (13yrs) brough a letter home from school for a trip they are planning to Iceland in October 2015. Cost of trip is £790 and will take place during October half term.

I run a very tight budget (currently clearing off all credit cards etc aiming to be debt free by 2018 - just in time to help him with fees for university no doubt!) and while we could stretch to it if pushed this seems like an obscene amount for one child (although I guess at his age he's probably charged as an adult on international travel). School has said they'd like a £50 non-refundable deposit to secure a place to be paid immediately (I couldn't pay till payday anyway - mid month for us) so probably wouldn't be able to commit to the trip.

I really don't want to disappoint my son as he rarely asks for much and he seems really excited about the (possibility of) this trip. We have in the past paid up for trips to London and Belgium for him so I'm not worried about him missing out on that side of "the experience" (although I appreciate Iceland is a totally different kettle of fish) but the most either of those trips cost me was £350 including his spending money.

So .. what do others think? Reasonable price or unreasonable?

DD's school is offering a choral tour to Vienna for $7K (GBP4,000). It's from Australia though, hence the high price. Flights alone will be around $2,000. It's an amazing opportunity and the itinerary is good (for Australian musicians getting to tour in Europe is something incredible) plus they'll be competing in a music festival.

I've said that if she goes then birthday/Christmas etc will be very low-key and that she must help with the fundraising. It's still $$$ and I'm not sure that DD would appreciate how much it really is. Out of the entire senior school only 30 have expressed an interest. Overall the tour for 30 children plus 4 staff (yes, we'd pay for them of course) is $210,000 .

mmmfishandchips - does that mean then that schools shouldn't be allowed to offer orchestras or other musical ensembles, because, not all parents will have been able to offer their dc instrument lessons for the last 7 years or so. Then what about sports teams? That involves quite a lot of commitment/input from parents, and not all dc have that backing. Oh, what about homework - in some of the areas of the City I work, a lot of families don't have a quiet space for the children to work, certainly don't have a computer, a desk, or even a table.... maybe we shouldn't offer homework then as not every family can access that either?
I think it would be a very limiting society if you are only allowed to offer things if 100% of people can access them.

Cheers Owl, I had realised that galleries tend to have different stuff in them

And I maintain that galleries are a bad example as you will be seeing completely different things at different galleries. No need for the sarcastic face.

But I love that face!

Back for yes schools should offer everything you mentioned, but also put in place systems so that the less advantaged can join in too and not just those with highly motivated parents.

But backforgood isn't that just like saying here is a long list of ways in which certain children are disadvanged so what does it matter if this is another one.

School is real life for children though, not a bubble that protects them. How many as a child missed out on the trips but now work hard to ensure their own children don't? Seeing that work provides the nice things is surely a lesson we want to teach children rather than believing you get everything you want anyway.

I disagree with the PTA or school funding trips unless very exceptional circumstances, parents are free to spend their money as they see fit and if they don't think a trip warrants it and have other spending ideas then that's their choice.

Spending ideas like food, housing and heating perhaps?

Spending isn't just about the basics. There are many people who won't dress their baby in second hand clothes etc . I get upset that they are allowed to spend what they like and I can't do it as cheaply as possible and then spend the money later on school trips. I want school trips offered -even then they didn't do them all.

I think slippery slope arguments (well what about music lessons should we offer those???) are rather stupid really.

We are talking about the school trips that are extremely expensive. Ironically it us the children that cannot afford them that would benefit the most.

And as I've said before - it must be incredibly hard to say no to your child on top of all the other things you are always saying no to.

It would be great to have trips that are accessible to everyone - rich and poor together - as they are an opportunity to take away that divide and let the children enjoy time together whatever background.

And yy you can experience different language and culture, see seals, whales, standing stones, beaches, wildlife in Scotland and Wales.

I used to attend a project for grubby inner city children in Scotland every year and I still remember my first visit to the west coast - I had never been anywhere so beautiful.

If the trip is educational it should be available to all irrespective of parental funds. If the trip is not educational or not really educational then the school should not spend any of its resources (which include teacher time and goodwill) on it.

This does not mean that students cant go on essentially fun trips just that the school does not waste its resources on them. There are plenty of companies which offer special interest trips. Schools should not be acting as booking agents for them.

Agree with gnome teaches shouldn't be spending time as agents for teen holidays.

It's my feeling that 'experiential holidays' are still available to the rich (or the determined charity fundraisers) as young adults and beyond, and that schools aren't the best providers of them.

I'm still feeling slightly amused by the fond assumption that most teenagers at state schools have exhausted the educational opportunities of all the art galleries in easy travelling distance, thanks to the responsibility of their dedicated parents.

Agree wholeheartedly with both your points, BOF.

we've also just got the letter ref iceland and £800. My son was told that this is the max cost and it may go down depending on how many kids sign up.

however, my son is studying geography and geology so i can see more of an educational justification for it.

we've declined lots of trips because they cost too much. it would be madness for them to go on all the sporting and school trips available during their school life and they would then get a bit blase about them

When I was at secondary school (about 20 years ago), they did a school skiing trip to Canada.

I'm sure it cost about a grand or something even back then.

I came from a single-parent family and couldn't afford to go. I was a bit upset at the time after hearing all the gossip I missed out on. I don't feel like it impacted my life forever though.

I still have no interest in skiing.

I agree BOF ive never been taken to an art gallery by my parents even at a private school. Probably as the main closest ones would have been london and we didnt visit there really.
Art galleries are not i imagine lots of parents cup of tea.

I went to a state school too.

Would those whining about teachers not paying be happy if the teachers paid for themselves but they had to pay for the 24/7 childcare?

Because if someone pays to go it should be a holiday for them.

I dont think that a lot of people seriously expect teachers to pay for trips. However, there needs to be a greater appreciation by school staff that the reality for lots of parents is that to find the extra for a school trip does really stretch household budgets to breaking point.

I was a governor at my DCs' primary school and it really did have to be explained in words of one syllable to the HT that many parents in work were struggling with reduced hours, no overtime etc. He genuinely seemed to think that because he was comfortably off that everybody else was (he wasnt very bright!).

I do have a sneaking suspicion that these fabulous school trips are chosen by the teachers, just so they get a fabulous free trip. A school here went skiing in Nevada with a little day trip to Las Vegas scheduled, of course. WTF?

I dont agree that it is the free trip that appeals I think it is more that the people organising these trips are looking at them with adult eyes. From an adult perspective they may look amazing but are they really so great from a student's perspective? For a UK based student is skiing in USA/Canada that much better than skiing in a cheaper location closer to home?

I can't believe they will then spend a further £80 a day on lunch, dinner and activities!

Easily, my ds 18 went with his girlfriend this summer and had a brilliant time, they did the golden circle, blue lagoon, whale watching and a few others. But the food was eye wateringly expensive. They did some cooking for themselves but it was £15 for a small packet of mince.

At my dds secondary school they are arranging a skiing trip to America which cost £1500
Dd is not going, because
(1) there are beautiful resorts in Europe where they can practise some of their MFL skills

(2) If another couple of grand were added ,the whole family could go to America.