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?

Thanks too all who have answered. He's never really shown a keen interest in geology or geography but he is fascinated by the weather. I honestly think I might have to let him down on this one (unless grandparents/aunt/uncle can help us too - ) I still have his younger brother to entertain over the same half term holiday who is currently complaining that it's unfair that his older brother has already had big trips with school that he hasn't had this option (we moved house and the primary school my youngest now attends doesn't offer the same London/Belgium trips that my eldest experienced).

Might look into one of the bigger theme parks as a small consolation and/or consider a family trip somwhere else during this time - possibly Europe!

Thanks again though - all responses are truly appreciated

Our school does not run these type of trips in term time - it relies upon the generosity of staff to give up their holiday to conduct them - and they dont get paid over time even though they are on duty 24/7

Iceland will still be there (unless one of the volcanoes gets too active) when he is an adult and can pay for his own trip.

There are lots of amazing places in the world but just because they are there doesnt mean that schools need to organise trips to go and see them.

Gosh think I will be issuing my kids with a "One Abroad Trip Guarantee" whilst at secondary school.

It seems rather unfair that the parents have to pay for the teachers to go. I think they should get extra pay for the 24/7 aspect of responsibility and I can't quite square who should pay for their tickets. Not the parents though.

I don't understand why schools do these very exotic trips these days. Surely they should be planning trips that bring British geography to life, helping kids see the hidden stories in local and cheap landscapes? (Yes I am a geographer)

OP, doesn't your school have a system wherby you pay off a certain amount each month? Most schools do this. If you can't afford it full stop then that's the end of it. However, if you can and it just means a bit more juggling, then I would definitely let him go.

He will get such a huge amount out of the trip, and apart from the educational aspect of it, there is also the social aspect and the spending times with friends, which I think is priceless.

It's a completely different dynamic to a family holiday.

I don't think it's overpriced for what he is getting, but I do think they could have picked a cheaper trip as it's a lot of money.

My DD went last October half term, as part of her GCSE course. It wasn't compulsory, but helpful! Similar cost.

If your DS isn't overly keen on geography, I think I would give this trip a miss unless he is able to show you that he can raise some/most of the money himself. Eg money for Christmas and birthday going towards the trip. Car washing. Dog walking. That sort of thing.

If the teachers don't go, the trip doesn't run. If the parents want their kids to have the experience of the trip, any staff costs (assuming some free places aren't offered, and in reality the "free" places are just put onto the kids' costs by the travel company) have to be funded by the parents. Schools / LEAs don't have the funds for it and if they did, it would be in effect taking money away from somewhere else that might benefit all the students. If staff were asked to pay for themselves then absolutely no school trips would run. They have so many positives but even just a low key, easy day trip in the UK involves a lot of stress and hassle. OP, ultimately, if you can't afford it, you can't. Your DS is old enough to understand this.

OP if you could afford it, maybe ask your DS one day soon "DS if I were to give you £800 right here and now, cash, what would you do with it?" Unless the first instant answer was "go on the Iceland trip" then I wouldnt pay for it.

He doesn't need to go to Iceland. It's not part of his education. It's basically a holiday. They could have taken the children to Scotland much more cheaply.

Itsfab

I see your point, although I don't think it outrageous that it is part of the cost to parents. I think that many travel agencies give free places/reduce cost to teachers for every x number of pupils.

Also, the children won't get to go on the trip if nobody pays for the teachers. The supervision is surely part of the cost?

School can't pay it out of their budget (extra-curricular). And while I'm sure they enjoy aspects of the trip, they are still on duty for the entirety of the trip so unlikely to want to have to pay to go to work.

It's £66/ month between now and then. Ask school how much they can subsidise it, ask your son how much he can contribute a month until then and then look at what's left to find. If you can get it down to £40/ month think about whether you can 'find' £10 week.
Other factors may be whether you'll have other kids to send on similar trips in the future and who else is going. Has he been to an information meeting about it? Are any of his friends going? Also, its October half term. What do you usually do then? If you have to pay for childcare/ holiday clubs/ fares to visit GPs you can factor that in.

Iceland is expensive so it's a fair price. But yes, it's a lot of money for an unplanned holiday.

It's not expensive for a trip to Iceland

It is up to you if you want him to go or not - and him. £750 isn't that much over a year - he could do a few jobs and earn a bit of money towards it. He could ask for money instead of presents for Christmas & Birthday.

As for your youngest, he needs sorting out. 'It's not fair why should he get to go, I haven't' is deeply unpleasant. They will each get different opportunities in life - it's not as if you have said the eldest can go and the youngest can't - he just hasn't had the opportunity through school yet. Who knows what other opportunities he will get that DS1 didn't. I'd put him back in his box quickly.

We went to Iceland during the summer holidays this year, DH is a teacher and so can only go peak times.

We got £37 flights end of July with easyjet from Manchester.

Its an amazing place to visit but £790 is very steep for one person when it'll effect the whole family budget. 13 is old enough to understand that. I very much doubt everyone will get to go so he wont be alone.

As for teachers paying their own way. You have to be joking. They give up their weeks holiday to take other children away and you want them to pay for it. Good grief.

I've just turned down a year 8 trip costing £1800 so it could be worse!

Chipping I agree. I really don't think £750 is that much over the course of the year.

Cheaper than my sons trip to Iceland. It will be a fantastic opportunity.

Boring. This has been done to death about a million times on AIBU.

He doesn't have to go. It's a good price for a trip to Iceland. No the school shouldn't only offer things that everyone can afford because then they couldn't offer anything thing at all!