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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

276 replies

aquariel · 01/10/2014 20:31

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?

OP posts:
Celticlass2 · 02/10/2014 08:57

How petty and mean spirited to complain about the teachers having their places paid for. Really?? I'm just grafeful that many teachers are willing to give up their spare time. All my dd's trips are in half term. most of them have their own families and will be forfeiting time with them.

Aeroflotgirl · 02/10/2014 08:59

No tgey one I woukd have to say no to, it's a hell of a lot of money.

HappyAgainOneDay · 02/10/2014 09:01

Gosh! A school I worked for had this trip some years ago at a similar price. Parents were given 3 years' notice of it so they had to time to rearrange their budgets.

Romann · 02/10/2014 09:10

I bet lots of other people won't go.

We had a school trip offered this year that was about 2000 pounds. It didn't seem necessary to me.

Teachers shouldn't pay for this kind of thing imo, but I can imagine some don't mind giving up holiday to do it if they get the chance to see amazing places for free. It must be a lot of work and quite stressful for them though.

Spindarella · 02/10/2014 09:13

I don't think it matters if it is "good value for Iceland" or "cheaper than to take him yourself".

OP asked was it expensive for a SCHOOL TRIP. Yes it is. It's ridiculous.

I'm pretty sure if teachers had to pay for their own trip the "educational value" would quickly dissipate and an trip of equivalent educational value would be sourced for a lot cheaper.

I remember going on a school trip to France way back in the 90s. Probably a couple of hundred quid then. My mum and dad couldn't really afford it but scraped the money together and yes I had a ball but it wasn't one bit "educational".

I like how my children's schools are conmstantly asking for money because of shrinking budgets yet they don't think the same applies to parents and send home letters with completely unnecessary trips costing hundreds.

R4roger · 02/10/2014 09:14

If he will be 14 in a year I think that is probably too young as well to appreciate it.

Celticlass2 · 02/10/2014 09:25

What a bunch of miserable buggers you are on here Shock

KERALA1 · 02/10/2014 09:33

I would make it happen. I still vividly remember a school trip to Greece one half term at 15 my first time on a plane as our family always camped in France for holidays. Experiences at this age crucial IMO really formative see above poster saying her dh still talks about his trip! Iceland is incredible.

Also agree this thread is mean spirited particularly gripes about teachers and their "free holidays". I would turn down a free trip to the Maldives if the price to be paid was being in charge of a load of other people's kids in my spare time

Spindarella · 02/10/2014 09:37

I don't have a problem with the "free trips" in principle - as there's no way on earth I would do it. But I think if teachers HAD to pay for their own trips they would be a lot more realistic in terms of the cost V value.

R4roger · 02/10/2014 09:38

gosh I would think these trips are really hard work for the teachers, but that is not what the op was questioning.

ChickenFajitaAndNachos · 02/10/2014 09:44

I think the price is OK for the trip but I wouldn't get into further debt or struggle for months to pay for it if I was the OP.
My BIL paid for hid DS to do a similar trip and the family spent the whole year mentioning how expensive and how their family holiday would have to be cheaper that year etc. Obviously that was there decision but I think its nice if DC can go on one school or cub/brownie trip but I wouldn't break a leg to pay for it.

sparechange · 02/10/2014 09:46

For everyone saying this is 'cheap for Iceland', I've just done a quick search on Expedia for trips to Iceland this halfterm (they don't accept bookings for Oct 15 yet) and prices start at £400 bed and breakfast, in a 4 star hotel! I can't believe they will then spend a further £80 a day on lunch, dinner and activities!

TheRealMaryMillington · 02/10/2014 09:48

I reckon its far from a free holiday for teachers.

BUT TBH I think what is memorable is the being away without your parents and with all your mates, preferably doing something interesting. Doesn't need to be Costa Rica anywhere fancy/expensive.

Where I live most households would struggle to find and save another £63+ per month, so it would end up just providing more opportunities for the more well off and already well travelled, rather than offering opportunities to kids who wouldn't otherwise go.

ChippingInLatteLover · 02/10/2014 09:50

Spindarella Hmm So, your parents scraped together £200 for you to go on a jolly to France, 25 years ago. You had a ball. But kids now are not allowed to do that? (£200 25 years ago isn't much less than £750 not in real terms).

The OP's Header was 'Is this too much for a school trip?' her question at the bottom was So .. what do others think? Reasonable price or unreasonable?

Two different questions - people have answered both.

NO - it's not ridiculous for a school trip. It's not compulsory, it's being offered.

YES - it's a reasonable price to go to Iceland.

I'm pretty sure if teachers had to pay for their own trip the "educational value" would quickly dissipate and an trip of equivalent educational value would be sourced for a lot cheaper

What an obnoxious comment. Do you really think teachers get much out of school trips 'travel wise'? Bugger they do.

Celtic - incredible how many utterly miserable people there are about isn't it! Beggars belief that some people are just so 'it's not essential' It's like having fun is 'just not done' Hmm. [Just to be clear, I realise that some families couldn't afford this or don't think it's good value or whatever, that's fine. But saying it shouldn't be offered, isn't essential, teachers just want to go at the cost of the kids, it's just ridiculous]

erin99 · 02/10/2014 09:53

It is too much for us to afford, so fair price or not he would not be able to go.

Whether it's reasonable for iceland is by the by really. They could offer bargain basement trips to the moon for half a million quid, and he wouldn't be going even if it was the bargain of a lifetime.

ChippingInLatteLover · 02/10/2014 09:56

sparechange For everyone saying this is 'cheap for Iceland', I've just done a quick search on Expedia for trips to Iceland this halfterm (they don't accept bookings for Oct 15 yet) and prices start at £400 bed and breakfast, in a 4 star hotel! I can't believe they will then spend a further £80 a day on lunch, dinner and activities!

Does that include the cost of coaches to and from the airport?
Does that include the cost of insurance to take other peoples children away?
Does that include suitable accommodation for a large group of children?

and other things I'm probably forgetting right now.

Spindarella · 02/10/2014 09:57

Yes Chipping - that is exactly what I'm saying - my parents struggled to pay for a holiday that was dressed up as an educational visit. I hate that schools are still doing that now. Fine, sell a holiday through school, but be honest about it.

And if you read again my follow up post, I fully agree that school trips are not a jolly for teachers but if they had to consider the cost themselves I'm pretty certain they would be more realistically priced. It's easy to expound about the edicational value of something that you're not actually paying for.

Seriouslyffs · 02/10/2014 09:57

When I was the teacher on school residentials I enjoyed being with the pupils and the change of scenery, but it was 100% work and responsibility. I went in school time but would never have gone on a school trip in holidays or paying myself.

Seriouslyffs · 02/10/2014 09:59

There are some 100% educational trips. Biology/ geology/ geography.

ChickenFajitaAndNachos · 02/10/2014 09:59

Chipping Day and evening activities, normally non stop activities.
Transport to all these possibly once in a life time activities.

EddieStobbart · 02/10/2014 10:06

My degree is in geography and the university took students annually to Iceland (I went on the human geography trip elsewhere) so if he's a keen student of geography or geology I'm sure this won't be his only opportunity to go outside of a straightforward holiday trip.

sonjadog · 02/10/2014 10:08

As a teacher who has done many school trips abroad, I can tell you it is about as far from a free holiday as is possible. It is work, 24 hours a day, for days at a time. The responsibility is immense. "Holiday" really has nothing to do with it. If I wanted a holiday in wherever we are going, I would just pay for it myself and go with people I wanted to go on holiday with.

SquirrelledAway · 02/10/2014 10:09

celticlass as a geologist I can guarantee that you'll see more varied geology and landforms in Scotland than in Iceland, hence it being a better field trip location. Not as spectacular though, geysers and active fissures are hard to beat.

And no, I'm not one of those people who never leaves the UK.

sparechange · 02/10/2014 10:10

Chipping
If that is the cost when it is a 4* hotel, I'm sure the cost of a child-friendly hostel will be lower
And that includes transfers from airport to and from hotel in Iceland, so the additional cost would be from OP's hometown to a London airport, which would depend on where she is but isn't going to be more than £30 a head

I'm not questioning that school trips have overheads, but it is nonsense to try and claim this trip is the cheapest way to get to see Iceland

EddieStobbart · 02/10/2014 10:14

Re: my comment above. I understand everyone slept in a village hall on the trip so I think the "holiday" element was limited for staff (although they were accompanying a group of over-18s so different level of responsibility). The lecturer who took us on the alt trip to France however was obviously in his element and took everyone to the same vineyard for wine tasting every year...