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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not pay full amount for school trip?

149 replies

bingisthebest · 12/05/2017 21:49

School send out a letter saying they are having a trip can you a. Pay a donation b. Pay the sum of .....
I have 3 dcs and although our choice it is expensive for us. Wibu to just pay a smaller donation?

OP posts:

PurpleDaisies · 12/05/2017 22:24

eezer for some families, child benefit goes on food, heating and rent.

SaucyJack · 12/05/2017 22:25

Sorry if I sounded harsh.

I don't have a problem with provisions being made for children in exeptional circumstances whose parents cannot afford it.

But I don't believe they should be asking for donations so that those who can afford the full amount, can choose not to.

SemiNormal · 12/05/2017 22:28

SaucyJack I hear you. I agree, but 'spongers' was perhaps a poor choice of words given that it's often a term used to describe people on benefits, who incidently would be the more likely to possibly need help with school trips funding.

Iamastonished · 12/05/2017 22:29

Where does the money come from if people can't afford the trip? Schools are so underfunded these days that there is no money in the pot to subsidise these trips. I know that children on FSM get trips paid out of pupil premium, but those that aren't won't be entitled to this subsidy.

MrsABrown72 · 12/05/2017 22:31

My daughter is in a three form primary - year 2 trip was cancelled as 30 kids parents didn't pay. They were all so upset. I live in a "wealthy" area and cost could be split over 3 months. It was £15 total cost. Don't think I got my money back though..We are asked for a voluntary contribution of £25 a year and nobody seems to pay that either. My husband thinks I am I a dick because I do (also payable in installments over the year)

DancingLedge · 12/05/2017 22:31

stop the spongers?
Yeah, cause everyone can afford what you can.

In the small, civilised village school my DC went to, we each paid what we could afford. Then fundraised till each and every kid could go on the trip.

UNTIL PEOPLE LIKE YOU CAME ALONG.

Shame on you.

BertrandRussell · 12/05/2017 22:33

You know those incredibly irritating smug, do gooding PTA people........?

Beerwench · 12/05/2017 22:34

You would be unreasonable if you can afford it, if however your family will genuinely go without stuff you need, then you wouldn't be unreasonable - that's what the idea of the donation is for.
As a child myself I missed some trips that my parents couldn't afford, it wasn't a nice feeling and I may have felt left out but it was a fact of life unfortunately.
As a parent I've done both, even though paying the full price was sometimes hard, I did it so dd didn't miss out. I've also made a donation less than the full price because I couldn't afford the full price.
In dd's school the practice was kept pretty quiet though, the teacher rang me to ask if I had just forgotten about the trip as I hadn't returned the slips etc, I explained that at that time the price was too high for me to pay a bit weekly and still make the full amount before the deadline. She then said to pay what I could each week and the school would cover the rest. I was grateful for this.
Currently though I now have a bank account for did where all her Christmas and birthday money goes, and this pays towards the trips which have gotten better and more expensive with age at secondary school. I pay half with that and then the rest a bit each week.

BoomBoomsCousin · 12/05/2017 22:35

If it will significantly impact your household finances to pay the full request, then pay less. If you don't agree with all the school trips (in general, not just this specific one) the school chooses to provide, then pay less. If you can afford it and think the additional activities the school provides and requests donations for are worthwhile, then pay.

MrsABrown72 · 12/05/2017 22:36

Also I am not rich by any means but when I see people in their brand new cars and I am in my 04 reg and I still manage to pay for a trip at £5 a month I do wonder....who is not paying...bet it is not the poorer people...

Obsidian77 · 12/05/2017 22:36

Isn't this what child benefit is for?

You're kidding, right?

Notcontent · 12/05/2017 22:36

I think it would be better if there was a fund in place to pay for children whose parents genuinely cannot afford to pay for schools trips, etc. and parents could apply to have the cost covers out of that. If you call something a "donation" then many people will decide not to pay.

AntigoneJones · 12/05/2017 22:38

" Fortunately our school doesn't ask for "donations". You pay or your kid doesn't go (or swim).

Stops the spongers. "

see that sounds like a really cuntish attitude to me,

StillSeekingResponsibleAdult · 12/05/2017 22:38

I can afford to pay, so I pay.
Someone I know can afford more so she pays for her own child and a donation for another child (I only know because I accidentally walked in on her giving the teacher the extra money).
Some people I know, who really can't afford, it get very stressed struggling to get the amount together, so they don't get judged by the school for not paying.
If you can't afford it just give what you can.

SimonsPies · 12/05/2017 22:40

A PP said if they don't pay their child doesn't go on the trip. That is illegal. All children must be treated equally. Either all children go or noone goes, regardless of who pays or doesn't pay. So the trip is cancelled or the school makes up the difference from school fund or budget.

multivac · 12/05/2017 22:43

"Fortunately our school doesn't ask for "donations". You pay or your kid doesn't go (or swim).

Stops the spongers."

I assume this is a private school. As in the state sector, this would be illegal.

DancingLedge · 12/05/2017 22:44

Just to be clear, the kids at our village school, in a relatively desirable rural area, whose parents could not afford the 'donation' had NEVER been on a trip . Anywhere. Cause if you parent lives on disability benefit, trips are just not a possibility. Ever.

AntigoneJones · 12/05/2017 22:44

yes it is illegal to exclude a child from a curriculum-based whole class activity on the grounds of money. Obviously fancy non curriculum ski trips are different.
still that didn't stop one teacher from kicking my son out of DT for not having his £2 or whatever it was, Cunts, there's a lot of them about.

twelly · 12/05/2017 22:45

In general I believe all should pay the full cost of a trip. People have different levels of income, what if no one pays? at what level do people decide they can't pay, people will have very different views as to what they believe is a luxury or necessity.

Funnyfarmer · 12/05/2017 22:46

I've lived on benefits. I was a single parent with no help from anyone. I stayed on at college. Even though my education and and child care was subsidised. I still had to pay for my own travel, books and equipment and meals and snacks at dd's day care.
Things was tight but I really can't how see some people absolutely can't spare a few quid a week to pay for school trips time and time again!

BertrandRussell · 12/05/2017 22:47

"In general I believe all should pay the full cost of a trip."

Some people have absolutely no idea how some other people live.

PickAChew · 12/05/2017 22:47

It would depend on whether paying the full price for the trip means going without wine or going without basic food. If paying for the trip depletes your holiday fund, then YABU. If paying for the trip leaves you all living on value beans on toast for a month, then YANBU.

ifeelcraptonight · 12/05/2017 22:49

Didn't we do this just the other day?

Funnyfarmer · 12/05/2017 22:50

Yes. But worded a little more harshly. It got people's backs up so it was removed

PickAChew · 12/05/2017 22:51

And yes, when a trip has been cheap for what it is, but costly all the same, I've sent in extra, before.

The shortfall is the sort of stuff that PP is currently intended to cover (rather than pretty new school signposts), but that'll all disappear under the new funding rules.

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