Paying for school trips

[unexpectedtwist]

When DC's school runs a school trip it's always trip costs £xx per child but donations are voluntary.

I always pay the full amount and assumed that the 'donation' part was to make it so that pupil premium families and others less money could still go on the trip.

Found out today that nearly half of parents don't pay and that most of those are the well off ones!

Yes I know I don't know everyone's circumstances and some that don't pay will have money issues but when the subject came up in the playground today the ones says they never pay are the ones who I know are well off - good jobs, flash cars, big houses etc and they were boasting about it.

AIBU that people should pay for their kid's trips if they have the money!?

Yes they should. Surely if not enough donations are received they won't be able to run the trip.

Yes I agree.

I think that all trips should be as affordable as possible, and no pressure at all should be put on people who genuinely can't afford to pay.

However I really don't think highly of people who are taking advantage off a system that is meant to protect the kids of less well off families from missing out, just because they can't be arsed to pay.

Totally disgusting - this is is why most schools can't run trips now

if I could afford to pay I always would , subsidised trips should only be for those who genuinely need it.

They have to say voluntary but it also usually the bare minimum they need to run the trip I have known trips to be cancelled

The school secretary always complains about certain parents who don't pay they know who they are

I'm really pissed of about it!
It's not like finding £15 for the last trip was easy for me but that's just because I'm on a tight budget at the moment but I'd never dream of not paying it.

When my so was at school and I was receiving benefits I didn't have to pay for school trips but I chose to sometimes, if I could afford it.
I then learnt that other parents, who I knew could most definitely afford it, chose not to.
It's not right in my opinion but what can the school do?

Some people have no pride.

Do I have to pay for school trips? my kids school doesnt say its voluntary??

And this is why, as a school we can no longer run trips for the children. We simply can’t afford to subsidise the people who choose not to pay. It’s gutting for the children as they miss out on additional valuable learning experiences which would make such an impact on their learning!

Do I have to pay for school trips? It depends on your circumstances and the school policy.

This is how rich people stay rich. They're usually very tight with their purse strings.

The costs to parents are usually subsidised by school anyway. We have to say contributions are voluntary as we aren’t allowed to have statutory charges for educational visits.

If you can pay then you should pay.

Unfortunately without parents contributing the visits often become impossible to fund.

Actual trips I always pay as long as it’s an optional trip. If it’s a mandatory trip it depends on what it is. I’m not paying for my child to go somewhere mandatory that is something I know they hate, swimming excluded as that’s a valuable life skill.

I know a lot of the parents at our school don’t pay for in-house experiences as they figure they are there so what’s the point. I always pay for those.

I have heard parents saying they don’t pay for school trips because they know they legally don’t have to and that their child can no longer be excluded as a result. Whilst true, their lack of payment can ruin it for the other children whose parents have bothered to pay instead. It really irks me.

I’ve paid for every school trip and yes I am fortunate to be able to afford that but tbh, the most expensive one so far was £15.

Like an upcoming mandatory trip. My child will learn nothing of value from it except that the school and teachers don’t care about the really bad anxiety my child will suffer and likely spend the day crying and hiding in front of their higher end of school peers plus other schools pupils, so no that I’m not going going to pay for it and if the trip fails to go ahead general feelings in the playground will be a relief not sadness.

We have always paid for trips and will continue to do so.

However school have decided to put on an in house whole school event that last year they paid for, this year they have given a weeks notice and asked parents to pay £15 per child. After many last minute requests this half term will amount to over £70 we have decided not to pay this one. After half term the school will want another £90 worth of payments for various things. We're financially better off than those on the breadline but we have to budget very carefully and soon things will get tricky. For people who don't have a single penny spare, so many last minute demands are unreasonable and many people are starting to feel that the school just doesn't understand this, so we're voting with our purses.

I do think there are circumstances where it's acceptable not to pay but agree that these are very few and far between. I certainly don't think that those who are well off shouldn't be paying.

If it is a p compulsory trip (such as a geography field trip, then school has to pay for it, that is the law.

If it's 'mandatory'in the sense if 'we really want everyone to go', but is not actually compulsory for the curriculum, then in a state school the charges must be voluntary (again by law) and no child can be excluded because the parents are disinclined to pay.

But the whole trip could be cancelled if it cannot be afforded. It is not permitted to charge a higher per capita rate inthe expectation that some will not pay.

It's voluntary so that those who cannot afford it can pay less or even nothing. I think it's really scuzzy not to pay other than sheer inability.

This whole voluntary contribution shit really grates with me...back in my day and we are well going back! if you didnt pay you didnt go end of...its all wrong this method..some pay some don't ..its madness.Another shit idea for the snowflake generation...its like sports day and everyones a winner...err no they arent! I have a 6 yr old and its bloody expensive,,trips here ,dress up day..world book day costume..french day,,but it is what it is..kids are expensive,schools are skint,I think it should be reversed and mandatory to pay..sick to death of the bleeding heart brigade,sick of subsidizing poor little fred..the same poor little fred who is in designer adidas trainers for PE and poor little fred whos mummy is down the pub every friday larging it up whilst not being able to find £7.00 for the trip so poor little fred could have some fun...sorry know i will get hated for this post but it does happen frequently and it makes me sick...

Yanbu.
Wow, I'd be really pissed off if this is what happens at our school. I always pay. I hope everyone who can afford it does too.

I genuinely had no idea you did not “have” to pay. Our school secretary loudly requests money of parents forget.

YANBU. They're ruining a good system. I'd be more than happy to pay extra so that all children can go on the trip and I wouldn't want parents with money issues to have to go to the trouble of actually going in to school to justify why they can't pay. It would annoy me to be subsidising people who could easily pay for their own kids.

I genuinely had no idea you did not “have” to pay. Our school secretary loudly requests money of parents forget.

same here, you had to pay when you handed over the permission slip, now they moved it to online you have to pay online along with giving permisson. nothing about it being voluntary.

They should ditch the word voluntary

At our school if they don’t pay they don’t go.