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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to not want to pay £5k for a school trip?

455 replies

Lincspeeps · 08/10/2019 14:54

In short, DD's school are running a trip to South Africa in 2021 - safari, time in Madagascar, trekking, social responsibility work etc.

Problem is, its £4.5k plus spends and optional extras - the safari being one. So, with insurance, visas, inoculations etc it'll be five grand and more.

DD's three best friends are all going and we, at a massive stretch, could probably afford it BUT in reading where they stay etc it just seems like such a rip off. I want her to do something exciting but £5k just seems a ridiculous amount.

She's not spoiled and completely understands the value of money but she'll be devastated if she can't go and I'll feel like a demon by preventing her (she's 15 now, will be almost 17 when trip takes place). I just feel that £5k could be spent in a much better way where travel is concerned - I'm sure you can buy a round the world plane tickets for a couple of grand, for example!!

Help...…..

OP posts:
CillianMurphyfanclub · 09/10/2019 22:16

My daughter went to Lesotho in February for just short of two weeks. It was about £1000 including vaccinations but we were also expected to fundraise another £12K within the group over about 18 months.
That seems more manageable than the figure you’ve been given. It was the absolute experience of a lifetime, but I think we’d have thought twice if we’d had to personally pay £5K!
Also my daughter made and sold crafts to contribute to her share.

EasterEgg80 · 09/10/2019 22:23

Wouldn’t travel there with my children. It’s a beautiful country but I wouldn’t feel comfortable atm.

Also, no way I would pay!

Dontrainonmyparade · 09/10/2019 22:23

We have a similar trip on offer, similar price/month in Africa etc. DS keen to go. Told him if he can raise half the cost I’ll match it. He’s willing to get a job and try. Would she do that?

Kate0902900908 · 09/10/2019 22:24

Firstly 5k is completely crazy, it is extremely unreasonable to ask families to pay for 1 child

Also not to be negative but Madagascar is a dangerous place, I watched a a documentary illustrating the recent fallout of the political parties turmoil has led to increased unemployment rates resulting in a rise in crime, particularly muggings and robberies. I would not be allowing my child to go.

soggypizza · 09/10/2019 22:25

Dcs had the opportunity to do World Challenge and while we could afford it - they knew not to ask. No way would we be asking relatives for money for a holiday and no way would we be fund-raising pretending it was charity work for a holiday ( a few of the parents got pulled up on this. £5k for 4 weeks camping was an outrageous price. A couple of dd's friends did it - the feedback from them was that there was lots of arguments, one fight and they were all glad to come home.

alwayscauseastir · 09/10/2019 22:28

Work out what the total cost is for everyone. So my daughter brought a letter home for a trip to Romania to help at an orphanage, assist with the building of a new toilet block, then spend 3 days in the capital sight seeing. 6 nights in total, all in basic budget hotels, total cost £2100. They had spaces for 16 pupils so total costs for the parents would be in excess of £33k. There's NO WAY it costs that much to go to Romania and do volunteer work and then a bit of sight seeing whilst staying in budget hotels. When I questioned the school, they said the teachers costs were factored in? So they weren't paying and we're receiving a salary while they were there? My daughter is very much into the catholic ethos of the school and wanted to help in Romania, so I costed up the trip for her to go independently. For the two of us to go, get taxis to the orphanage etc it came to slightly over the £1200, but for TWO of us. I just don't understand where they get their costs from and sadly my daughter didn't get to go as I couldn't justify it. We had a lovely trip together in a much sunnier climate.

VickyEadieofThigh · 09/10/2019 22:32

"Teachers' costs" are always factored into the trips. It's not their salaries, of course - but their flights, transport and accommodation also have to be paid for.

alwayscauseastir · 09/10/2019 22:41

@VickyEadieofThigh yes I'm aware of that. But in this instance the teachers had volunteered to go on the trip, and therefore in my view (and the view of others), they should contribute to some of the cost of flights and accommodation to bring the children's costs down. They wouldn't contribute anything. Eventually the trip was cancelled due to lack of interest, which sounds quite common when it comes to expensive trips.

VickyEadieofThigh · 09/10/2019 22:45

You'd never get a school trip to run if you expected staff to pay - and they're always volunteers, because they cannot be made to take 24 hour responsibility for children.

soggypizza · 09/10/2019 22:46

I don’t think the teachers should have to pay but I’d rather go myself with my kids than pay for teachers to go with them.

waterrat · 09/10/2019 22:47

@alwayscauseastir please read about orphanage tourism and exploitation. I cannot believe people still go on these trips. A simple Google will provide you with reams if horrific evidence. Would you think it good safeguarding if random foreign kids volunteered in UK children's homes ?

alwayscauseastir · 09/10/2019 22:49

We didn't expect them to pay. We asked them to contribute to lower the costs for the children. £33k for a trip to Romania is vastly over inflated. Someone was trying to make a profit at the children's expense, as previous posters have suggested is the case with the OPs trip.

waterrat · 09/10/2019 22:50

And I can promise you if a toilet block need to be built the most socially aware system would be one that hired local builders not students with no builders skills. The cost of the flight alone would pay a local builder who actually needs the work to build the toilet. This is all a set up to fleece kids for money while they do fake work

There are documented examples of real workmen coming in as soon as these kids have gone and re doing the work

Imagine bringing privileged Romanian kids to build toilets in poor parts of the UK???

alwayscauseastir · 09/10/2019 22:52

@waterrat no I didn't read as she didn't go. They would have been building at the orphanage, I didn't delve into the nitty gritty as I switched off once I got to the price tag. She wanted to go because her peers were going, and she wanted to help with the work.

alwayscauseastir · 09/10/2019 22:53

@waterrat but I totally agree with everything you say.

soggypizza · 09/10/2019 22:53

Are there not projects in the Uk that would help poor kids and raise awareness without having to spend £5k flying to the other side of the planet.

OrchidInTheSun · 09/10/2019 22:55

Why the fuck does anyone think their clueless teenager would be any good at building? Would you get your teenager to build anything for you or would you employ professionals?

And if it's the latter, why would you think that's good enough for people in Kenya?

God this stuff makes me so bloody angry. So tone deaf.

byefeliciabye · 09/10/2019 22:58

Does the 5k include flights, food, ect? If so, I think it makes sense. The flights alone to SA are going to be over a grand (round trip), if they are flying domestically too then that's an additional cost. Plus the flights from SA to Madagascar won't be cheap. They might have to have security depending on what they are doing/where they are going. 3 meals a day, drinks, snacks. Potentially coach trips, it all add up over a month. It's a lot of money but I see why. If you see the value in your DC going then I second was PP have said and have DC raise half through part time work, boot sales etc

Notodontidae · 09/10/2019 23:06

These trips tend to act like blackmail to a parent, I have posted similar answers before, that the peer pressure is similar to that when a friend of DC, smokes, drinks alcohol, or takes drugs. I would say, save the money to help DC get to University, and hence a well paid job. That way they can go where-ever they want to, later on in their life. The OP who's DC got the money by working, was certainly one way over it, though usually schools want the money up-front.

Lyingonthesofainthedark · 09/10/2019 23:08

I thought there were safety issues in South Africa? And trip is ridiculously expensive.

soggypizza · 09/10/2019 23:17

I thought you paid in instalments but if you cancel you never get the instalments back.

Secretbadlife · 09/10/2019 23:26

Academy school? Basically like a state school then and they are charging this amount?! Ridiculous. To a really unsafe place. Ridiculous x 2. Parents paying for it. X3. Parents letting their dcs go to such a place? X4.

Meercatsarecats · 09/10/2019 23:29

My son is only 10 but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't even show me the letter about a 5k trip at his age let alone actually ask to go on it.
That kind of money is so out of reach to so many people.
If he wanted to work to fund a trip I would help him find good value in Europe or further away but would not be encouraging him to go to somewhere as unsafe as South Africa.
There are plenty of beautiful cultured places to be explored without it costing so much.

mammabearandhercubs · 09/10/2019 23:29

It's not just the cost but also South Africa is a dangerous place for anybody Especially if you're white and female. Even if money was no object I would never let my dc travel there.

New murder/ kidnapping stories regularly in the papers

ControversialFerret · 09/10/2019 23:29

Let's not give a local person a job which they desperately need. Instead let's get Kevin from Stoke on Trent to pay over the odds for a fortnight of 'building'. It's contributed nothing to the local economy and was counterproductive to the people sitting being gawped at by privileged western teenagers, but it looks great on Kevin's UCAS form and it's really changed his perspective. Hmm

Christ on a bike, how on earth can people still justify this white saviour bullshit? Take one step back and have a tiny think about what would genuinely help a poor community. Donating £5k to them via a decent charity to invest in local jobs, or giving that £5k to a for-profit poverty porn outfit that specialises in parading a different group of teens through every fortnight?