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

[Lincspeeps]

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...…..

I would not consider it for a moment and even if they raised the cash themselves, I'd refuse permission to go. It is ridiculous.

Do the parents chip in to pay for the teachers to go too?

I'd say no; it sounds like a complete rip off. You could look at putting the 5k together over the next 5 years instead and tell her that you'll give it to her to go travelling after uni (or after whatever career type learning route she goes down)? She'll get much more value out of it then.

What Ferret said.

Do the parents chip in to pay for the teachers to go too?

If the parents want their children supervised while of the trip, then yes, I'd imagine part of the kids' total payment will involve paying those who will supervise them. If the teachers require specialist training, First Aid, eg, I'd imagine that will also come out of the total pupil cost.

My DS was offered a similar "opportunity" and we said no right from the start. It's setting up youngsters in entirely the wrong way IMO if they think that this sort of trip is the norm. As for fundraising themselves -- when friends' DC have done this sort of thing it's basically a few bake sales and the indulgent parents/GPs stumping up.

(And I wouldn't want my house/school/whatever built by a bunch of unqualified teenagers so why would people in a developing country welcome it?!)

Madagascar is dangerous too, although an amazing place to visit.

I went there with Exodus or Explore a few years ago and it was really intimidating in the town areas and even in some of the beach areas or countryside at times too. We were taken to our tour hotels each night and didn't leave again until the next morning as there was no way that they could guarantee our safety.

One of our group was robbed twice and another in our group had her earrings ripped from her ears as she was talking to me, in the central square.
I had decided to stay for an extra few days after the tour finished and tbh, was regretting my decision towards the end of the trip. It turned out ok as we were allocated a very reliable (but rip-off merchant) taxi driver, who made sure that we were kept safe and refused to take us to locations that were dangerous. It was very daunting at times though.
I have to say that the lemurs are fantastic!

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I would say NO. At a pinch we could afford it but really it is an extortionate price. You could all go on a fab family holiday for that much money. Your dd will be disappointed but if she appreciates the value of money she will see it is ridiculous. You could take her on a family safari holiday for that much money. If you have other children they will also expect the same to be spent on them in future. IN your heart you know it is madness OP. Don't be afraid to say no.

ALl those PPs wnonate saying " teachers should pay"

Do you pay to go on your work trips? And then find yourself having to supervise around 15+ other people? And be responsible for them at all hours of the day?

Would you contribute to a work trip in order to keep costs down for the company??

What do you think happens in '"normal" school trips? Who do you think pays for the teachers to take your darlings to the natural history museum if it's not you partially??

The social responsibility stuff sounds dodgy, frankly.

@Linning. - have a friend who went to South Africa after saving and looking forward to it for 3 years but she was scared and disappointed. It was a “dream trip” that was not good. I would advise OP to say no to her teenager. If and when things improve, you could go as a family. My friend was born there but left aged about 3 and always wanted to return, apart from seeing some relatives, she wishes she had not gone there. From what she told me, the camping sounds very worrying, I would not let the child go.

only about 12 pupils from my year went, so no one felt 'left out' or excluded because it was completely optional and taken in the summer holidays

How little insight must you have to think you're qualified to comment on how everybody else felt about not going when you were the one who went on the trip?

No wonder you can't take on board people's comments here about the exploitative nature of such trips.

Oh, and to add to Orchid's excellent comments about DofE, don't forget it's not just an expedition - DofE includes a sustained commitment to volunteering of up to eighteen months at gold. Plus other valuable elements if we are discussing gaining perspective and skills and confidence.

Which means young people can genuinely be socially responsible, and make a real difference to others and themselves. As another example, Guiding runs an overseas development type programme where teams go on projects for a set number of years and train and support local Guide leaders (incl training them to train others) so that those local leaders can grow their own organisation. They don't send UK people to just do stuff for them.

If teenagers really care about volunteer work and being socially responsible then there are plenty of opportunities in their local communities. I'm nobody special and I was extremely shy and anxious as a teenager, but I managed to start volunteer work where I lived from the age of 15 without anybody finding it or setting it up for me. If it's important to them, they can do something here and they'll find a way.

It's our job as adults to teach them that jetting off to do inappropriate faux charity work in foreign countries is exploitative and damaging. Their motivations are also transparently selfish, especially when they've never shown any interest in helping disadvantaged people in their own communities. It's right they should be challenged on that.

Aspiring to develop skills they can teach and put to proper use through VSO or MSF is totally different.

@Petlover9

Even without the safety concerns, South Africa was also one of my dream trips and I was so utterly disappointed. I found nothing of what I had hoped to see, in a country that has so much history and mixity I expected to find so much culture (and cultures) and I saw very little of that. Mostly —American— food chains and US looking landscapes. I am not the biggest fan of the US, despite living here but California alone has way better landscapes than South Africa. I found it very blend and disappointing (bare maybe the Garden road) and I went ALL over South Africa.
Cape Town was the prettiest (along with Knysna) but being attacked in the middle of the day in a very touristy place on our first day was enough to put me off and kill any appeal tbh.

Based on my experience, I would certainly consider it. I went on a similar trip and it changed my life. My private school went on a trip from Zimbabwe to Cape Town overland in the 90s.As a result I have had a life long obsession with Africa. The trip itself was totally amazing. My parents are quite well off and they did pay for it, so I’m aware how lucky I was. Even then however the few days volunteering seemed a bit...unrealistic. Bit surprised by all of the posts suggesting teachers should pay. I am now a teacher- yes it would be a great perk to go on your child’s trip but it’s in no way a holiday for them. If something happened it could cost them their job, even if they are not organising the trip and activities. In 15 long visits to Africa (let’s not start on generalising the whole continent as Africa but anyway) I’ve never been a victim of crime. Although on my trip somebody did lose a thousand Swiss francs or so.....the verdict was that they burnt them on the campfire by mistake. I did leave my camera in the minivan on the way to the airport in Cape Town (was travelling back on my own) and the driver tracked me down in the terminal. He refused a tip, and I was so glad as it had all my pictures on.
I am surprised that they are charging more for the safari at the end. Of course people will say it’s a lot of money, but if you can afford it, don’t dismiss it out of hand. Your child will be very well looked after. Both countries are amazing, as is the experience at that age. It’s a shame the trip isn’t longer with less volunteering (due to reasons ppl have already raised), but do consider it.

Most of the children I know who do trips like that raise money to contribute themselves. However I couldn’t go on any large trips when I was at school like the Cruise or Skiing trips as my parents couldn’t afford them at all. I just had to accept it and made up for travelling when I was in my early 20s.
It is difficult to think your child might be the only one not going but at. thet price unless you live in a wealthy area or where there are lots of industrious teenagers I would doubt she will end up being the only one !

No

Even if they’re were to get a job and earn the money I would prefer them to spend it on something more worthwhile. University books, computer. Or a car. Work wardrobe.

Too much money for a young person to throw away on a holiday.

sarahjconnor
I can't believe you can't get a refund. This is breach of contract. I'm not sure of the detail but I would have thought school would be liable as they acted in agency. Have you taken advice? Did you pay by credit card?

If it is such an amazing opportunity I would look into organising it myself and going as a family.

I can't believe anyone thinks it's OK for teenagers to "volunteer" like this.

I think the OP has done a bunk (and possibly decided to send her Dd on the trip despite all the advice against)

The volunteering we did was a tiny tiny part of the trip. We didn't build anything obviously, as we didn't have any building skills. We took books (in Spanish) to a local school and read with the children. The school had only one teacher as salaries hadn't been paid in months but the children still turned up everyday and we're basically teaching themselves.

Yes - I'm very aware we didn't have a life changing impact on anyone at the school, but we did keep the children busy and entertained, repainted a couple of rooms and have the sole teacher a bit of a break.

We also

Oops sorry pressed too soon

We also shopped in the local shops, hired local bus drivers and security guards for the jungle, hired local guides everywhere we went and put a lot of money into the local economy.

At the time the capital city was the most dangerous in the world for murder - so not many tourists were visiting.

Not every volunteering experience is exploitative, I'm sure some are, but it's very narrow minded to tar them all with the same brush.

@quincejamplease there were 60 pupils in my year and I was one of the worst off so I do feel I'm able to say that in my case, anyone who wanted to go could have gone.

5 grand what we would do with this money...