Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
PrincessHoneysuckle · 08/10/2019 15:40

Far too expensive for a school trip.If i was paying 5k for a trip it would be a family one.

Itsreallymehonest · 08/10/2019 15:41

@flowery a very ponient article.

FunOnTheBeach20 · 08/10/2019 15:48

What crap, £5k is a hell of a lot of money. What is she really going to get from this other than the satisfaction of keeping up with her mates? No way.

Sexnotgender · 08/10/2019 15:50

But the last two are additional extras - god know how much they'll be.

So the £5k doesn’t cover the safari and Madagascar?

gabsdot45 · 08/10/2019 15:52

your whole family could have a very nice holiday for that money. it's insane and the school are totally out of order to arrange it.

Walkaround · 08/10/2019 15:52

Lincspeeps - sorry, but I think you are over-egging the problem. Either you think it's worth the money or you don't. If you don't, then you explain to you your dd you think it is far too expensive and not worth the money. You would not be a demon to say this to her and she has no justification to be devastated at that price. Disappointed, certainly, as her friends are going (she says - are you certain they are not all saying to their parents that all their friends are going in order to pressurise you all into agreeing, or does your dd have exclusively wealthy friends?!), but to be devastated would be ott. Have you discussed with her other ways that money could be spent? Or why she is so keen to do that trip, knowing the cost? If she can convince you that the trip actually is good value for money, then fine if you can afford it, but you don't spend that much money on something if you actually think it's a waste of money, just so as not to upset your dd.

Thegullfromhull · 08/10/2019 15:55

Isn’t there a really serious measles problem in Madagascar right now? Lots of measles deaths?
I’d worry about this with teens, vaccinated or not.
(I know there are other issues)

Drabarni · 08/10/2019 15:55

Well, mine wouldn't be going, but her private school doesn't do expensive holidays/ uniform etc.
Even if I had the money I couldn't justify spending that much on something so useless.

Thegullfromhull · 08/10/2019 15:56

Yes , over 1000 measles deaths in a year

Notajogger · 08/10/2019 15:56

She could go backpacking for a year after school with that money!
They are being encouraged to fundraise themselves - fundraise?? It's not a charity, why should other people give them money to fund a very expensive and unnecessary trip.

As pps have said, I thought the whole "voluntourism" myth had been debunked already. Have a Google of it. Young kids (well anyone, really) with no experience/skills going abroad and doing unskilled work which takes work away from local people is hugely damaging and pointless for so many reasons. This aspect of the trip alone would make me say no!

Whitney168 · 08/10/2019 15:57

As this is not a private school, I genuinely can't see the trip actually going ahead. Surely there won't be enough people in 'general population' willing to pay such a ridiculous price for a school trip?

Re. friends going, I wonder how many will get as far as actually putting money down?

Thegullfromhull · 08/10/2019 15:58

Sorry
Over 1500 measles deaths in 2019 in Madagascar , most deaths children Sad

Velveteenfruitbowl · 08/10/2019 16:00

I did a similar trip at her age. I loved it. And it gave me a real love of walking. But I can’t say my life would be worse for not having gone.

SellmeyourMLMcrap · 08/10/2019 16:00

Not a chance that we'd pay this, we could also afford it but £5k is a lot of money to nearly anyone with children in a state school.

I think it's cheeky of the school and not very inclusive but that's neither here nor there to you guys.

The trip does however sound absolutely amazing and with her friends going I can see why your daughter would be so keen, seriously it's a once in a lifetime kind of trip, but I still wouldn't pay.

Is there a compromise to be had here? She has over 12 months to raise some money towards it. Is there any way that she can be given 6-9 months to maybe earn half of the money herself? Or does it all need to be decided up front? If she can, I'd give her the opportunity to earn the money, some from home but also taking part time jobs on the weekend. If she works Saturdays and Sundays for 6 months she's likely to earn £2,000 or more. That way you are putting the onus back to her. I'd go down that road personally if at all possible.

cakestogo · 08/10/2019 16:01

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

lalafafa · 08/10/2019 16:01

There’s no way I’d be sending anyone to SA, you must be mad, such a violent country.

HollowTalk · 08/10/2019 16:01

I'd rather give her the money to go off on holiday with her friends, instead.

inwood · 08/10/2019 16:03

Totally ridiculous. I have twins, so 10k for a school trip? (I realise siblings have double / triple cost etc but not normally the same amount in same year).

I would say no on principle.

IHaveBrilloHair · 08/10/2019 16:04

Ha, no way and never, it's voluntourism shite.

donethinkin · 08/10/2019 16:06

No I wouldn’t pay it and I can afford it comfortably. I would not be sending my teen to SA with people I barely know for supervision. The whole thing smacks of a bad idea.

Seapoint2002 · 08/10/2019 16:09

I travelled 13 countries in Africa taking 6 months. It cost me £5.5K.
£5k for a month is madness.

HoldMyLobster · 08/10/2019 16:09

DD and DS go to a school that offers trips like this. They know full well we're not going to pay - we can afford it but we'd rather spend the money more efficiently.

DD did do a trip to Guatemala a while ago where they stayed in a building attached to a clinic, planted trees, helped out at the clinic, painted a building, fundraised to provide water filters and generally tried to be useful. It cost about $1500 inclusive of flights, transport, accommodation, etc. She took $100 spends. We were trying to avoid voluntourism and she went with a Rotary Club volunteer who has spent the last 10 years helping out in this village. It was really valuable for her, and I think it was helpful for the locals.

C8H10N4O2 · 08/10/2019 16:09

It's basically 10 days trekking, 7 days social responsibility, three days in Cape Town, 4 days in Madagascar and a three on safari. But the last two are additional extras - god know how much they'll be.

OP Google "voluntourism" if you haven't already done so.

These are glorified, overpriced package holidays which make money for the companies using a veneer of social responsibility stuff to persuade customers who would not consider this kind of money for a standard holiday package.

Most of them do little good, some are actively harmful.

If she really wants to volunteer abroad then go through one of the recognised charities but in reality there is very little that a 17 yr old with no trade or professional skills can offer. Unskilled work should be going to local people first.

Its great to get involved in volunteering but find something here through a regular charity first and if she wants a post A level trip then treat it as a holiday and budget accordingly.

Chloemol · 08/10/2019 16:09

If this is world challenge they are supposed to raise the funds themselves. Two family members have done this and had to raise the funds as no way could we afford it. They did by hard work, even through exams went and had a good time, volunteering there as well

But no way would I pay for them

WickedGoodDoge · 08/10/2019 16:09

That’s nuts! DC are at a private school and the most we’ve paid is £1200 for a 12 night exchange trip to Taiwan!