To think the school need to get a grip?

[Tyrozet]

Just had a text from my son informing me of a letter he is bringing home from school about a trip abroad next year.

The cost of the trip alone is nearly £1000 - it is a skiing trip so on top of the basic cost of the trip, special clothes need to be purchased, passports paid for and of course spending money - I'd say all in it will be at least £1500.

It's a state school in a town with many deprived areas.

I know you can just say "no" if it's not affordable but AIBU to think the school shouldn't be putting on trips like this at a time when many families are having to choose between which basic essentials they can afford?

Things are shit enough as it is for alot of people without having the added kick in the teeth that this is completely unreachable at the moment.

My school offered annual ski trips & some other holidays (early 2000s).
I never even took the letters home, there was no point asking or making my mum feel bad.

My Y6 class went on a week holiday to the Isle of Wight, I didn't ask to go on that either (although that was a bit different as it was the whole year group going so only me and one other child didn't go).

I think it's pretty tone deaf honestly. But then I don't really think it's on the school to provide ski trips. Odd form of enrichment.

@DdraigGoch

The rich kids can go on family ski trips

@Cookiecrumble22 and what about those in the middle? The ones whose parents can't afford to take the whole family, but could afford to send the kids in separate years?

If there is no over the top priced ski trip then no one will be going. Means no group of children are missed out . Poor vs working class vs middle class. Families holidays are completely different to school holidays.

£1k is good value for a ski trip. A lot of kids won't be able to go, some might, in a deprived area the ones who can't will be the majority and they won't feel left out. As long as the school also organises cheaper trips I don't see a problem.

I have mixed feelings about this one. Family skiing is expensive but we could probably afford to send one child with school. So is it better for some children who might not otherwise get the experience to have more of a chance at something like this? I don't know.

What did annoy me was that DD (age 5) came home recently pushing AllStars cricket who had been into school promoting their courses. It's designed to be affordable but I bet there are still families who can't shell out.

So they employ pester power from young children who don't understand this type of thing. Promising them a goody bag so all the children ask to go. Do the school get money from this?

DD's school offers trips, alternating between Europe (mostly Austria or northern Italy) and Canada (no idea why they think Canada when there are great ski areas in Europe).

There are 30 - 50 places for 4 year groups of 240 girls each.

We knew about these trips from the beginning and made it clear that DD won't go. I do know some who had sent their girls and they did have a good time and clothes could often be borrowed or gotten second hand. Our price really included everything apart from sending money, so it was good value.

I don't think that families who budget every holiday/trip/luxery expense will do these trips anyway. If there aren't enough takers it won't go ahead and the school then may rethink it for the future. But sometimes a trip like that is good for a child's development of independence, especially if they are not used to be doing trips on their own.

I went to a private girls school in the 80s. Even in that environment most families couldn’t afford the school ski trip (or any of the other trips) and there was no shame in not going. My children also won’t be going on these sorts of trip. Can’t get worked up about the school offering them though.

It will be in school holidays not term time. A lot of families wouldn’t be able to afford to take the entire family away so just send the child with school. The money is paid in instalments and often Christmas/ birthday money used for equipment etc. I don’t see any problem offering trips outside term time. Kids just have to accept that they can’t do everything and someone else might be on a school or family holiday when they’re not.

All the arsehole kids wet on the residential trips so I had no interest in them when I was at school. Our kids haven't show any interest in these type of things either but with that cost we would say no anyway.

Tbh I’m dreading this. I have twins, there is no way I’ll ever be able to afford to send them on a trip like this which they inevitably will want to do together.

The rich and poor kids are divided enough at school through private holidays or designer shoes and coats. There’s no need for a school to offer a skiing trip and it puts a lot of pressure on families when so many are struggling.

Some people can't afford a £300 trip. Would the school be unreasonable to continue to organise those?

What about school lunches? Some parents can only afford a packed lunch for their kids. Should the school enforce packed lunches for all?

It is not the fault of the school if your child can't understand that their parents can't afford a £1500 ski trip or you are unable to tell them "no".

In some ways this will possibly put less pressure on most parents - say there is a school trip and it's £400-700, a lot of parents may find this a squeeze but will try and find a way. £1000+ is more likely just a straight no.

YABU. My cleaner is sending her son on the school ski trip and was delighted when it was offered because she thinks it would be a great experience for him and they can't afford to go as a family as too expensive. She had enough notice to save for it

YABU

If it weren't for school ski trips then everyone I know who has ever been skiing would never have been skiing.

Surely it's better for some kids to get the chance than none of them to?

I don’t totally understand this mind set? Becayse some people can’t afford it no child should have the opportunity? I don’t agree, yes it’s shit when you can’t afford stuff for your kid but I don’t agree it means no kid should have the opportunity because of it.

My kids school runs a geography trip to Iceland - £2700 and a trip to New York £1600. I would love for him to go but I have 3 kids and would want to give them all the same opportunities - I don't forsee we'd be able to afford for them all to go - even with a lot of notice so it's easier to say none can go - still feels unfair though.

No, it's you who needs to get a grip.

Why should tens of children miss out just because you can't afford it?

I've just sent my 3 DC's on a skiing trip, not a chance we could afford for the whole family to go. It's an amazing opportunity for them.

The majority won't be going, because of the cost, they don't want to, it clashed with a family holiday etc. Etc.

Its not like your child will be the only one missing out- they will probably take 20 kids or something. So YABU.

Our 2 DC both managed to get a place on the school ski trip in 2020 (ended up being cancelled for Covid). Payment was in instalments and it was planned to take the place of the family holiday. We decided it was worth it as DC both wanted to try a skiing holiday but due to DH and I being creaky it’s never going to happen. Some people can take the £££ in their stride, some people save and go without, some people can’t afford it. As a teen I never took the letters home because there was no point but that doesn’t mean no one else should have had the chance.

Dd's high school do this every two years.
They go by coach and usually have one coach full of students and staff out of a large high school. Not everyone goes, many aren't interested, many can't afford it.
It £1000 this year all paid by October for a 2023 trip.

@SartresSoul

DS’s school did this a few weeks ago. They sent two letters home. One was for an £850 trip to Italy, they claimed it could be paid in instalments but what this actually meant was send us the £200 deposit by next week to secure their place then the other £650 needed paying in 2 separate instalments. Not like an affordable monthly plan at all. The trip is also less than a year away so easily could have told parents about it back in September and allowed them more time to pay it off. Ridiculous, DS knew he wouldn’t be able to go because it’s just way out of our reach.

He brought home a letter for a residential trip about an hour away at the same time. Again, £150 and they wanted the first ‘instalment’ by the following week and the rest of it next month. I paid for that one because it was more affordable for us but even that would be out of many people’s reach.

So do you think they should just not do these trips at all? If one person can't afford it, nobody should get to go?

Yes ofc you just say no and yes these things have been going in for years but we are currently in unprecedented times financially where a lot of the students will have parents worrying about feeding them. Asking for 1800 at this particular time is tone deaf.
As for it being inclusive don't talk daft. It excludes everyone except the very well off.

I think alot of people have missed my point, or maybe I haven't explained it too well.

I actually think that in a school environment, this sort of trip is divisive and discriminates against people who are from poorer backgrounds.

I understand that not everyone will be able to afford every trip, but this isn't necessary or educational, it's a holiday being facilitated by the school which blatantly excludes a large number of pupils because of their background.

Well-off families who can summon up £200 by next week to enter the lottery for a place will be fine, but others who can't come up with that sum of money with no notice wont get a look in - even if we could afford to save the installments for the rest of the trip.

I can't be doing with the 'I can't have it so neither should you' whiners.

It's not compulsory, it's not usually in term time and it's not part of the curriculum. One of my boys wanted to do it so he did. We are definitely not rich. We paid instalments over a year, he saved birthday/Christmas/job money to spend, and he borrowed all the kit from a friend who skis. My other son wouldn't be seen dead on a school trip but still had the option should he have wanted.

I had nothing as a child. Not even clean clothes and food. A holiday was about as attainable as going to the moon. The first time I went on holiday I was in my 20s. Does that mean no one else should have gone? Or that my life was even more crap because they could and I couldn't? Of course not, it's a ridiculous notion and borne out of nothing but having a large chip on your shoulders.

I'm not wealthy, I live from month to month but we make it work. In comparison to how I grew up I'm a bloody millionaire. I still can't afford holidays abroad but I do not begrudge my friends who can, nor do I moan about the injustice of it all.

There have always, and always will be, people who can afford more than you, that's just life.

All schools do these school trips and they are all very expensive - the teachers understandably go for free so their costs are also factored in. Just say no