Can't afford Dd's very expensive school trip

[Wario54]

My DD is 15 and in year 10 at the moment. We live a deprived part of the North of England. She goes to a local, state comprehensive

My DH has had his hours reduced at work in recent months. I work part time in retail (can't get anymore hours unfortunately - I have asked). Like a lot of families, we're financially struggling to keep our heads above water. But we get by (somehow) and I never take the little things for granted (that we have each other, food on the table and a roof over our heads). We've not told our kids about our financial worries - they know there isn't much spare money but not about the extent of our problems.

Dd has come home tonight with a letter and great excitement about another school trip. They had a guest speaker today (external travel company) in assembly today enthusing them about a trip to Borneo of all places. It's 4 weeks long and the cost is £6,500. Currently planned for June/July 2027 (just after her GCSE'S). They are expected to fundraise some of the cost themselves (bake sales, sponsored walks etc) but we will have to pay the majority if she's to go.

She said today that she'll get a Saturday job to cover some of the cost herself. But even with that, taken into account we just can't afford it. It breaks my heart, because I'd love to give her that opportunity but I know we simply can't.

She's full of excitement about trekking through the jungle and cuddling Orangutans. But how do I tell her when she's already set her heart on it? 😢

I just think the school are being completely ridiculous by offering such an expensive trip in a cost of living crisis.

This isn’t a school trip. It’s an external company that was allowed to promote their trip for young people at her school. It’s not organised by the school and none of the staff will be going (obviously). I am a lot older than your DD and we had exactly the same thing being promoted in my sixth form assembly in 2001 (although it was Costa Rica and turtles, not Borneo). I don’t think a single person from my school went on it. It was also thousands. But yeah don’t get this confused with an actual school trip.

Yes, Id be complaining to the school about this. Don't they have a climate or environment policy this would contradict too?!

My kids school offered the same. Fortunately mine didn't want to go, otherwise I would have said no and complained to the school. I felt annoyed as they got a private company in to go and do assembly on it. They shouldn't be telling kids that you can raise 6.5k doing bake sales etc- that's unrealistic and unfair. It encourages begging and criwd funding. I don't know any kids who actually went. Don't feel bad about saying no and do complain to the school. It's totally inappropriate

Just say no! Similar type of trip to I think India was offered at dd's independent school, although I think it was around half that price, and not a single child went on the trip.

Don’t do it, our child went on one costing a few thousand, we couldn’t afford it, they did money raising exercise's, family members paid. The equip,ent they needed was 100’s of pounds too.
Just say no, we tried, but our child was convinced and then approached other family members

Our school teachers did go on the trip, but it shouldn’t be promoted.

Immediately reject that request.

We’re at an independent school in a pretty affluent area. The most expensive trip the school has offered was £3000 which is still ludicrous - and the majority of parents could afford it. The most expensive one I’ve left dd go on was £1200 and I found that eye watering.

I agree it’s unfair of the school thinking the costs are appropriate in a cost of living crisis and I get there will be others who can’t afford it either .

We do not live in a deprived part of the UK, and are not struggling financially. I would be telling my DD this is a ridiculous amount of money for one person to go on holiday. It’s not that hard!

She won't be the only one not going. We wouldn't have paid that for a school trip. DS went on one skiing trip when he was at school, it went every year and we said he could go once but it was nowhere near that cost.

I have over 6k in savings, so technically could afford it but would not be using it for one trip for one family member. It is a huge amount of money i expect most families will be saying no.

I'm assuming this is a Camps International trip. It is an external trip which school staff (pay to) go on to supervise the students.

It isn't compulsory.

Students are given the long notice period in order to give them time to fundraise or get a job to help pay for it.

It is a fantastic opportunity but if you can't raise the funds then she can't go.

A good way of making some extra cash is through easy fundraising where a percentage of your shopping cost gets donated back to you. A Sainsbury's order gives you £1 in donation for example. Renewing my car insurance got me £19.

I think you will find they don’t have much uptake on that. My DD goes to a private school and they had to cancel a similar trip recently that was half the price as there was hardly any interest due to cost.

That’s more than the cost of an annual family holiday. No way would we even consider it and we are not struggling.

That’s ridiculous. I’m sure the vast majority of parents would feel the same and they won’t get a lot of up take.

Look at different opportunities for her. There are sites like Workaway where you can volunteer to help people with various projects. You need to pay for your transport but you get accommodation and meals for working. It could be something she can do after A levels/college if she’s interested. Costs way less and lots of amazing locations including Borneo. (I don’t anyone who’s used it but it was something ds was looking at)

Even for World Challenge that’s incredibly expensive! My children are at London independent schools with a fair number of pretty wealthy parents. No trips that expensive have ever been offered and I can’t imagine anyone would go for that price. That’s completely ridiculous!

Even the build a school trips are half this price... And to have a travel agent come in and sell it to the children is so far out of order; you should all be complaining.

Of course you will need to tell your daughter you can't afford, but it's also a good time to teach her that some things don't even need to be considered; as a £6.5k school trip is out of reach for most families; even higher earning ones.

It's infuriating that a school, especially in a deprived area, could be so woefully ridiculous.

Hi OP, I’m a teacher. These kind of trips are as others have said organised by external organisations. One or two teachers from the school might go (often they have to per the company’s policy) but the school has no involvement in the organisation. So it’s not a school trip.
secondly I suspect it won’t happen. I teach in a more affluent area and we had one of these assemblies from a company last year. Zero interest. I used to teach at a private school and same thing happened there a few years ago. People just don’t have that kind of spare cash (well not many do).

my main point howwver is: morally I would avoid these trips like the plague. I have a real problem with them. Kind of white saviour ‘we’re going to help the poor people of x country’. Honestly your dc will have more fun on the £80 history day trip to London or something similar.

That’s more than it cost for our family of four to go to Borneo at post-Covid peak rates! Honestly it’s one of those destinations that is cheap as chips once you get there. You just get a budget airline flight eg Air Asia from Malaysia or Singapore. Hire guides yourself. If she’s keen on it as a destination, then get her to research it for her gap year/ school holidays. It will open her eyes to how much she’s being ripped off. There are Borneo travel forums on Facebook.

I think this is pretty common as my kids have both come home with letters after a company came in to "sell" these amazing charity trips where they go and build houses somewhere for 4 weeks and have to fundraise thousands of pounds

I said no. I think 15 is too young to be away in another country for 4 weeks and its wildly expensive and fundraising that amount is a huge commitment. Also , it kind of gives me "white privilege gap year vibe" and I don't feel comfortable with the whole set up really

My kids got over it .

My son has just said no to a similar trip, his was £5000 to Cambodia. I thought it was far too expensive but £6500 is crazy. I also told him he would be competing to raise funds locally with the others who say yes so likely to struggle raising the majority of it. This year around 20 children went. They do give nearly 2 years to raise the funds though. Even so, for that money I would much rather have a family holiday there so we can all see the country.
After watching the company videos and realising none of his friends were signing up, he turned it down.

I’ve been to Borneo. She won’t be “cuddling orangutans”. She’ll be very lucky to even see one in the wild. More likely in a sanctuary. So if that’s why she’s so keen to go, best not bother with the trip as not only will be you be 6.5k down, she won’t have achieved her dream of cuddling an orangutan either.

That's insane and the head teacher should have realised before allowing pupils to be told.

Is the company selling it as a chance to do 'work experience' in the country. If so look at the ethics of kids 'teaching' in schools, etc. It will make it far less appealing.

If the trip is okay, are there any bursaries?

Years ago I went to Borneo and jungle trekked, it was honestly horrific. The whole jungle is constantly moving with insects around you, apparently never further than 1m away from a snake. I don't particularly like insects but not a total wimp but I was on edge all the time. Stuff climbing and crawling over you constantly.And if you're lucky enough to see an orangutan there's zero chance you can cuddle them due to passing on any diseases (although it is amazing to see them) and them being ridiculously strong/aggressive! Terrible form from school

I bet those orang utans get sick of being cuddled by school kids, too.