to think you should pay the "voluntary contribution" for school trips..if you can afford to.

[daftpunk]

i'm right here.

yes?

DD is going to the Victorian Museum dressed in a lovely costume I got from eBay because I am very unimaginative. It was about £13 and the contribution was £10, plus £2 spending money.

Next week she needs to dress up as something beginning with, "S" for a charity event (£1 to pay). Two dress-ups is a bit much so she is going as a "servant"

Only read the OP, of course parents should pay if they can afford too - why should they be subsidised by other parents/school.

Trips are usually reasonable (ex some residentials/ski-ing which are totally different as they are more of an opportunity rather than a standard day educational trip)and if anybody does struggle with paying then instalments can usually be agreed.

my ds school claim its a voltruy payment but then badger you for it so even if you can't really afford it u pay anyway and struggle oh joy of kids

I did send a letter to my school once, asking what their understanding of the word 'voluntary' is but never got a reply .

I don't understand why schools can't get their act together and ask for an amount on a monthly basis to cover the trips/contributions over the year so parents are not lumbered with 3 demands for 3 kids at once (happens quite often to me).

Our school had FOUR dress up days so far this year - and none of them were stuff we already had in. Has cost us a small fortune. And then we got the letters home for requests for costumes for the Christmas play.

I don't mind paying trip costs, even though ds (aged 7) has a residential one this year costing £150 which I'm really struggling to find the money for, but he really wants to go and I don't want him ever to feel left out because of money (still have clear memories growing up of hiding demanding money letters from my mum so she didn't get upset). The raising money type things (cinema events, charity events) I grit my teeth and get on with, they're a necessary evil.

But FOUR dressing up days in a term?!! FOUR! I wouldn't mind if they were dress in your own clothes day, but no they were a specific outfit or colour that we had to provide. I just don't think they realise what a hidden cost that is, especially if you have more than one child at the school. Must have spent well over £70 this term on extra clothes I wouldn't have needed to have bought otherwise, and that was utilising Ebay and Primark extensively.

Oh, our "voluntary" contributions are arranged such that you have to have an appointment with the head to discuss your financial circumstances if you don't pay. Things are nowhere near that bad with us, but if they were I think I'd be absolutely mortified if I had to go in to explain why I couldn't pay.

Am paying the residential trip in installments though and fortunately the bulk of that comes in after Christmas (they stop the installments during the month of December, which I thought was quite sensible).

That's outrageous, Rubberduck. I bet it breaches the government guidelines.

This explaining your circumstances to the head is just disgraceful in my opinion. trips / visitors / outings etc are voluntary, they are a nice part of education but they are certainly not essential. To then bully people into paying for something they can't afford is awful.

Thats the same trouble we have had Rubberduck with certain items/colours of clothes being needed for various non-uniform days or sports days as well as supplying jeans and t-shirts to tye-dye for a 60's themed party and a pirate costume on pirates day!

All of which I have had to buy as we did not have the specific item at home....it's cost a small fortune this year.

Had another request today for bulbs to plant in the gardens outside, yet the school can afford a new huge plasma screen tv in the reception area which is pointless and barely used!