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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

..to object to paying for essential school trips?

98 replies

carolt · 03/03/2009 22:16

Given all the fuss there was in the press only a few weeks ago concerning paying for school trips - basically, it made it clear that though many schools do it, they're not actually allowed to charge anything for trips related to the National Curriculum (any more than they're allowed to charge for textbooks or other vital equipment), I was shocked to get not 1 but 2 letters home this week from my kids school demanding 'voluntary' contributions of £8.50 for 1 trip (to a free-entry museum!) and £6.50 for the other.

I was really shocked and mentioned this to another mum, who mentioned it to the school office, who told her that as it was 'voluntary', any parent who couldn't afford it could go and chat to the headteacher about it.

But this is not the point at all, surely? Surely the school shouldn't be asking for payment at all, in the first place? Parents shouldn't have to humiliate themselves by pleading penury to the head, when actually the school is in the wrong anyway by asking for money?

See:

www.dcsf.gov.uk/popularquestions/questions.cfm?keywords=&gatewayCategoryID= 8&mainCategoryID=203&expandID=4099&new=0

and

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7867848.stm

So - what do you think?

Am I being unreasonable? Should I complain? Do other people have the same problem?

OP posts:
pointydog · 03/03/2009 22:42

school trips are not essential. If many people are going to moan about ever having to pay anything at all for something extra at school, then trips, workshops, visits etc should just be banned.

twinsetandpearls · 03/03/2009 22:43

But it would be sad if they were banned

FAQinglovely · 03/03/2009 22:44

yes - an in my rage (I'm still p*ssed off with them for something else that I posted about this morning lol) I wrote infant instead of Junior. DS2's infant school (where DS1 was last year) are really good - think the shortest "notice" I've had for anything over £1 has been 2 weeks.

If we're lucky the Junior school give us a whole 2 weeks notice ! (and then send out arsey "reminder" letters straight after the "due in" by date that if we;re paying the money it needs to be in NOW (or words to that effect).

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 03/03/2009 22:45

I agree schools should give adequate notice. But I would like to know what people who think parents shouldn't have to pay for trips think schools should do about it.
Not run the trips at all?

pointydog · 03/03/2009 22:45

yes it would be very sad and it would be a great loss but I get fed up at some of the sentiment expressed in teh op

altagloria · 03/03/2009 22:46

Yes twinset it is mostly the coach, my mum's a primary teacher and I've been on a few class trips with her to museums - the museums are free and the only cost incurred is the coach. However it is a 30+ seater coach that is taken up for the whole day, which is expensive.

23balloons · 03/03/2009 22:47

my son's school sent home a letter last week asking for £17 for a trip to a museum several miles away. There was less than one week's notice to pay the money. £17 is the full price and £10 is the voluntary contribution amount then there is a passage about those who can't afford it don't have to pay.

My son doesn't even want to go on the trip and I don't want to pay the £17 even though I could afford to. Do I pay it because others want to go? I haven't yet decided, I am thinking of paying the £10 to make a point that I don't really agree with the trip, the amount of time to pay isn't enough notice and I don't actually care if the trip takes place or not.

MrsJamesMartin · 03/03/2009 22:48

23 balloons if your son doesn't want to go and you don't want to pay for it then keep him at home .

23balloons · 03/03/2009 22:49

I can't because I am at work while he is at school

EyeballsintheSky · 03/03/2009 22:51

Did one of you ring up a museum today and have a moan about the £18 that your child had to pay for a trip? We had a nightmare phone call from this woman and she wouldn't let up about it. Funny that this thread is on the same day!

(I'm joking, I think...)

twinsetandpearls · 03/03/2009 22:51

can he stay in school? If my dd had an educational trip I would just send her. I would also feel guilty if a whole class could not go if they were 1 or 2 short and I was one of them.

twinsetandpearls · 03/03/2009 22:51

can he stay in school? If my dd had an educational trip I would just send her. I would also feel guilty if a whole class could not go if they were 1 or 2 short and I was one of them.

MrsJamesMartin · 03/03/2009 22:51

If the trip is deemed useful/educational/fun by the school and a majority of parents then its should go ahead, is it a whole school trip? If so then all the staff will be needed to go so its up to you to sort out some childcare or take the day off.

ravenAK · 03/03/2009 22:53

No Mrs JM - 23 Balloons should ring the school, & ask what provision they're making for those who aren't going on the trip.

Bunking off is not a good precedent to set.

But fair enough, 23 Ballooons, - if you don't think the trip's useful or valuable, you shouldn't feel obliged to support it.

MrsJamesMartin · 03/03/2009 22:54

But if its a whole school trip there won't be any provision for children staying in school.

RustyBear · 03/03/2009 22:56

Having spent a lot of last year collecting contributions for school trips, I can assure you that they are very far from a 'money-raising exercise' The amount charged is the amount it costs divided by the number of children going, with no allowance for non-payers and every single trip has had a shortfall which either comes out of school funds or is made up by the PTA.

And it is very rarely those least able to pay who fail to do so.

23balloons · 03/03/2009 22:56

It is not a whole school trip it is just his year. I don't think I should have to sort out child care either - he has had a day off this week as the school has had an inset day this week & has one in April, 1 in June and another day off in the same week in June as the school is closed for European elections but the inset day cannot be moved forward 2 days so they will just need to have another day off!

pointydog · 03/03/2009 22:57

there might well be. You need to ask.

pointydog · 03/03/2009 22:57

oh don't keep him off and don't moan about childcare. Normally if children don't go on a trip, they go into another class for the day. \Simple

ravenAK · 03/03/2009 22:58

Highly unlikely scenario. Think about the logistics of taking an entire primary school to a museum...

Also, as others have pointed out, there's RULES. Schools are required to make provision for students who are not taking part in school trips.

MrsJamesMartin · 03/03/2009 22:58

If its just his year then there isn't really a problem then hopefully there will be scope to accomodate him in anoher year group.

pointydog · 03/03/2009 22:58

the inconvenience of inservice days. sheesh

FAQinglovely · 03/03/2009 22:59

pointy - I know - those fecking teachers having an extra day off for no reason hey

sayithowitis · 03/03/2009 23:01

The school where I work always asks for voluntary contributions towards the cost of any trip. Sadly, whilst the school does subsidise costs where possible, it simply cannot afford to pay for the entire cost. If more than a certain number of parents choose not to pay, sadly, trips have to be cancelled. The cost of hiring coaches is ridiculous, but of course, the price has to be paid if you want the service! The cost of 'cover' for teaching staff on the trip, most certainly does not come out of the money paid by parents for a trip! If you really believe that schools use these trips as a way of raising extra funds, maybe you should try hiring the transport and paying whatever admission charges are payable for less than the amounts requested by schools. You need to take into account the fact that coaches will need to have the right kind of safety belts for the children, that there is a legal minimum number of adults required to supervise a given number of children, ( and should those who are taking responsibility for your childrenon a day trip really be asked to pay for the privilege?)etc etc. Our PA is simply not in a position to pay for trips since they contribute substantial sums towards other costs, such as resources or specialist equipment which cannot be afforded from the school budget.
It's all fine and dandy for Ed Balls to deride schools who ask for voluntary contributions for trips, but it is his govenment which is turning schools into businesses that are having to operate on a shoestring budget.

moondog · 03/03/2009 23:02

FAQ,why is every post written by you in red???
Is it just on my PC?
Are you sneding me secret messages???