..to object to paying for essential school trips?

[carolt]

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?

hear hear Boffinmum

I didnt know that, ir did know and had forgotten.

I want to know when my dd gets to do a residential as dp and I have no babysitter now and it is ages since we have had a night out.

at higher German Alps

Well you get a lot of babysitting for £160 tbh.

Nah, your school's residentials sound crap BM.

I think if they're going way, they should actually go away. But I do know parents who fret about that too, so you can't win I guess.

Yes, not your common or garden naff lower German Alps, the higher ones you have to put proper boots on for!!

I'd forgotten that apparently it's very irritating to say

here here

so, here here Boffinmum

twinet - I know at DS1's junior school they do one in Yr4 and one in Yr6 (have been forewarned by friends who have children further up the school and know about my annoyance at short notice for money ).

You see I now know that the letters will go out at some point in the 1st term of YR4 and the money will start having to be paid in bits soon after...............so knowing in advance means I can plan for it and DS1 won't miss out (make a bloody change seen as though he can't even go to sing with his school choir at most bloody things they do because the school organise (free) transport there for them and expect us to pick them up from gawd knows where).

I dont know those babysitting agencies charge how much an hour?

when we went up Mt Fuji there were little old ladies passing us in plimsolls.
Quite embarassed by our boots and fitness levels then tbh

FallenMadonna, you have a point there, but I think my main objection was having two of these things in a year. One I might take a risk on, but I don't think it's unreasonable to politely decline a second when it costs even more £££ and they didn't exactly make a big effort with the first one.

Ronaldinhio! My DSs charge up those mountains now and I am left languishing half way up. I feel your pain.

Twinset I will babysit for a fiver as long as you leave your PC on with pre-selected links to naff houses on Rightmove to laugh at.

as long as you know none of those houses are mine/

I like to take my time and appreciate the view nowadays...erm...

You don't have to defend anything Twinset.

oo bopffin you sound marvellous. You really told them

when we went up kilimanjaro in '99 we tookstout boots, a thermos, two billy-cans and a couple of naff house schedules for entertainment

My ds went on a trip yesterday. I've had his teacher on the phone today complaining that he hasn't paid for tomorrow's trip, or Friday's This is the same subject, 3 trips in one week! £16, £6 and she mentioned tomorrow's trip is "expensive" but not the figure. WTF?!

Now DS is 17, hasn't given me any of the letters, and is giving me attitude about the whole thing. He doesn't work so can't pay for himself and I haven't budgeted for 3 extra school trips. Apparently they are vital to the subject.

My DCs school very rarely does trips. I'd much rather be asked to pay towards one than them have none.

I think one trip a term is enough, or they miss a lot of classroom time.

There's a lot that can be done for free, apart from the cost of the transport, with a bit of imagination. I do not see a great deal of imagination involved in many of these trips people are posting about. Our village organises a 5-day exchange to the twin village in France and everyone works hard to either host back or provide food for get-togethers or whatever, and it costs £80 per child all in. Much more like it.

Trip escalation seems to be like facilities escalation - once one school starts doing something fancy, all the others think the kids are deprived if they don't provide something at least as good, if not better. This is credit crunch madness.

Take them hiking, I say. Get some roses in their cheeks.