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Original poster

This morning there was a mum louding paying that she wasnt going to pay the 8.50 for the farm trip...

77 replies

charliecat · 27/04/2006 12:56

...and I will be sending the money in.
Its irritating me.
Cant work out if im stupid for paying or if shes got sense not too.
What do you think?

OP posts:
jenkel · 27/04/2006 13:51

I would always pay, and if I didnt pay I wouldnt expect my child to go.

I see the point that its not the childs fault but think the pay if you can or like attitude is quite unfair, because some people will always not pay whether they can afford it or not.

I'm quite happy to help out towards paying for a child thats family are really truly struggling but resent it if the parents are down the pub each night or spend a fortune on smoking and priortise that above a school trip.

Caligula · 27/04/2006 13:53

Other parents priorities are always wrong. Wink

But we shouldn't let it effect ours.

Caligula · 27/04/2006 13:53

Sorry affect ours.

(The shame)

SoupDragon · 27/04/2006 13:56

Trips cost a lot because safe coach hire is expensive!

Personally, I pay whatever they ask for without a second thought. And yes, I am well aware that I am lucky to be able to afford it. I have no problems with people not paying or giving a smaller amount because they can't afford it - why would I? I would, however, be seriously p*ssed off if someone who could afford it complained and refused to pay.

So, in answer to the original post - it depends whether she (and you) can afford it.

sobernow · 27/04/2006 13:59

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Normsnockers · 27/04/2006 14:03

Agree with sobernow about it representing a microcosm of the way society functions these days.

There are those who "know their rights" and exert them because they have not developed a social conscience at the same time as acquiring these rights.

I like to think that we have moved on from the can't afford to go so stay behind generation, to a more socially inclusive system of educational trips but of course there will always be parents who consider their weekly/nightly pub outings and fags/boooze as a necessity and the school trip as a luxury that they can't afford.

Caligula · 27/04/2006 14:05

Agree. All these things are based on the idea of people all being civilised and paying if they can, so that people who can't don't suffer. Like taxation. I wouldn't defraud the benefit or taxation system just because some people do either though, and on the same basis I wouldn't not pay into the school fund / school trips etc.

hub2dee · 27/04/2006 14:08

LOL @ Caligula's (shame). Smile

macwoozy · 27/04/2006 14:12

I was a bit hasty to say 'if you don't pay, you don't go' without giving much thought towards the parents who really can't afford to send their child. But sadly I've seen quite a few parents taking advantage of this 'voluntary' payment option when they certainly have the means to pay.

rickman · 27/04/2006 14:13

I pay whether I can afford it or not. I don't want to be seen as the poor mum in an area where the majority of being are pretty well off.

My mum said that when she was at school, she was responsible for collecting her younger brothers and sister from the bus. A school trip had been arranged and she was worried that she wouldn't be back in time to collect them, so she told the teacher that her mum couldn't afford to pay and she wasn't going.

A note came home from school from the headmaster saying that he would pay for the trip for her and even gave her some spending money! My nan was mortified. :o

singersgirl · 27/04/2006 14:16

I always pay an extra 50% for the school trips in the hope that I will cover some of the cost of a child whose parents can't afford it. But I think those people who genuinely can't afford it aren't shouting about it....Does that sound really holier-than-thou? I know I'm wealthy compared to some parents at the school, and I am happy to subsidise someone else's child.

shimmy21 · 27/04/2006 14:19

Belleoftheball -something you said niggled me. 'I only don't pay if i don't agree with it.'

On what grounds would you 'not agree' with a school trip? Schools are always ultra careful to make sure trips are safe, good value, educational and fun.

Seriously, what are your objections to some trips?

006 · 27/04/2006 14:19

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oliveoil · 27/04/2006 14:24

I remember being at school with another girl as we were the only ones that couldn't afford the trip .

Not sure if they still do this but it is a very mean way to show everyone whose parents are skint.

julienetmum · 27/04/2006 14:25

I don't always think that you can accurately judge who can afford to pay and who can't. Someone might appear to be pretty wealthy on the surface but in reality be struggling because their mortgage rate has gone up or their child desperately wanted to do an expensive out of school activity which they are struggling to finance.

I probably appear to be pretty wealthy but in actual fact it is my parents who are well off. Other mums at the school gate see dd being picked up by them in a big posh car with playstation and DVD (tacky imo but there you go)alongside the fact it is a private school which we are desperatly struggling to afford.

Last week we got a letter telling us all about how the 4th years in the senior school are going on a compulsory trip abroad costing £200. My first thought was how the hell would I afford that on top of everything else.

Also I know parents who resent paying for a trip to a city farm/other attraction becasue they go often as a family or hold season tickets etc

sobernow · 27/04/2006 14:26

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oliveoil · 27/04/2006 14:27

they did when I wer a lass!

sobernow · 27/04/2006 14:29

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FioFio · 27/04/2006 16:25

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fennel · 27/04/2006 16:29

i think it's nice that children all get to go whether or not their parents can afford the money

dd2's farm trip is £2. an advantage of having moved recently to farm country I guess, there are farms everywhere you turn.

FioFio · 27/04/2006 16:34

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shimmy21 · 27/04/2006 16:34

In fact it's the coach travel that nearly always ups the cost of school trips. Most places let school groups in free but the cost of renting a coach is high even if it's only a part day. And relying on the whims of public transport to take a classful of over excited children to wherever is just not fun.

Original poster
charliecat · 27/04/2006 16:45

The woman is no better worse off than me. I spend 40 quid a week on food. This trip, and dd1s voluntry contributions towards swimming costing 19.50 effectively mean we have just over a tenner for food this week.
Thankfully being a tight arse bitch my freezer is full.
It just got up my arse that she was mouthing off about not paying, and made me feel a fool for doing so.

OP posts:
Caligula · 27/04/2006 16:47

You're not a fool for doing so. You're demonstrating to your child that you value the trips s/he's taking and you're willing to prioritise your spending on them. It's a lesson your child is taking in.

flibbertygibbet · 27/04/2006 16:50

If you pay and she doesn't you are not subsidising a place for her dd. Legally schools are not allowed to charge each parent more than the "unit cost per child". If there are non-payers, then the school has to either find the money from elsewhere, or cancel the trip. Many PTAs have a fund for this purpose, or as Singersgirl describes some schools invite parents to pay extra if they can afford it.

I've only just realised that ds1 doesn't have a daytrip this term as he had a residential earlier in the year. So we only have one trip to pay for this time.