Schools charging & people on benefits!

Mupette

Fang wrote: »

I don't mean to be rude, but life's not fair. There are thousands of children in this country who can't afford to go on School trips despite their parents being able to work and earn a wage. Correct me if I am wrong but didn't your son go to live with a host family for a while? Didn't you save money on food and travel expenses while he was there? Didn't he too benefit from the experiences that you all did when you had another child in your home? It may not be the nicest thing I've said, but life isn't fair as you clearly know, but it's not fair for most people, and so if you could afford to send your son, then you should have budgeted for all of the spend. Otherwise it wouldn't be fair on those parents who had to let their children down because they couldn't afford any of the trip.

May I correct you, he hasn't done his bit yet, we have reveived our French exchange, he is yet to go (July)

My apologies for the delay in replying as i have just moved, (purpose built bungalow, for disabled)no phone line and no internet


Up until late last year i was a single working parent, and have done matostly during my son's life. It is only now i rely on state benefit when i am not fit to work.

miss_spooky

I don't think school trips would really be counted in this, I'm on the PTA of our school & our school has asked us to help with the subsidising of school trips. Last yr the head paid for 2 out of her own pocket when they were short.

The schools are not allowed to ask for the full amount of money like they were when we were at school (1973 - 1985). They have to ask for a donation towards the cost, the difference is then met by the school. There isn't enough in the budgets for the school to pay for all trips, so they have to find other ways. We told our that if you made it clear the the PTA would do this then everybody would stop paying - we told them to cancel a few trips to bring it home to the parents that don't pay - not the can't pays - we've also found that it is the working families who do have a good income are often the one that refuse to pay...

Furthermore, because of the equalities etc a school isn't allowed (or not supposed) to leave a child behind who hasn't paid for a trip - again like they used to years ago. I remember going on trips and seeing friends going into other classes for the day.

I think it's irrelavant whether you are on benefits or working with regards to school costs. Their budgets are so low now that they are constantly finding ways to make money, school events there's the PTA's events, then school trips, our playgroup, nursery & reception ask for a £2 donation towards craft items and bits for the kids - sometimes you feel like it's all money going out & you just don't know where to get it from.

I've now got wise after our first full year at school & have opened a savings acct where I put between £5 - £10pm to cover for the big trips.

Also (a long way off for me yet) our secondary school blazer is £70, school emblem has to be embroidered on everything, girls need pe, games, dance kits, boys need rugby, football both with home away & extra tops socks etc and can only be purchased in 1 shop.

It's mad...

Danstar_2

My best friends at school was on an income assessed scholarship but also part of the school hockey team. For our tour we went to Auz at a cost of £2,000 odd pounds. Although he was on a scholarship he would still have had to pay to go. It would have been very sad and embarassing for him to miss out on what was a cracking trip so his family all chipped in so he could go and he got a part time job, a paper round I think to cover his spending money. I know it was stressful for his parents because I was round his house alot but they didn't want their son to miss out.

I don't think you can really complain about paying £20 a couple of times a term for a trip so your child doesn't miss out. School is primarily about education but also about a rounding experience as they learn. Schools aren't trying to make money, they're trying to subsidize that experience. Without it children would be uncultured robots stuck to their DSIs. Especially if you're a working parent who doesn't have the time to take your children to museums and gallerys. Also music lessons are A LOT more expensive outside of school

Fang_3

Mupette wrote: »

May I correct you, he hasn't done his bit yet, we have reveived our French exchange, he is yet to go (July)

My apologies for the delay in replying as i have just moved, (purpose built bungalow, for disabled)no phone line and no internet


Up until late last year i was a single working parent, and have done matostly during my son's life. It is only now i rely on state benefit when i am not fit to work.

So you will save money. I suggest to you that you should stop moaning. You chose to allow him to go on this trip. You chose not to cancel the trip when your circumstances changed. There will have been children with working parents who wouldn't have been able to go, so your son wouldn't have been alone. Where is your son's father in all this? Would he not pay anything towards the trip?

Mupette

Fang wrote: »

So you will save money. I suggest to you that you should stop moaning. You chose to allow him to go on this trip. You chose not to cancel the trip when your circumstances changed. There will have been children with working parents who wouldn't have been able to go, so your son wouldn't have been alone. Where is your son's father in all this? Would he not pay anything towards the trip?

So because i fell i'll my child has to suffer?

His father.. no he would rather give me a punch in the face rather than actually care enough to want to help.

And you know what, I didn't start this thread, i only answered it, I pay my way where ever i can. I don't sponge off the state because i am lazy, I sponge off the state because i am unable to work at this present time.

Bubby

Britwife wrote: »

I'm a stay at home mom and my husband does OK with earnings. We dont' live above our means and are happy with our finances. I have seen plenty of SOA's on debt free wanna be with load of single parents on benefits bringing home more money than we are after taxes.

My husband works long hours to support us and it's quite disheartening to see someone able to stay home and get more money than we do. Yet, we still live happily and comfortably. So I guess what I'm saying is if we can do it getting less than those on benefits than so can those on benefits.

I do agree that things have to change in our education system. I'm fortunate that when our school has any activities that there is a fee involved, it is voluntary and if any child can't pay, they still get to go.

My suggestion is if you truly can't afford to go, then speak to the school and ask for help. Other than that, you are usually given a notice well before payment is needed. Take that time to put the money aside or again, ask the school if you can make a few payments.

Schools love when parents are involved and this is a great opportunity to get involved. If you're at home on benefits, go help out at the school a few times a week, even if it's just with lunch time.

Good post Britwife:T
I do sympathise with people genuinely in trouble and have to live off benefits but I think that because our benefits system is so good there are an awful lot of people who earn more than someone working a full time job........where is the incentive to get back to work and contribute to society?

For people who really can't afford it then unfortunately you cannot send your children on these school trips, why should the rest of us foot the bill? If I am unable to afford something then my children just can't have it, this is a simple fact of life. We are always asked to contribute bits and bobs to our school and I do so because I know it benefits the children. I have seen many people who smoke complain that their children can't have the same as johnny down the road??? Well that is a choice isn't it!

Fang_3

Mupette wrote: »

So because i fell i'll my child has to suffer?

His father.. no he would rather give me a punch in the face rather than actually care enough to want to help.

And you know what, I didn't start this thread, i only answered it, I pay my way where ever i can. I don't sponge off the state because i am lazy, I sponge off the state because i am unable to work at this present time.

If there isn't the money yes! Bloody hell! Should we all pay for your child to have luxuries that other children with two working parents cannot have? Life isn't fair.

Where would you have it stop? You can't afford to buy him a car when he's 17, so someone else should have to? It's the same principle.

The fact is you chose to allow your son to go. You could've cancelled, you didn't and you have a disgusting sense of entitlement that makes you think that the school should cover the shortfall, despite the fact that you won't actually be out of pocket for the other child, once your son has done his trip. It beggars belief!

Fang_3

Bubby wrote: »

Good post Britwife:T
I do sympathise with people genuinely in trouble and have to live off benefits but I think that because our benefits system is so good there are an awful lot of people who earn more than someone working a full time job........where is the incentive to get back to work and contribute to society?

For people who really can't afford it then unfortunately you cannot send your children on these school trips, why should the rest of us foot the bill? If I am unable to afford something then my children just can't have it, this is a simple fact of life. We are always asked to contribute bits and bobs to our school and I do so because I know it benefits the children. I have seen many people who smoke complain that their children can't have the same as johnny down the road??? Well that is a choice isn't it!

Well bloody said!

littlerat

Popping in here..

I grew up from the age of 7 with Dad on IB, and between caring for her Dad, caring for my Dad and cancer, Mum's plans to get a job kept being thwarted.

But my parents never moaned at costs of things like school trips that cost a fiver plus spending money, yes sometimes it wasn't easy but they budgeted. Swimming in primary school we each donated £1 each week - the fact is I loved swimming, to get to go for £1 a week we thought was great actually, full price was about £2.50, although I will say if someone forgot money or something they weren't left behind, it was voluntary, but everyone always gave most weeks.

At secondary school, things like the exchanges and the trips abroad they obviously couldn't afford, or when we were all meant to pay £200 to go to london for a few days for GCSE english, and we had an activities week at the end of each year - they had 2 or 3 free activities and a few at £50 or £100, right up to the ones at a couple of grand. My grandparents (both sides) said they'd pay some so I could afford to do a £100 activity if I wanted, but that still left me with only about 10% in my price range.

But I have to be honest - that's life. It happens, and yes at times it can be annoying but next parents will be saying as a lot of the classmates have gone to italy and places, they should be given a grand for a holiday abroad. Most of my friends had 2 - 3 consoles when I shared an old one with my brother, maybe the school/government should have given us an up to date 1 of those each?!

ellissa

Not relevant but...

...on reading the thread title, I really thought this was going to be about parents who earn (by going to work) what is considered an average to good income, having a moan that they can't afford to send their kids on school trips because the prices are inflated in favour of equal opps to cover the cost of those kids whose parents are on benefits/low income and get it subsidised.

Wrong!