How do you feel about expensive foreign school trips?

gingin_2

I am just interested in other people's opinions on school trips, really I mean the expensive foreign trips they seem to be offering in senior school.

DS has excitedly brought home a letter for a £920 ski trip. I guess once we have bought appropriate clothing and spending money it's £1200+. We can afford it but both myself and my husband feel slightly uncomfortable at throwing so much money at something that:-

a) might not be fully appreciated

b) will undoubtedly not be accessible for all classmates ( a personal opinion we both raised, having never discussed it together before, which was interesting )

c) the money could be better spent ( for example we could have a family weekend away and still put away a good chunk of money for uni) .

We haven't properly discussed or decided what we will do but I was interested in all perspectives and I know my husband will be too, whether it's a straight "no" we can't afford it, or a "yes" when faced with a letter offering a great opportunity for their child but at a very high price.

Lagoon

I was never able to go on the expensive trips. Our school always put something else on, as an alternative for those that couldn't afford it. I can't deny that it was disappointing to be missing out, but the school's alternative activities were good.

I don't recall all of them, but cake decorating was enjoyable, and I remember that we went skiing locally whilst the other children were abroad.

I guess from my point of view, I don't know what I missed out on. I certainly never thought about it once I left school!

However, the trip will be going on whether your son goes or not. It doesn't make sense to consider the principle of it, and the children left behind.

pukkamum

My ds came home with a ski trip letter and to be honest I'm quite glad we can't afford it as I'm not sure I would feel comfortable spending so much.
Dh on the other went on every ski trip at school and still remembers every bit of them to this day so it was obviously a fantastic time for him and if we had the money he would definitely send him.
Also I really don't think you should worry about the ones who can't go, I never could and it never bothered me one jot, nor my friends who could've either.

peachyprice

DD got a letter about the 2013 ski trip, to Colorado, it's £1100, I refuse to pay that much for one member of the family when we could all go away for not much more.

I believe they do alternate between USA and Europe, if the European one comes up at under £500 we'll consider it.

Interestingly, the USA trip only used to be open to Yr10 & yr11, definitely not yr7, seems they're not getting enough takers anymore so are having to offer it to the whole school.

midnightraven3

i feel these school trips are part and parcel of school days/having a child. Ours have been on several and all had wonderful experiences. Yes they seem to cost more than family holidays, we planned ahead and accounted for them, same as we did any other expense. These threads come up every year, same as how expensive school uniforms are, and its always a 50/50 split.

Sensemaya

I'm pretty sure the teachers accompanying the pupils get a freebie hol. That's why the costs are so high.

pukkamum

peachyprice wrote: »

DD got a letter about the 2013 ski trip, to Colorado, it's £1100, I refuse to pay that much for one member of the family when we could all go away for not much more.

I believe they do alternate between USA and Europe, if the European one comes up at under £500 we'll consider it.

Interestingly, the USA trip only used to be open to Yr10 & yr11, definitely not yr7, seems they're not getting enough takers anymore so are having to offer it to the whole school.

Our son's is to europe and is £900:eek:

sharnad

I never went on mine. Went for a week abroad with my parents and a friend instead for a week. Was much better and I probably enjoyed it more but I'm not keen on skiing.

sooty&sweep

Hi

The school wouldn't offer it if they didn't think there was a good chance of enough takers. So yes there will be families that can't afford but also alot could if they chose to.

Jen

PasturesNew

When I went to school it was only the middle-class/rich kids that ever went on those school trips. I don't even remember being given a letter for one, so maybe, back then, they only gave letters to those they knew could afford it, and then those that might be able to. Or maybe I just forgot about the letters since as going on a school trip wasn't something I'd ever be doing.

Sneezy

I went on an Austrian Adventure 10 day trip when I was 14 (Summer 2001) - I asked my parents in the October before when the letters were given out thinking that the answer would be no (as there are three of us with me the oldest).

They said yes - it was amazing and I'm extremely grateful they gave me the opportunity. It left me the travel bug and a lot of independence to do things away from my friends (none of my friends went). It ended up that I was in Austria for 10 days back in the UK for 24 hours before flying to Cyprus for a family holiday (the timing was something that wasn't planned at all).

ETA I will say that we aren't middle-class or would have been classed as someone who could afford it - it was a lot of saving and hard work on both my mum and dads part (for both the school trip and family holiday).

Our family holidays were always in the UK (with the exception of three) and were always fantastic no matter where we went or what the weather was like. Some of my fellow classmates had 3 or 4 foreign holidays a year.