How do you feel about expensive foreign school trips?

pigpen

I was never allowed to go on any trips and I still hold that grudge.. 100 years later. Mainly because my friends went and I couldn't go.

My boys never wanted to go on any of them but my oldest daughter went to Lourdes.. not quite skiing I know.. they went for a week and worked with people with disabilities and the elderly and did have some fun times and DD1 says it was a very enriching experience rather than just a holiday. hers was £460 plus the cost of a passport and spending money (they were only allowed to take 50 euros) and new clothes etc before hand.

I couldn't afford to pay that much out for a holiday for one child, I would explain to them why I couldn't and that if we could afford that I would take everyone away because we all deserve a holiday having not had one for 6 years.

I know trips were limited to 30 places when I was at school but 70 went with DD1 to Lourdes but the school year is 3 times the size it was when I was there. There are more not going than are going.. by staying home he will not be in the minority that is a certainty.

VJsmum

Sensemaya wrote: »

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

This is not a holiday for the teachers. i used to take students on foreign study visits - I have been to Dubai, Paris, Prague and Stockholm. Every single one of them was bl00dy hard work - I was working every day from 8 till 8 and these were adults. With children it must be 10 times worse. Of course the teachers don't pay - why should they? But, whilst it might be a great experience, it is no holiday.

duchy

Sensemaya wrote: »

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

I presume you'd want a "free" holiday if it meant giving up your own holiday time with your own family or friends to spend a week (unpaid) supervising teenagers, on duty 24/7 - keeping them organized and behaving all week, dealing with homesickness, teenage squabbles, being the one to deal with any child who gets injured (and stuck in a hospital emergency room with them) etc etc .....Might be your idea of a holiday- but it certainly isn't mine !!

I do think some of these holidays are very expensive (skiing isn't cheap at any time school trip or otherwise) but it *can* be a chance to teach some good lessons in earning the right to go -be it through good grades, extra jobs around the house etc. I don't think school trips should ever be at the expense of the family's annual holiday though.

loracan1

Both boys were told right at the start of school that they could have one trip each at each school - and that it wouldn't be the generic skiing one. I hadn't banked on the geography field trips for A'level though!

valk_scot

The only school trip DS has been offered that broke the £1000 barrier (all in, including spending cash) was the ten day USA one. The school organised some fund raising opportunities and it came down to £800 a head in the end. I didn't think it was bad value and DS had an utterly fabulous time, he still says he can't believe he's been there. He's been on one other main school trip, with the Geography department, plus two with the school orchestra. They've been about £500 each. I don't think he'd be the least bit interested in a skiing trip but I know there's been one, perhaps he didn't even bother to ask. Same with another couple of trips that the school ran to London and ...err, can't remember. He only asks to go on the ones he fancies.

And there's a foreign Scouting trip every second year, though these are "only" a couple of hundred pounds max each for a week, because they camp and take their own mini bus.

Yes, it's expensive. Yes, we could use the cash for an extra family holiday. No, we're not rich, we have to tighten our belts in other ways to pay for trips. Does he appreciate going on these trips? You bet he does, he still rabbits on at great length about each and every one of them. Do we think it's worth it? Yes, there's been a surprising number of things that he's become interested in back here that were triggered off by things he's done or seen on these trips. Plus it helps foster independence, the teachers don't hold the kids' hands as much as mum and dad do but there's still an adult around looking after them. So we'll do the same for DD when her turn comes.

I only went on one foreign school trip btw, and that was because someone dropped out at the last minute and her parents asked that the place be offered to me because they knew my parents couldn't afford to send me. I had a great time, it was fun being away from my rather smothering mother and it encouraged me to be independent.

jakes-mum

DS's school has done a trip to australia before now :eek: and i'll be honest, I have already told DS if it comes up when he's at school he wont be going. It supposedly cost about £2k and I pointed out to DS that I can take our entire family on holiday for that money.

I will do the european ones when they come up as my parents scraped to send me and my sisters to these and I do think if your learning a language its good to visit the country, or if your learning about the wars its good to see the fields where they were faught and the names of the soldiers, but am on the fence about trips to disneyland orlando or Dubai, I think those kind of trips will be a look at how much it costs vs how much money we have at the time.

Spendless

Do they really do school trips to Disneyland? They used to incorporate a day trip there on the French trip at my son's school but changed the location in France for this year so it's no longer possible. I feel we pushed DS into going on this year's French trip as we thought it would help him with mixing with other children, something he struggles with. By the time he was due to go it was quite apparant he'd be dropping French at the earliest opportunity and since husband has an interest in WW1 and we holiday in France a lot it wasn't even something he couldn't have experienced on a family holiday.

The school ski trip is for yrs 10 and 11 is in Europe and costs just under £900 so the Colarado one mentioned doesn't seem too bad price-wise in comparison. Only if son really, really wants to go will we consider it. The money would pay for a family holiday instead and if he does go it would restrict the budget for that for that year.

NervousHomeowner

Is your son old enough to get a job and pay towards it? Or, if not, does he have pocket money that he can put towards the cost? I think when school trips start costing into the thousands it is time for the kids to start putting some money towards it, even if it is just saving up his pocket/birthday money to use for spending money while he's away! Maybe that would also help with your question of whether or not it'd be appreciated?

Another thing you could maybe consider as well, is whether or not you feel it would actually be educational for your son? Would he get to practise another language or visit museums or historical sights?

Jinx

My daughter did lots of days out type trips and only had the one opportunity for a longer trip which was to China for 10 days.

I must admit I've always encouraged travel and seeing different lifestyles and mixing with others (only child) my bonus paid for her to go on this trip. If I hadn't had the cash though she just simply would not have been able to go.

Ultimately each family has to prioritise on their own finances/values and sometimes I don't think it hurts to let our children know they cant just 'have' what they want....

Carl31

I wouldnt pay £1000 pound for a week ski trip on principle

Firstly, it doesnt cost that much, and secondly its an act of stupidity. Id rather teafh my children that when it comes to money, value is what they need to look at, not the first price shoved under their nose

Admittedly, i went skiing with the school in 1995. But i paid every penny of the 400 quid out of my paper round money, i wouldnt expect my parents to have paid