Money Moral Dilemma: Should I ask for my daughter's school-leavers' celebrations to be cheaper?

MSE_Kelvin

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

My daughter's leaving primary school in July. The parent committee has organised a trip, T-shirts and yearbooks to celebrate. They've asked parents to contribute £75 each and although I can scrimp elsewhere to find the money, it won't be easy. I want to ask the committee to scale back the plans so it's cheaper, but I'm also aware the kids have had no trips or parties at all over the last two years due to the pandemic and I don't want to be the one to ruin their fun.

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Pollycat

I think asking for £75 is taking the proverbial...
£75.00 could be the food shop for 2 weeks for some families.
What do the other parents think?
You have asked them before asking a bunch of random strangers on t'interweb...

_nate

Talk to the school. Your daughter should be able to go on the trip and it is not the yearbooks or t-shirts that she needs, it is the experience and the memories. So explain and request that these unnecessary trimmings be removed and, honestly, that sounds like a lot of money, so it would be a mean school that did not go beyond your request and just make it happen.

When I was at school, trips were funded by supposedly voluntary contributions. We all understood that these covered people in different circumstances. Have things changed now?

Thrugelmir

In these financially constrained times the parents are the ones that should be educating their children. 

Savvy_Sue

I do think we've had a real cascading down of things which used to be very special one-off experiences, and I'm not sure it doesn't de-value them. 

A trip, lovely, IF it's affordable, but the rest of it ... 

elsien

Year books for primary school? 

Seriously? Really not necessary. Kids won’t care after a year or so. Draw the line now. 

jellybean0k

I don't think you should ask for it to be cheaper, you shouldn't have to pay at all.

It's nice to have mementos of the last year of school but I don't understand why you're having to foot the bill.

What's wrong with having a party? Why do they need t-shirts? A year book's great but why can't they put the memories on dvd?

At this time of rising living costs, I think the school are asking too much of the parents

cjulien

Is that all?  We have all that and school trip. Over £400.  You are lucky!

pollypenny

A trip would be a great treat for the pupils. The rest is OTT. 

In the 'old days' I had 50+ thanks when I posted on a similar topic, that the way things were going, on graduating from university kids would want a trip to the moon. 

OP, I'd speak to a couple of other parents, enlist support and ask for a meeting with the Head. 

Ed264

You're likely to get mixed responses here. Some parents will struggle to find this money, others might be in a better position. If those who can't afford it raise their views with the committee, perhaps they will reconsider this package to reduce the cost. Don't be shy in speaking your mind. Good luck with it.

phoenixhaj

Personally I think that the parent committee need to start living in the real world. £75, who can afford that.