Do you let your child go on school trips abroad?

Carmina_Piranha_3

i certainly wouldn't refer to a school trip as a jolly - i wouldn't want to do it :eek: i've volunteered in school and been a parent helper on lots of trips but only the day trips, that's hard enough.

back on topic - how many kids are going on the trips? that makes a big difference i think. my son is in year 7 and his trip to Strasbourg is only for 40 children so that's 160 year 7 children not going so the children not going are in the majority.

it was the first to bring in the form, and if more than 40 handed in their form on the first day then names would be taken out of a hat. i know one mum who pretended she had filled in the form late and dropped it off at the office, and that her child's name simply wasn't taken out of the hat. another mum said that she could take her entire family by coach for that price, and that's why the child isn't going.

we are paying £50 a month for strasbourg and i'm happy to pay it but if there is one next year he probably won't be going. the other high school that all his friends got into are running a trip at the end of year 8 rather than year 7 so those mums are paying over almost 2 years.

for us these trips are really important. all of his friends went to a different school and he is starting to make friends with the other kids who will be on the strasbourg trip. he's a shy boy and he doesn't 'play out' because there are no local boys his own age. there's a 9 year age gap between my boys so i feel that any opportunity for my eldest to socialise with children his own age is good for him. we can't really afford this trip but are paying for it anyway, but we can't do it every year. every 2 years perhaps. although if the trips were a thousand pounds each then he wouldn't be doing this one i have to say :eek:

Gingham_Ribbon

Having been on several 'jollies' with teenagers I'm chuckling to myself that some people think it's in any way way a holiday. On duty till 2am till the finally get to sleep, up again at 6 the next morning, or putting up tents in the pouring rain and sleeping in wet clothes because I'm too tired to get changed - yup. What a doddle.

mishmash

HI

I have 3 teenagers at big school and a little one (aged 3).

Over the past few years they have all been on school trips, they have varied from trips to sporting matches and the theatre to a weekend in London (£150) france for a week (£400 each 2 of them went) and italy (£580). They are now all going skiing next year (£880 each).

I have found it a real challenge to pay for the extra's that secondary offer, but I do think the kids have benefited greatly. The trips have always been linked educationally to the subject, also they are only allowed to go if the school think they are good enough (behaviour and workwise) which is a real incentive to the kids. I also think the experiences of being indipendant and having to sort themselves out while being with others has really helped them develop.

While they are expensive I do not think they are over priced, Skiing for example is including flights, transferrs, hotel all inclusive accomodation, ski passes, ski tuition for 6 days, hire of equipment and activities. I could not get this cheaper. I also think the teachers who go on these trips and organise them do a sterling job, all the planning and preperation then the long hours looking after hormonal teenagers- i find it hard enough with three. I know on a recent trip the girls felt a litlle scared by some other guests in the hotel, as a result the teachers took turns to stay all night in the corridor outside the girls rooms working in shifts so the girls felt safe. That kind of childcare is priceless.

Due to the skiing holiday we will not be able to go on a family holiday abroad but may stay in a caravan for a week or go camping. This does not mean the little one misses out; at her age she loves anything we do, I am sure she will have her fair share when her turn comes. The big kids know that xmas and bithday money they get will have to be put towards their spends for the skiing.

My view is if you can't afford it there will be many other children not going so your child will not stand out. However i struggle to afford it but feel it is an experience that my kids learn a lot from, I want to raise their aspiration for life; whenever they come back from these trips and holidays telling me how great it all is, I tell them that if they work hard, get a good education and job and make the right choices they will be able to choose these luxuries as adults. As for us (parents) I do not mind tha fact that I have to watch my weekly shopping bill, or not buy clothes or have meals out. One day they will all have flown the nest and I can travel the world then.

mish