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

MSE_Kelvin · 26 April at 5:40PM

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 · 26 April at 6:30PM

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 · 26 April at 10:11PM

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 · 26 April at 10:29PM

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

Savvy_Sue · 26 April at 11:06PM

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 · 26 April at 11:19PM

Year books for primary school?

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

jellybean0k · 27 April at 8:47AM

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 · 27 April at 8:49AM

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

pollypenny · 27 April at 8:55AM

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 · 27 April at 8:57AM

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 · 27 April at 9:06AM

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

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

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