A Q for parents about school trips/visits

[mrs_overall]

Youngest Junior O has produced from the depths of his school bag yet another letter about a forthcoming day trip. As with all such letters, the school is asking for a voluntary financial contribution. Have any of you not paid the voluntary contribution? I always have done but am curious to know if everyone else does.

[parkie]

With my children they used to ask for a contribution but gave some idea of the amount at the same time. This is going back around thirty years or so but even now our granddaughter gets similar letters which are helpful because you then know if you are giving too much, (if you have the money of course). or too little.
It's like when someone does a job for you and you ask how much you owe them and they say,'oh, just give us what you like.' You're never sure if you've given too little and get the reputation of being a skinflint or too much and get the reputation of being a soft touch.
I would far sooner have a fixed price or fixed 'voluntary contribution.'

[cazzz1975]

I always pay the contribution, but I have wondered about not paying it as its voluntary.

[mrs_overall]

sorry, I didn't make clear that the voluntary contributions ARE always a fixed sum.

[yogasun]

mrs_o
My friend is a teaching assistant and quite a few parents 'refuse' to pay and there's nothing the school can do about it.

[mrs_overall]

That is interesting yoga.
I could understand if a parent could not afford to pay

[flump1]

Hi Mrs O , we don't have that problem over here.When my OH 's children went on school trips , the price of the trip was requested at the time of invitation. It was a set price so we never had to deal with contributions.

[parkie]

In that case Mrs O it's not so bad. We always used to find the money somehow but I must admit some schools/organisations do tend to think every parent has a never ending pocket, and it was a struggle sometimes. Especially when our three were at three different schools/colleges.

[mrs_overall]

I think I would be happier if the letter stated "the cost of this trip is £x" rather than saying "we would appreciate a voluntary contibution of £x"

[yogasun]

When my boys were small they had a type of fund to help pay for kids that had less well off parents but needless to say some of that was used up to pay for children to go whose parents were quite able to pay.
However some of the trips they have now are really expensive, plus at secondary level weeks in America skiing in Austria, etc. A lot to budget for for some people

[sherrardk]

At the last school I worked at, if the trip was a course requirement then those pupils who didn't pay still went on the trip. If it was a jolly of some kind (Alton Towers, etc) if a pupil didn't pay then they didn't go on the trip.

[woofgang]

Why ares schools taking children on jollies? Parents aren't supposed to take children out of school for leisure purposes.

[mrs_overall]

The trips I am talking about are usually field trips, or at the end of the school year, fun days out.

The middle school all of mine have been to have some horrendously expensive trips. Until recently they did an annual 2 week trip to Australia at a cost of £3,000!

[rockyracoon]

I always pay but I do know of a couple of mums who refuse even though I know they can afford it. This pisses me off as I know that's factored in to the cost for everyone else, so all those paying are subsiding those who don't. If they can't afford it I don't mind but when they can it really grates.

[Maydup]

^^^ But if too many parents are unable to pay then the trip has to be cancelled. There are only enough funds to cover a few non-payers, and the school is not allowed to leave them behind anymore.

[Jules001]

My two are 24 and 20 now, so talking about a little while ago now, but when our school asked for voluntary contributions for things, I always paid, however I remember once I didn't pay as the eldest had done this trip/activity or whatever it was and had said that it wasn't worth doing so thought that I wouldn't pay, that wasn't the end of the matter though as apparently there was a list kept in the register of who had paid and my daughter was 'reminded' every registration that she hadn't paid and ended up getting quite upset so in the end I paid it, but I did mention it to the Head who said that if people didn't pay then the activity couldn't go ahead, I said I realised that, and stated my reasons for not paying initially,and that by badgering the children for payment meant that it wasn't a voluntary donation at all. I still got nowhere though, just felt better for my little rant!

[mrs_overall]

jules, that is an awful thing to do, shaming a child in front of the whole class