Bloody school are thieves!

[Chatterwockin]

Got a letter from my sons school telling us about an upcoming trip to the theater. Great you may think, but my son is unable to go as he cant really sit from 8 am to 8pm on a sodding coach!

Whats got on my tits is that they want £42 for the experience! Doesn't seem that bad, but that is the theatre, coach and a ice cream no lunch for that. So i had a little look online, and the ticket prices are £17.50 REALLY!!!!! bloody robbing pricks!

Rant over lol!!

 

[Toms Mummy]

£42 does sound like alot. They have to pay for coach, tickets, ice cream. They shouldn't really have to pay teachers for doing it as it's usually in their contract to volunteer.... Maybe you should query?

Also, how come he will be sitting on the coach for 12 hours?!

 

[Chatterwockin]

Well he wont be really, but they have to be there at 8 am to get onto the coach and they wont get home until 8 pm, between that they will be sat in the theatre ( i was just being a little dramatic before lol).

My son gets travel sickness so its out for him, also he is aspergers, and would be distressed by the whole thing.

 

[Toms Mummy]

Aww, bless him!.... I would still query it with the school though as it does seem a bit steep and it may effect you on future trips!

The only thing I can think of is insurance costs to cover possibly??

 

[Chatterwockin]

I would tend to agree, i am a tad annoyed as we have a fantastic place, walking distance that puts on productions ( we went to see a fantastic show a few weeks ago, the gruffalo) all the time seems a waste, i would rather money be spent locally....

Might do, i cant see a lot of parents paying all that money.

Also the play clearly states 7+ only, my son has JUST turned 6....

 

[Bevziibubble]

That seems very unfair that the school seem to be charging more than they should be When I was in primary school, the school were always wanting money for things and it seemed like a lot more than it should have been. My parents were always saying that the school were making a profit. I would definitely bring it up with the school as they might keep doing this. It seems kinda sly to be making a profit like this but I think a lot of schools do this x

 

[smelly07]

is it a 'voluntary' contribution but then states if parents do not pay the trip will have to be cancelled?

this is what it says on all my daughters school letters and its because parents on benefits only have to pay half the costs of school trips so working parents have to pay extra to cover the cost.

This is what happens in our area.

 

[Chatterwockin]

I think they do, they cant possibly not be .... tisk tisk.... i wouldnt mind if they just asked, just say we need cash can everyone help, i would chuck them £50! but cheating it out of people.... well that's gross!

 

[Chatterwockin]

Smelly its a myth that parents on benefits get free/half price school trips, its simply not true!

 

[smelly07]

i think its kept quiet as to not make some parents feel bad and so ALL children can take part - rightly or wrongly - it states on the letters if you circumstances can not afford to pay for this trip please come in and talk to us to come to an arrangement x

 

[smelly07]

not in my daughters school, it happens, i know parents who dont pay the total amount, i dont begrudge paying it though, its expensive but i wouldnt want my daughter missing out x

 

[special_kala]

i think its kept quiet as to not make some parents feel bad and so ALL children can take part - rightly or wrongly - it states on the letters if you circumstances can not afford to pay for this trip please come in and talk to us to come to an arrangement x

They did this at my school You still had to pay the same but they let you have longer to do it.

I think there was a discretionary fund bit that was a one off in extreme circumstances thing

 

[Chatterwockin]

Some schools may give people who are on benefits longer to pay, but they will not allow them to go free as its not part of the national curriculum.

I had to correct you, as people make up the most random crap about people on benefits, and i wont have it.

 

[smelly07]

i'm not bad mouthing people on benefits at all or making up random lies its a fact in my daughters school
My neighbour has MS and her husband is her carer so neither work and claim honestly and they have two boys who go to my daughters school and they dont pay for any school trips at all because they simply can not afford to short term or long term x

 

[Chatterwockin]

Smelly, i didn't say you were making up lies, i said people, as in everything turns into Chinese whispers! My hubby is chronically ill, and i care for him full time! i assure you WE DONT GET SCHOOL TRIPS FREE! and if your neighbours do, we certainly would too...

 

[indy and lara]

I'm sorry but the school will not be 'thieving'. Statements like this really get on my nerves. Do you honestly think that any school would be getting away with taking money and using it for something totally different? Schools have to submit detailed accounts and every penny is double checked and audited. We cannot get any money back for things we spend unless we have receipts.

Coach hire is ridicuclously expensive and is likely to account for a large chunk of the cost. To be away for such a long time they must be travelling quite a distance so the coach costs will be huge.

Families who cannot afford to pay for trips, residentials and the like are regularly subsidised out of school funds. This is not heavily advertised for obvious reasons. Or maybe school are just pretending to pay these costs and pinching that money too?

 

[smelly07]

yeah i understand that but i think each school is different, because this is how it works in my daughters school, is say's it on all letters everytime there is a trip and i know more than one person who doesnt pay at all or pays half or what they can afford.... like i said school trips are expensive but i dont begrudge paying it, if it means all children take part as its not the child's fault and if the school can not cover costs all children would miss out.

 

[Chatterwockin]

Oh do shut up dear! i was having a rant for rants sake! Read the thread! I can say what i like actually....And look i did!

 

[Chatterwockin]

I think that would be for trips that are part of the curriculum, like museums etc.. not plays and trips abroad?!!

 

[indy and lara]

Oh do shut up dear! i was having a rant for rants sake! Read the thread! I can say what i like actually....And look i did!

You rude woman. Seriously .It is okay for you to tell people that the school is thieving but it is not okay for others to disagree? Some of us are thankfully too polite to say what comes to minc when people reply like this.

As your son isn't going then they are not 'thieving' from you.