A mum has revealed how she ‘nearly choked’ after discovering how much her child’s four-day school trip will cost.
School trips are never exactly known for being great value, especially considering many of them only last for a matter of a few days.
But one mum in Australia had a particularly huge shock when she found out about her child’s Year 6 camp ‘not far from Adelaide’, which came with a hefty price tag.
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When asked if the trip involved interstate travel, the mum replied: “No. Hour by bus.”
She took to Twitter to share her horror, asking other parents if she’d ‘lost all perspective’ by feeling outraged.
The general consensus, though, was that she was more than justified to baulk at the cost, which covered ‘what you’d expect’ - transport, tents (yes, tents), food and activities... all of which came to the costly sum of AUD $1,600 (£836).
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“Does $1,600 for a 4 night Year 6 camp, in tents, seem ridiculously expensive to you?” she asked.
“Or, have I lost all perspective. Just got the statement and nearly choked.
“There goes our Japan trip for another 6 months.”
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When asked if the trip involved interstate travel, the mum - whose kids attend private school - replied: “No. Hour by bus."
Many agreed wholeheartedly that the price seemed steep, with one replying: “No. Not just you. That is extortion.”
Another agreed: ”It’s elitist. Many parents couldn’t afford that.”
When someone shut down her concerns as a ‘first world dilemma’, the mum fumed back: “It is hard, actually. When your child runs the risk of missing out on what their peers are doing, that can be very upsetting.
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"After having spoken with some other parents, there are children who will have to miss this because parents are financially stressed. It's all relative.”
Many others also came forward with their own experiences – with a fair few saying they’d managed to get much more for their money with similar trips.
One commented: “Well... YES. 5 nights Whitsundays $2600 includes everything. 15 kids going.”
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Someone else agreed it was ‘ridiculous’, adding: “My kids’ 2 night camps in cabins / hotel rooms have cost around $400. Even for 4 nights that it absolutely taking the p*ss. I would ask for a breakdown too. That was even more expensive than my son’s 3 night ski camp.”
A third wrote: “$1600? My eldest went on a school trip to NZ for 7days for $3300. That included everything and the skiing.”
A fourth said: “We used to charge (only a few years ago) about $650/student for 4 nights in Canberra (from Melbourne) staying in fairly decent accommodation. I can only assume they’re doing activities which cost a bomb, and/or flying somewhere.”
The mum said she planned to query the cost and ask for a full breakdown.
Jess Hardiman