Why some UAE parents feel school trips just too expensive
A parent expressed shock when her ninth grader told her about a school trip to Disneyland in Florida would cost Dh15,000.
A four-day pass to Walt Disney World is around Dh1,000, and the air tickets to Orlando could roughly add up to Dh6,000. There’s also stay and food, which is included in the cost.
She was unwilling to pay up because she felt the expenses didn’t add up.
“I would think that school trips are discounted because the rates for group travel should logically be less,” she reasoned. Although there’s peer pressure she succeeded in convincing her child about not going on the trip.
Another parent, who also did not wish to be named, claimed she did not sign her son up for a ski trip to Switzerland for for Dh10,000, because she thought her eight-year-old was too young for it.
“Besides he doesn’t even know how to ski,” she pointed out. “If he had to go, I had to sign a document endorsing that I wouldn’t hold the school responsible if there was any accident. That I was not comfortable with.”
“I recently got a request from my 9-year-old son’s school for a one-night trip to Umm Al Quwain for a fee of Dh1,450,” said Rithika Sharma. “It’s just too much.”
Bur Dubai resident Bindya pointed out that her niece had a similar school trip to Fujairah for Dh1,200. “I told my sister that I could take her to Fujairah for Dh500.”
Manju Ramanan, parent of a 12-year-old, recently sent him to a trip to the US for Dh13,000. “We would’ve had to pay more for the US visa, but since my son already has one, we were OK.”
Although she found the trip, which covered Nasa and Disney World, expensive, she gave in. “I hadn’t taken him for a vacation this year, and I felt he’s at an age where he knows to manage currency. Also, at his age they enjoy hanging out with their peers.”
A former teacher, on condition of anonymity, claimed the school factors in everything from food to accommodation to sightseeing, to visa to flight tickets, and it all adds up considerably.
“We also have to ensure there’s one staff member for every 10 children as per the KHDA rulebook.” She also feels these trips are educational and help children to be independent.
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has issued a set of guidelines for international trips, but it doesn’t highlight the fees for the same.
“Unless part of the curriculum, attendance for field trips should be optional for all students, supervisors should be teachers or administrators actually working in the concerned school, and school must ensure that all students travelling have the necessary travel insurance for the trip.”
The education regulatory board also requires all documents – parental approvals, students’ passports and detailed itinerary.
An official letter from the school principal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informing them of the school’s intended trip to the country concerned – must be kept as part of school records for each trip conducted and should be available for inspection in the case of a compliance visit by KHDA.
(Homepage image via Shutterstock)