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Do you remember a student trip away?

6/17/2015

7 Comments

 
UK Parents are being told they need to find £1,850 (US $2,815) so they can send their 11-year-old children on a school trip to the West Coast of America.

Pupils at Balshaw's Church of England High School in Leyland, Lancashire, are planning a week-long 'cultural experience' trip that includes visits to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakenhurst, Bakersfield and Las Vegas.

However, some parents are aghast because of disappointing their children over such an expensive trip.

A letter to parents from the school says the aim of the trip is to "not only encourage your child in their academic studies, but also to develop their social skills and understanding of different cultures as well as to enable them to experience environments outside their normal day to day lives".

That may be so, but some people suggest these expensive overseas trips for students are just money-making exercises for tourist companies.

I only ever went on one school trip. I lived in a built-up suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia as a child. My father had abandoned my mother for another woman, but still visited us regularly.

Here's an excerpt from the memoir I'm writing at the moment.

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At the age of ten in 1952, I found maths difficult at school. Times tables posed a problem. We had to learn them by route, and would often recite them out loud in class. But I couldn't grasp the answer if asked. However, I loved English and art. As long as I was good at something, I felt happy and at ease with myself.

I led my sisters to the mint garden. We picked the best shoots, and then made mint sauce by smashing up the herb in a bowl with a pinch of sugar. Mother splashed boiling water onto the mixture and then a dash of vinegar to eat with our roast lamb. In summer, we climbed the apricot tree dominating the back yard to harvest the wonderful apricots. My sisters and I spent hours cracking the stones with an old brick for Mother to use the kernels in apricot jam. Bread and jam—my favourite afternoon treat. On each trip to the market, we shopped at local stores for a chat. I tried delicious roll-mops, sour olives and pickled cabbage. Continental shop owners told Mother how to make 'ossobuco' or 'bone with a hole' made from a cross-cut shank of veal and 'beef olives' which are slow cooked, rolled beef steaks stuffed with mushroom and bacon. But these were for special occasions.

That year, I went on an excursion away from my family to a cow farm, arranged for city children by my primary school. There, I remember the good woman who hosted about three of us using the boil and settle method for separating milk. A day later when the mixture had cooled, the cream formed a thick, sticky topping over the milk. We watched her turn some into butter by beating it by hand. That's real food. None of the modern margarine for the olden-days farmers.  


Of course, I don't remember many details from so long ago, but the experience away from home showed me another side of life. I never considered the cost to my mother. Her sacrifice in scraping up the money paid off by giving me a taste of a more natural way of life.

What do you remember about your school trip away from home?

7 Comments
Kimberly link
6/17/2015 12:43:28 am

There weren't any trips when I was in school -- quite a while ago! It was a big deal to be on a sports team or drill squad, as both had a price tag attached. It was leaner times back then.
Kimberly
http://FiftyJewels.com

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Nick #thisyearinmusic link
6/17/2015 01:09:43 am

Those lucky kids! We only went to local places and the Ironbridge museum.

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Joan Harrington link
6/17/2015 02:24:16 am

Hi Francene,

Ya know I really do not remember many school trips.......Sounds like you have some really cool trips that are taken in the UK :)

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Laurel Regan link
6/17/2015 05:33:02 am

I remember a few school trips, but they were never longer than a day and were certainly not overly expensive.

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Alana link
6/17/2015 08:22:50 am

I grew up in New York City. Our field trips in school consisted of trips to various NYC museums, maybe one or two a year. In 6th grade (my last grade in elementary school) we took a "senior trip" to Philadelphia, about 150 km from NYC, and spent the day. I learned so much from that trip and it did make an impact on me. In high school, I took an overnight trip, sponsored by a local college, to North Carolina to study a total eclipse of the sun. That was also unforgettable. But more and more schools here have senior trips to Europe, etc. I shake my head. What about students whose parents can't afford this? They do fundraising for months. I don't quite know what to think.

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Debbie D. link
6/17/2015 03:08:00 pm

Many parents probably can't afford such an expensive trip. That could create problems within the student body, if some are envious of others. Our field trips were always one day excursions only and didn't cost much. Can't remember too many details. There was one teacher at the Canadian military school I went to in Germany who took us to the opera once a month in grade 7. That was an amazing experience I'll never forget.

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Tina link
6/17/2015 05:12:48 pm

It's harsh on some parents for sure who want to provide the best but still can't afford. When I was in school we didn't have any foreign trips planned by the school!! Though now I see my nephews and nieces enjoying trips! Time changes

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    Francene Stanley
    From England, I use news items in my novels which you can see below, all linked to an Amazon near you.

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