AWARE :: Back-to-School

Field Trips

Low-income single mothers identified a number of concerns about field trips including cost, frequency, insufficient notice, and lack of relevance to the school curriculum. Some mothers indicated they postpone paying bills in order to pay for field trips. Others report that their children, as a result of a keen awareness of their families' financial circumstances, tell their mothers that they are not interested in going on field trips. In most cases when the mother can't afford the field trip, the child stays at home. In some cases there is help from the school, if the family requests it; however, shame, embarrassment, or fear of stigmatization prevent some mothers from making the request.

What Educators Can Do

Make a determination. Does this trip fit with the curriculum? Does the trip supplement the curriculum in a unique manner that cannot be achieved in the classroom?

Keep costs low and subsidize costs for low-income families. Ensure that access to any subsidy reduces embarrassment, maximizes confidentiality, and is non-stigmatizing to families and children.

Plan ahead. Spread out requests for money and field trips over the entire school year. Plan trips for months in which moms are less burdened. Trips in September can be tough because of the costs associated with getting children ready to go back to school. Similarly, trips in December and January overburden parents who are already struggling to accommodate costs associated with the holidays.

Involve low-income single moms in decision making. Survey low-income moms to see if they can either afford the cost at all or what level of cost would be acceptable.

Provide lots of notice, especially for large trips. If parents knows at the beginning of the school year, they can plan for large trips. (For example, children can earn money, use any birthday or holiday money they are given, or save a little at a time). But also remember to send out reminders continually. Low-income mothers may feel so overwhelmed at the beginning of the school year that it's difficult to pay attention to all the information coming home from the school.

Make it easy #1. Set up a payment plan to enable low-income parents to make monthly payment towards larger trips.

Make it easy #2. Collect money for field trips on the 20th or 21st of the month. This is when child tax credit cheques arrive. Women say they are more likely to have money then and feel able to contribute to school requests. Make sure parents know they can contact the school confidentially if they need help paying for the trip.

Make sure fundraising activities are reasonable and accessible. Consult with low-income single mothers first. Find out what is reasonable in terms of fundraising. And don't expect single moms to have the time or energy to participate.

Enforce a "no child left behind" policy. If there isn't a way to ensure everyone can go, then don't hold the trip. And make sure parents are aware of the policy.

Have reasonable expectations. A field trip can be expensive enough. But additional costs for special clothing or equipment can make the excursion unaffordable. So try not to make these additional requests mandatory for a child's participation in a field trip.

Don't make assumptions. Even a $2.00 request to pay for transportation to a free field trip can be too much for a low-income single mother.

Keep children out of it. Don't involve them in negotiations about field trips or payment. It can stigmatize them with their peers, lead to feelings of shame or embarrassment about their family situation, or create animosity towards either the parent or the teacher. To top of page.

What Moms Have to Say

"If you have concerns about payment for a trip or anything else, write me a note - don't ask my kids why I haven't paid."

"There are three notices some weeks for money. One week I went to the school and asked the principal - 'Which one do I do if I can only afford one - which is most important to my child's education?'"

"I have four kids in the same school. Sometimes I get notices about school trips a few days before they money is due. Usually it cost $5 for the bus ride for each child to participate in a 'free class trip'."

"My son told me that he didn't want to go on his grade 8 graduation field trip... it turned out it was because he knew that I couldn't afford to send him. It breaks my heart to know that he has to worry about things like this - that he has to protect me. To top of page.

AWARE

Back-to-School

For Educators

Field Trips

What Educators Can Do

What Moms Have to Say