Schoolboy helps peers pay for camp
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able to go to camp, and worked with parents to try to find ways to help them afford it, and other costs, including paying the fees off from the start of the year.
Manawatu Principals’ Association president Vanessa Pitt said most schools kept camp costs minimal and made an effort to help all kids go.
Some school boards of trustees applied for grants to subsidise the cost, or organised fundraising options for families to join in. In many cases, they were able to assist.
‘‘It’s a really tricky one because I think that all schools are really aware of putting additional financial pressure on parents, and for the most part we try to do something that avoids that.’’
Palmy Revolution, a Facebook social assistance group founder Jenny Hall said the page had many requests for help with school camp fees, especially when they were due at the beginning of the year.
Her son’s intermediate school camp fees were $450 this year for a trip to the South Island, and were due at the start of the year at a time she had to pay $600 for uniform and $300 for school fees.
‘‘A lot of parents weren’t able to afford camp. It’s definitely a struggle.’’
For many parents, asking for help was embarrassing, she said. Feilding solo parent Sasha
Eastwood paid her children’s camp fees off during the year; ‘‘that’s the only way I can afford it’’.
The cost had doubled from $150 at primary school, to choices between approximately $300 and up to $860, for her year 9 daughter – though $25 day trips could also be selected instead.
Many parents she knew set cost limits for their children.
‘‘It’s restricting [to have to rule out some choices], but we are all restricted by the budgets we have it’s life lessons. It’s definitely not a free education.
‘‘But ... children can be very insensitive, it can be used against them by other children.’’