Why parents are being slugged $130 for their kids to go on a school trip just 14km away from home – all to wander the CBD to ‘learn about homelessness’
- Parents of Balwyn High School students asked for $130 for Melbourne excursion
- Year eight trip to learn about homelessness, walk the city and visit free museum
- Some parents opted out of the excursion claiming it had no ‘value for money’
A private school has outraged parents by charging $130 for a student excursion to teach them about homelessness.
Parents of year eight children at Balwyn High School, half an hour east of Melbourne’s CBD, must pay $130 for the excursion, which includes a visit to a workshop run by homeless charity The Big Issue.
The not-for-profit group pays homeless people to tell their stories.
The charity described the classes as ‘a unique educational experience’ giving ‘real-life insight into homelessness … as experienced by thousands of Australians every night.’
Parents of year eight students at Melbourne’s Balwyn High School must pay $130 for the excursion, which includes a visit to a workshop run by homeless charity The Big Issue
The Big Issue charges schools $385 for a group of up to 30 students to ‘hear first-hand from people who have experienced homelessness’. It pays homeless people to share their stories
Balwyn High School’s planned excursion also includes a ‘walking tour of Melbourne’ and visit to the Melbourne Museum, which has free access for children aged under 16
The excursion also includes a ‘walking tour’ of the city and a visit to the Melbourne Museum, which has free access for children aged under 16.
In a memo sent to wealthy parents, Balwyn High School said the excursion ‘aligns with year level themes of optimism, resilience and responsibility
In a memo sent to the parents, Balwyn High School said the excursion ‘aligns with year level themes of optimism, resilience and responsibility and the civics and citizenship curriculum’.
The school gave the parents two weeks to pay the $130 fee, across two $65 instalments if they needed.
One parent said many of the year eight parents wouldn’t be sending their kids because they couldn’t see any ‘value for money’.
‘(You’d) expect an overnight stay for that amount of money,’ the parent told the Herald Sun.
The Big Issue charges schools $385 for a group of up to 30 students to ‘hear first-hand from people who have experienced homelessness or disadvantage, helping to break down stereotypes’.
The not-for-profit organisation pays homeless people to share their stories.
It also gives schools that do three or more workshops a 10 per cent discount on fees.
Many schools ask parents for less than $50 for the excursions, including events that take students into the city.
Balwyn High School is located in one of Melbourne’s most exclusive suburbs, North Balwyn.
Parents in the school’s catchment, who are generally in high income brackets, must pay $1,140 a year to send their children there.
One parent said many of the year eight parents wouldn’t be sending their kids because they couldn’t see any ‘value for money’ in the homelessness lessons
Balwyn High School is located in one of Melbourne’s most exclusive suburbs, North Balwyn
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said government schools deliver the curriculum to families for free but that schools could seek voluntary contributions.
But schools are required to get approval from their school council and clearly communicate plans to parents.
‘The Victorian government’s $148.3 million camps, sports and excursions fund makes extra-curricular activities accessible to all students, no matter their situation,’ the spokesman said.