Parents with children at a popular public secondary school in eastern Melbourne have been stunned at the high price of an upcoming CBD field trip.
Balwyn High School charges $130 for a one-year 8-day trip where students walk through the town center and learn about homelessness.
Camera IconBalwyn High School charges $130 for a full-day trip to Melbourne CBD. Delivered. Credit: Camera icon supplied. The school shared a photo on Instagram of a 10-year field trip to Melbourne’s CBD. Credit: Included
The school told parents that their children would be exploring the city and doing activities such as visiting the Melbourne Museum, the Big Issue workshop, and a walking tour of the Melbourne CBD.
A parent told the Herald Sun that they did not expect many children to attend due to the high price.
“(I would) expect an overnight stay for that amount,” they said.
“I understand that not many are going because they can’t see value for money.”
The school told parents that the field trip is “in line with the year-level themes of ‘optimism, resilience and responsibility’ and the 8th-grade citizenship and citizenship curriculum”.
The Big Issue offers two workshops for high school students to teach them about homelessness.
“Led by an experienced counselor, students are encouraged to rethink stereotypes about homelessness and disadvantage and learn how social enterprises like The Big Issue can help solve current social problems,” according to the organization’s website.
“Students will also have the opportunity to hear from a guest speaker who has experienced homelessness and deprivation.”
Camera IconYear 8 Balwyn High School students learn about homelessness as part of the field trip. NCA NewsWire/Daniel Pockett Credit: News Corp Australia
A spokesman for the Ministry of Education and Training said meeting curriculum requirements should be free, but schools may develop payment plans for parents for extracurricular activities.
“School instruction to fulfill the curriculum is free to all Victorian government school students – schools may also offer a range of extracurricular activities and request voluntary contributions from families, but this must be by the Department’s Parent Payments Department policy,” they said. †
These paid extracurricular arrangements must be approved by the school board, uploaded to the school website, and communicated to parents for transparency.
The DET also provides funding so that all students can afford extracurricular activities.
“The Victorian Government’s $148.3 million Camp, Sports, and Excursion Fund make extracurricular activities accessible to all students, regardless of their situation — and the $112 million Positive Start initiative provides even more activities to ensure that all students will have the opportunity to get involved in camps, sports, and field trips after two disrupted years of the pandemic,” the spokesperson said.
Balwyn High has allowed parents to pay the $130 in two installments before the next month’s field trip.
