Have just read this article in the Daily Mail, don't know why I bother working!!

Children from better-off families have been banned from school trips with their less privileged classmates. Only pupils eligible for free school meals because their parents are on benefits are able to take part in the holiday activities.

The scheme, operating in 22 schools in Trafford, Greater Manchester, pays for 'economically disadvantaged' school children only.

Parents of pupils unable to take part are furious after being told their children cannot take part, even if they offer to pay.

 

The activities, due to take place in the February half-term, include a trip to Knowsley Safari Park, football sessions with Manchester United Foundation and a day at the indoor snow centre, Chill Factore.

Liznet - agree with you there. Some are far too quick to pass judgement on others. I myself was married and pregnant and we were buying a house. Within 6 months I was alone with a baby and a repossesion round my neck. All because the hubbie decided he didnt want to be a Dad and took off with a 'mate'.

Not all single parents are that by choice, some are made in even more tragic circumstances. I was lucky, my family and friends were fabulous and helped us through things, and work helped me by giving me time when I needed it. I am now very proud mum of a soon to be 16 yr old and I know the tough times were there to help us become closer as a family. Whether you are working or not should not be who you are - and you should not be judged on that. I wish you all the best with your family and hope you are half as happy as I am being a single mum! :-) x

Well said Liznet, I am sick to death of people on here passing judgement on things they know nothing about. There are lots of families struggling at the moment due to the current financial situation people who were in secure jobs now struggling to find agency or part time work just to afford the basics.

Steak.....As I suspected and commented on in a previous post. It was the work of the CYPS in Trafford.

 

They are hard to deal with, apply policies which they cannot provide in writing, they have no consistent approach in areas such as Children's Performance Licences and are simply only good at meddling and interfering in the lawful activities of Children. They also believe they can usurp the authority of parents in certain circumstances.

 

As one commented to me one day, "You cannot have too much regulation when it comes to child protection"!

According to a Government department:-

Trafford Council misinterpreted school scheme.

The simple option would have been to arrange trips open to all, but with free access for those whom this targetted, with the rest paying as normal. This would have enabled the poorer kids to experience these trips, while not singling them out as being different or stoking up resentment amongst those whose children were not permitted to go.

I have no problem with targeting children who are not able to get the same experiences as other children - the service is targeted at the children and not their parents. 

 

One of the challenges with public money is that whatever it's chosen to be spent on there are people who complain.  For example why is there free NHS for heavy drinkers or smokers, why and A&E for Sunday footballers, my road gritted not yours.  I could raise the same arguments against these people - I work hard and pay my taxes and they are costing my service millions which could be spent on improving my health. 

 

It's impossible to create a scheme that people are happy with but that doesn't mean that we don't try and improve peoples lives and environments where we can.   That doesn't mean that there shouldn't be other activities tightening up abuses of the system but we shouldn't condemn the children to a miserable childhood from which they will struggle to escape.  

Why should anybody get anything like this free? I just don't get it. OK, there's benefits for people out of work and such like, but this takes the biscuit. This is Labour trying to win votes at the next election from the tide of non-working scum out there - the only people who'll vote for them as they are the only people who benefit fro the lion's share of their policies. I mean, there was a free laptop and free broadband for 'dolites' with kids only announced just the other day.

 

These people will never get off their backsides and get a job if the government keeps spoon feeding them treats for their lazyness. What message is this sending to their kids?Mmmm - I wonder. The next gen of lazy gits in waiting, th eonly problem is UK plc is virtually bankrupt, so they'll all turn to crime.

I despair.

I'd just like to point out that these are school trips during half term!! If I asked my son if he wanted to go on days out with his teachers during the half term holidays I know what the answer would be! This isn't about school trips during term times that are for the education and development of our kids, it's half term.

This has got nothing to do with ' well off ' parents, It's about the thousands of parents that are working to make ends meet during the recession.  I myself have had my hours and pay cut and cannot afford to take my son away but get absolutely nothing from this government, once again it's just another example of labour's slogan,  THE PARTY FOR THE NON WORKING CLASS !

Daily Mail wins again

Herb....I am unsure as to the political aspect, I think it is another crackpot idea from our local Children and Young People's Service who are a law unto themselves with no apparent answerability, no informed leadership and no policies or guidelines which they can supply to voluntary organisations involved with children.

 

In my opinion they are as dangerous as the individuals they seek to protect children from.

The answer to all of this is political. You have a Labour Government idea implemented by a Tory council.

I work in a school under Manchester City Council. As far as I am aware they do not subsidise school trips, but the cost of trips is made up by the school to allow all pubils to take part.

On my daughter's school trip letters, there is an over rider which states that no child will be excluded due to lack of funds - words to that effect anyway.  

I really dont think ANY children should be banned form school trips, regardless of their parents wealth. If parents cannot afford it - which has been the case in my situation a lot of times - then the council should help those children with a reduced cost trip. I have always managed to send my daughter on trips which I think are beneficial to her, or that I think she would love.

Monkey, "If you cant afford to look after children DON'T have them. Simple as that." is exactly the kind of ill informed comment that inflames debates. Consider for example an individual who is a single parent and becomes disillusioned in their current job. They decide to resign and retarin as a nurse. Whilst training, their only income is a small bursary as a result of which they qualify for benefits. Are you seriously suggesting that person - who is now a theatre nurse - should not have had children? This by the way, is a very real example of somebody on benefits!

 

I'd suggest you have a rethink.

Roady, on what basis is this discriminatory?

Seems to me just another example of decent hard working people paying for those who would rather do nothing and claim benefits, every week we read in the papers about these families who mass produce like rabbits don't work & expect the state to support them. If you cant afford to look after children DON'T have them. Simple as that. I know this will probably ruffle a few left wing socialist feathers but I am sick & tired of working long hours paying a fortune in tax just for it to be wasted on leeches.

Parents who are griping about this and saying they would pay for their children to go, why can't they take their own kids away, or is it just that they want to dump the kids on the authorities so they can have free time.

It's not only disadvantaged children in Trafford which benefit from freebies, every year in Manchester there are charities which give out Christmas presents to many families on 'low' incomes of all faiths, (The Mustard Tree charity and Key103 for example), the presents they get are pretty good, when dropping off these presents to the houses it's quite clear they are not so poor with their huge flat screen telly's on the wall etc!  Looked after children (children in care) in Manchester get free leisure passes and there is another scheme called the Kiwi club for children in Manchester schools which is led by the children and they organise their own trips out.  I remember about 10 years ago when baby massage became popular, a Health Visitor who set up these groups was trying to encourage mums from poorer background to attend but they just felt intimidated by the 'posher' mums so in Chorlton she did 2 groups and encouraged different mums to different groups.  To be honest the children whose parents are on benefits have probably never been much further than the town they live in.  My children attend Trafford schools and I do not have a problem with this.

My partner earned less than £8000 last year as a taxi driver but because he was working we got working tax credit we weren't elible for free school meals - why work a 50-60 hour week!!

Discrimination is discrimination no matter what, Trafford should be ashamed.

One question I would raise is does it apply to children entitled to free school meals or only children who take up the free school meals option. I ask this question because I do know of  parents who do not take up the free meal option because of the stigma attached to it even though they are entitled to it.