As a parent i do understand you concerns - but i'd say let him go.
This is a different world from when i was at school. The most exotic trip we did was a day trip to Calais to visit the Cathedral.
Although i did manage to convince Samantha Brooks to smuggle some bangers back home tucked in her Bra strap - so it wasn't a totally wasted day.
Japan? Shit, lucky kid. I did two French exchanges as a kid and there was an option to go to Moscow if you chose to do Russian. This was late 80's as well, so not exactly the safeset of places for kids away from parents.
I am not a parent, but I would suggest that he be allowed to go. Talk to your wife about your anxiety, she may be able to put that at ease a bit. Then think of ways t spend the time between now and the trip teaching your kid street smarts. By watching The Wire or French Connection or something.
I got told off by a popo for J-walking on the mean streets of florida on our "shopping day" on our school trip to the theme parks (including performing in them it wasn't just a jolly) the cop was okay but when we got busted for all buying laser pens by the teachers shit got real.
I want to go to your kids school. The furthest we went was the French/German exchange trips. I think if they'd planned a trip to Japan half the school would have wanted in.
The boy, who was 9 yesterday, was due to go on his first overnight school trip back in June last year. It was to one of these outward bounds places in the Lakes. I was excited for him and gutted that he didn't get to go, I loved those trips when I was his age.
Thanks for all the advice and opinion, and your own stories which provide confidence. Having slept on it, I know that if he can go, he should go.
As this is our first kid school trip we have a few questions to ask the teacher organising so will email those off today.
It will be the most nerve racking 10 days for me but as people have said, it’s a massive opportunity for him and that’s the important thing. I’ve also decided that over the next year I’m going to have a very good think about the way we (I) deal with his day to day to afford more opportunity for independence away from what is effectively my anxiety and perhaps not his own inability to manage situations in the interim.
I was privileged enough to attend summer camp in America every summer from 13-16. I'd have someone meet me from the airline aged 13 and 14 who would see me through the journey.
Aged 15/16 I did airports and transfers by myself. Good times.
Even got upgraded to 1st class twice for free for being a kid travelling alone!
Though this was the 90s.
Let them go wild.
Yeah, do it. I had mine signed up for a trip last year, but covid stopped that. They love trips away without us parents bothering them.
Teachers generally organise a Q&A session with parents before they commit cash. Best save your questions for then and everyone present can benefit from the answers.
Organising a trip in your free time is a lot of work and if you have to answer an e-mail or two from every parent it just becomes a pain.
My replies used to be quite curt, come to the Q&A session, read all the doc because the answers to your questions are in there and if you have the slightest doubt about my competence or character please don't sign your kid over to me for a week.
It's an interesting point about when these trips should start.
When eldest was at primary, the first overnight trip was the Year 6 week to the Isle of Wight. You could see the day they came back how they had grown and matured from the experience.
A new head came in who setup a programme of an overnight in Year 2, 2 nights away in Year 4, the the IoW trip in Year 6. Our daughter was on the first Year 2 trip. They only needed a minibus as so few parents would let their kids go. They had a fantastic time at a local outward bound type place doing age appropriate activities.
Two years later, every kid did the Year 4 trip, none of them wanted to miss out.
There's still parents worrying and in tears as the bus pulls away for these trips, but they all see the positive impact afterwards. My kids have been lucky enough to do lots of trips nationally and now internationally with school, sports, bands, Scouts and Guides, it's not the actual purpose of the trip that helps them grow from it, it's the whole wider experience.
do you think teachers have competitions to see who call pull off the longest haul trip.
i feel sorry for the parents who can't really afford it, but feel the pressure to come up with a couple of grand for little johnny's essential education experience.
No but some schools pressure teachers into coming up with the flashiest trip to put in the brochure, especially private ones.
The week in Germany cost the parents about 300e which was mainly the cost of the bus. Kids with parents on low incomes were given financial help and the whole project got some EU money via local government. An exchange so no accomodation costs. The activities I organised were cheap or free, the most expensive was hiring a mountain bike guide for a day.
It will be the most nerve racking 10 days for me but as people have said, it’s a massive opportunity for him and that’s the important thing.
My wife (Secondary School Teacher) was explaining the concept of 'Cultural Currency/Cultural Capital' to me at the weekend - I was aware of the concept but never realised it had a name.
This trip will provide a huge boost in this area, and he'll feel the benefits of it for years.
The week in Germany cost the parents about 300e which was mainly the cost of the bus. Kids with parents on low incomes were given financial help and the whole project got some EU money via local government. An exchange so no accomodation costs. The activities I organised were cheap or free, the most expensive was hiring a mountain bike guide for a day.
which i have no issue with and I did plenty of similar trips. but 10 days on the other side of the world? probably 10x that.
Whilst I wouldn't be scared at letting our girls go overseas with school, I struggle to see the need for such expensive trips (I can only assume it will be costing thousands)? Growing up as I did, in a working class family, I never got a chance for fancy trips abroad on school ski trips/exchange visits etc and I have always hated the exclusivity of such trips. IMO, any trips organised by schools should be accessible to all, funded centrally, relevant to studies and places awarded to the students that deserve them, not because they are the kids of the well-off families.
And here I am, writing this just days after having conversations with my wife about starting to save for the inevitable time we are asked by our two girls (coming up 12 years old) to pay for similar trips 🙁
My sisters kids about that age are pretty far traveled with school trips. Thus far its been Iceland, Barcelona and the US. There was no problems and they totally loved it.
Sis with 2 friends(Girls) did a tour backpacking in Thailand in the 80's, which maybe swung the decision to allow the kids to go off on these jaunts.
My first though on the thread title was 'By post 😕 😆
Japanese exchange at my lads school was roughly £3k a couple of years ago, staying with a host family.
He wasn't interested as he'd already committed to the World Scout Jamboree in Ametica (£4k). Then his sister's gymnastics squad got the chance to represent Britush Gymnastics in Austrua the same year (£1k)
If anyone needs ideas for fundraising, there aren't many we haven't tried 😂
It's four years since I personally had a foreign trip. Can't think why....
Japanese exchange at my lads school was roughly £3k a couple of years ago, staying with a host family.
It £2500 all in for 10 days, with trips, experiences and bullet trains included. Bizarrely that’s the same amount I’ve saved to date for next years 50th Birthday bike. My current bike will do me for now, his experience will last a lifetime for him.
Just had an exchange with the organising Teacher, who speaks Japanese and has broken down all the supervisory / safety details for me. It’s a go I reckon, lucky boy.
Japan would be an awesome place for a school trip - cities very safe in comparison to lots of European cities e.g. Paris or even London.
Bizarrely that’s the same amount I’ve saved to date for next years 50th Birthday bike. My current bike will do me for now, his experience will last a lifetime for him.
👍
Just had an exchange with the organising Teacher, who speaks Japanese and has broken down all the supervisory / safety details for me. It’s a go I reckon, lucky boy.
Where in Japan?
Bizarrely that’s the same amount I’ve saved to date for next years 50th Birthday bike
Is the 40th one still going strong? 😉😂🙃
Where in Japan
Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kamakura, Arashiyama, Miyajima, Osaka.
Is the 40th one still going strong?
It is.... 🙂
Amazing opportunity, grab with both hands. There won't be a single moment that he is left alone, it'll be fine.
My Nephew's school did a trip to China at around that age.
Best I got was French and German exchanges (we couldn't afford the Ski trip!), both were bloody brilliant though (even though my French exchange partner was a dick).
He'll be fine but all the way to Japan for 10 days at 13 seems a weird choice by the school.
If that's what it is then go for it. He'll have a blast.
To be fair it’s the School Choir group and is for 20 kids across all year groups, so their trips are focused on music and arts
Just had an exchange with the organising Teacher, who speaks Japanese and has broken down all the supervisory / safety details for me. It’s a go I reckon, lucky boy
Glad to hear you are more comfortable with it.
