A parent of a pupil at a school in Swansea, Wales, has been left shocked after finding out the cost of an overseas school trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for their child.
Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr, an 11-18 bilingual school in Gowerton in Swansea, is planning to take pupils currently in years nine, 10, and 11 to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in October 2024 on a week-long PE department "sports tour" at an eye-watering cost of £2,300 to £2,550 per child.
Since the pandemic many schools have limited their overseas trips, but following requests from parents asking whether they would return at any point, the Welsh school decided to go for this sports tour which is set to include netball, cricket and football activities.
An exact itinerary has not been provided to prospective students yet but the PE department at the school have written a letter to parents to say there will be a parents evening on January 26 where they will be able to find out more details from the trip.
The letter, which has also been shared on the school's Twitter account, reads: "We are writing to inform you that the physical education department is arranging a sports tour to Dubai and Abu Dhabi from October 24 to 31, 2024. We will be aiming to play rugby, football, netball, and cricket on the tour.
"The cost of the tour is £2,300 to £2,550 (max) depending on the proposed itinerary of the travel company/kit purchased. We will be offering this trip to the current year nine, 10 and 11 pupils. Pupils will only be allowed to attend this tour if they are on the register at Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr in October 2024.
"We are very eager to ensure that this opportunity is available to every suitable pupil and consequently there will be a parents evening with PE staff and Edwin Doran Sports Tours on Thursday, January 26, in the school canteen at 5pm where further information will be shared."
However, one parent has shown outrage on hearing the price for the trip.
The mum told Wales Online: "All sounds good until you find out that the trip will cost parents £2,500.
"And the best part of this is that it is in Abu Dhabi – how on Earth can they say that this trip is for all pupils? Why Abu Dhabi at this cost?"
She added that the rising cost of living crisis is making life more difficult for many families, arguing that asking for this amount of money for a trip is too much.
Defending the price of the trip, a spokesman for Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr said: "The cost of the optional sports tour in the school holidays, which would be open to year nine, 10, and 11 pupils, has not been finalised and is something we are talking to parents about.
"The cost was very much at the forefront of our minds, particularly at this time, and working with a company we have used very successfully in the past. We discounted other destinations such as Canada and South Africa as the estimated cost would be far greater.
"We have not run such trips since the start of the pandemic but we have been approached by several parents asking for their return hence why the school has offered this sports tour. If there is not enough interest then the sports tour will not proceed."
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