THEthe problem of the too high cost of school trips (christened carogite) has been making itself felt for a while now. And with the continuous increase in prices for many high school seniors will find it difficult to take part in the iconic fifth year trip, a real must for many generations. From a survey by Skuola.net, on a sample of one thousand students interviewed, the In fact, 45% seem destined to have to do without experience because, for economic reasons, he cannot accept the school’s proposal.
Expensive school trips, the renunciation of high school graduates
Students make their voices heard clearly. «Every year the same story repeats itself. The costs of school trips are rising more and more due to inflation and there is a lack of real solutions. Costs range from around 700 euros to peaks of 1,500 euros for foreign trips», Paolo Notarnicola, national coordinator of the Middle School Students Network, explained to Adnkronos.
The school cannot discriminate
«The trips – highlights Notarnicola – are to be considered an integral part of the school curriculum, although optional, and accessibility must be guaranteed. In this situation the effect is to exacerbate social inequalities within the class group, increasing the division between those who can and those who cannot afford the educational trip”.
For students, i 50 million allocated by the Ministry of Education is insufficient and it would be necessary, instead, to think about a broader measure, which guarantees exemption below ISEE 5,000 euros and relief up to ISEE 25,000 euros.
In 2023, almost 1 in 10 pupils were forced to give up school trips due to family financial problems. (Getty Images)
The expensive outings increases those who have to stay at home
The problem of increased transport costs and inflation due to the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war is weighing heavily on families and it is putting the institutions’ accounts in crisiswho, specifically on trips, must look for alternative solutions.
Therefore there are principals who renounce trips abroad, those who plan fewer days, those who offer economical alternatives. The truly negative fact, however, is that the number of people forced to stay at home increases and this creates unacceptable inequalities within the school.
The school trip is a fundamental experience
And this is not a detail at all: trips, internships and internships are fundamental in the educational offer of schools. And this is why students and principals are clamoring for the ministry to better protect this aspect considering that for some students it is the only way to have an experience abroad. More should be invested in trips, they say, to allow everyone to go with their companions without leaving anyone behind.
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