I’m often surprised that students don’t know whether teachers get paid to go on school trips. On a recent trip, a student asked, “Do you get paid for going on this trip?” The short answer is ‘no’, and it’s important to show appreciation for this. Here’s why.
Sacrifice and Challenges
Teachers give up valuable personal time to go on school trips. Instead of spending time with family, friends, or relaxing from the stresses of teaching, they volunteer for these trips. It’s often challenging to find staff willing to go on trips; I only went on the last trip because no one else was available, which meant missing a relative’s birthday.
The Cost to Staff
School trips require extensive planning, meetings, and training. The planning phase involves working with numerous people to navigate through pages of checkboxes from the initial proposal to post-trip admin. Unless it’s part of a specific contractual obligation, this administrative and practical work is entirely unpaid, despite being a significant workload.
Rarely Paid
It’s extremely rare for staff to be paid for trips outside normal school hours. The only exception might be if a staff member has specific responsibilities, such as administering the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award.
Why Staff Aren’t Paid
Simply put, there’s no budget to pay staff for overtime. Adding these costs to trips would make them unaffordable, especially for those who benefit the most.
“It’s [not] a free holiday”
Please don’t ever say, “It’s a free holiday for staff!” While trips can be enjoyable, they are never a holiday. Teachers are always vigilant, ensuring the safety, wellbeing, and enjoyment of students from early morning to late at night. This includes supervising travel and ensuring students go to bed on time, as tired students can make poor decisions that impact everyone’s safety. If something goes wrong, then teachers must deal with it. It can be stressful. If anything, teachers need a holiday after taking students away. Seriously.
Where the Money Goes
While trip costs typically cover the teachers’ expenses, this doesn’t include any extra payment beyond incidental expenses. The cost of trips has increased significantly due to the cost-of-living crisis, including fuel costs. Planning trips from scratch to keep costs down adds to teachers’ unpaid workload. Remember, schools are not obligated to offer any trips.
Transparency & Appreciation
Trip presentations should clearly state that staff are unpaid for running trips. Highlighting this fact can foster appreciation and emphasise the sacrifices teachers make. A simple “thank you” can motivate teachers to continue offering these invaluable experiences.
In Conclusion…
Teachers are unpaid for the significant responsibility and time they invest in taking students on school trips. It’s wonderful that many teachers still volunteer for these trips, providing students with invaluable experiences. A simple “thank you” goes a long way in showing appreciation.
