For many, they are the high point of their school days. School trips can lead to the surrounding area or abroad. But the prices make things difficult for parents and schools.
Magdeburg (dpa/sa) - Rising prices are making it increasingly difficult for schools in Saxony-Anhalt to organize class trips. All children and young people should, should and should be able to experience joint activities again after the pandemic, said the chairwoman of the Association of School Management Saxony-Anhalt, Katrin Jelitte. "Unfortunately, the price spiral for such activities is spiraling upwards too quickly." Popular trips to cities, to musical performances are already priceless. "From our point of view, the cost of a ticket has skyrocketed."
State student spokesman Moritz Eichelmann emphasized: "For us, such trips make the school time." It cannot be imagined if these would disappear. It is currently the case that schools are reducing the programs of the trips in order to save costs.
In the schools in the country, trips within Germany would be favored, Katrin Jelitte from the school directors' association. Destinations within Saxony-Anhalt are popular with younger students. But even with these trips, the “prices have risen noticeably”. The costs would always depend on the duration and the planned program. For a three-day trip to the Harz Mountains, around 200 euros would have to be budgeted for with the supporting program and meals - not including travel expenses.
In the upper grades, on the other hand, the journeys start at 400 euros, according to the state student association. There are destinations like Rome or Oxford, but also the "highlights of the school days".
It is unclear whether fewer school trips are actually being planned and carried out in the meantime. When asked, the Ministry of Education announced that neither the number of trips nor the travel destinations were recorded. There is funding from the state. According to a ministry spokesman, Saxony-Anhalt has planned almost 1.5 million euros in 2023 to support school and class trips. However, the sum could increase again after the end of the year.
For comparison: in 2022, the grants for schoolchildren to take part in school trips and other school events amounted to around 1.9 million euros. In 2018 it was 1.6 million euros. According to the ministry, these sums were also lower in advance.
The funds for the class trips would be allocated to the facilities based on the number of students as part of the school budget, said the ministry spokesman. Irrespective of this, "the guidelines for school hikes and school trips from the Ministry of Education point out" that, for reasons of orientation towards the region, priority should be given to destinations in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Trips to other federal states could also be chosen. Traveling abroad is only allowed from the 9th grade.
