- 64% of parents in the UK admit that they struggle to pay for their child to attend school trips
- Research also revealed that the average child missed out on five school trips in the past year
- In response, Hyundai’s Great British School Trip is reopening applications for bursary funding to ensure every child can benefit from the invaluable experience of school trips, regardless of financial circumstances
UK, 31 JANUARY, 2024 – New research reveals 94% of parents have been forced to cut back on spending due to the cost-of-living crisis, and two thirds (64%) said they now struggle to pay for their child to attend school trips.
The study, commissioned by Hyundai Motor UK as part of its Great British School Trip programme, found that nearly all (97%) children get excited about going on a school trip, and 63% of parents believe these outings positively impact their children’s mental well-being. It’s therefore even more devastating that the research shows the average youngster missed out on five school trips in the last year. With 43% of parents saying they’ve had to keep their child at home and 37% have sent them to school to take part in another class while their peers were away on a school trip.
Findings like these make it no surprise that over two-thirds of parents (67%) feel guilty when their child misses out on a school trip due to financial constraints. Understandably, 65% wish they could afford to send their children on more educational trips, and 60% believe that financial struggles place their children at a clear disadvantage.
With ongoing financial challenges weighing heavily on families, Hyundai, now in its third year of the Great British School Trip programme, discovered that one in six parents (16%) reported their child’s school had to cancel a trip because too many families couldn’t afford it. As a result, nearly half of parents (49%) are concerned about the long-term impact that missing out on these experiences may have on their child.
The brand has invested £3 million into the programme, sending school children on trips outside the classroom to exceptional venues such as the Imperial War Museum, Boscobel House and Knowsley Safari Park.
It’s trips like this, that may be deemed as smaller and more feasible, that 16% of children don’t even have access to. This is why Hyundai is investing in the future of children, ensuring they help to provide enriching school trip experiences for children who might not otherwise have access to them.
Ashley Andrew, President of Hyundai Motor & Genesis UK, commented, “These findings highlight the financial challenges many families are facing, making it harder to access school trips. While parents are eager to provide these opportunities, rising costs are increasingly putting them out of reach. Through our Great British School Trip programme, we’ve already supported 146,882 children, and in response to these findings, we’re reopening bursary applications to help even more families. This reaffirms our commitment to ensuring as many children as possible can benefit from the invaluable experience of school trips, regardless of financial circumstances.”
With the programme supporting 146,882 school children to date, Hyundai is aiming to have sent 160,000 school children on school trips by the end of this academic year. The bursaries provided help schools most in need fund their trips, including booking fees and travel costs.
Parents acknowledge that school excursions are now more frequent than when they were younger with 56% flagging that schools are now organising more trips than they did when they were young, but they also recognise a significant rise in costs. In fact, 57% of parents believe that the cost of school trips has increased dramatically, with the average annual expense now reaching £203 per child. As a result, a third (33%) of parents feel that schools should scale back on trips to ensure that every child, regardless of their family’s financial situation, has the opportunity to participate.
Hyundai’s Great British School Trip is reopening the bursary applications on 28th January. To find out more about the programme and how you can get involved, please visit:
