For a journey of about 20 kilometres, a Nicosia-district school asked parents to pay €6 per child for coach transport. Many considered the fare high for the distance, raising concerns about how school trip costs are set and whether they reflect current realities.
Parents were also asked to pre-select food at the venue visited, with prices listed as follows: nuggets with chips €7, hamburger with chips €7, pork souvlaki €7.50, chicken €8. Drinks were priced at €0.80 for a small bottle of water, €1.80 for juice and €2 for a soft drink.
The bill for families
If a pupil does not bring lunch from home and chooses, for example, an €8 meal plus a juice (€1.80) and a bottle of water (€0.80), the food and drink alone come to €10.60. Adding the €6 coach fare brings the total close to €17 for one child. For families with two children that approaches €34, while for three children it exceeds €50. These amounts strain household budgets, especially since pupils may have two to three excursions a year as well as educational visits that also carry costs.
It is worth noting that the school’s circular in this case also advised pupils to bring food from home “to avoid waste.” At the same time, however, parents were required to choose and pay for a meal at the restaurant on the itinerary, raising questions about whether the guidance is being applied consistently.
Who decides what
The Education Ministry says schools have significant autonomy over trips, within general guidelines. Schools choose the destination, programme and arrangements, while the ministry issues a circular with basic parameters. There is no standardised pricing or per-kilometre cap, and obtaining three quotations is recommended rather than mandatory. In practice, much depends on each school’s procedures and the oversight capacity of Parents’ Associations.
What the ministry guidelines say
According to the ministry’s guidance: schools should survey the market before asking parents for money and, even where direct awards are allowed, are encouraged to seek offers from at least three bus companies; meal venues must be approved and registered with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism; parents should be informed in good time about the date, cost and programme; schools should consult Parents’ Associations and consider families’ financial circumstances; the transport company must file a declaration that vehicles and drivers meet legal requirements.