Editorial: School trips: great but at what cost?

The highlight of my school camp experiences was a week at Gumboot Gully in the backblocks of Taranaki.

It rained the whole time, but I still remember the "sausage stew" we made over the campfire as one of the best meals I've ever eaten.

That was primary school. At intermediate we literally camped in my teacher's backyard.
The idea of travelling out of the province, let along out of New Zealand, on a school trip was virtually unknown back then.

In our 48 Hours feature today we talk to Rotorua teachers and parents about the growing trend of school children heading off around the globe on educational and inspirational trips.

This year, Rotorua students will head to the USA, China, France, Vanuatu and Italy - among others.

All the teachers we spoke to believe the trips have a hugely positive impact on the students, opening their eyes to the world and also making them appreciate and be proud of their own culture.

I don't doubt it. Having spent much of my adult life travelling, I believe everyone should venture out at least once and see some of the world.

Walking down a New York street, visiting the ruins of ancient Rome or walking the Great Wall of China - these are learning experiences students are not going to get from a text book.

It's not just the sights and sites that will inspire them - the mix of cultures, languages, food, music, art - they're the things that will give them the travel bug and a feeling for their place in the world.

But is it a bit overboard when it means parents are having to come up with thousands of dollars - one we spoke to admits her family's lives have been consumed by fundraising. Is that the best use of money? Yes, the child will probably have an unforgettable
experience and no parent wants their child to miss out on an opportunity. But in the grand scheme of things is it worth it, when that child will have many more years ahead of them to see the world? Maybe it is for some families and good on them for their efforts, they know their children better than anyone.

For other kids, maybe they'd learn just as much about themselves and their peers in a tent in the rain in the back of nowhere, enjoying the sweet taste of sausage stew. Call me old-fashioned, but decades later, that's a memory I still cherish.