‘Nearly choked’: Parent’s fury over $1600 Year 6 school camp fee

An Australian family has been slugged $1600 for their child to attend a four-day school trip – and it’s just an hour away by bus.

A South Australian mum has been slugged $1600 for a four-day school camp just one hour away by bus.

Her son, who attends a “mid-range fee” private school and is in Year 6, is travelling an hour by bus from Adelaide for the outdoor education camp.

The mother sparked a brief social media storm on Tuesday when she posted to X, formerly Twitter.

“Does $1600 for a 4 night Year 6 camp, in tents, seem ridiculously expensive to you? Or, have I lost all perspective,” she wrote.

“Just got the statement and nearly choked. There goes our Japan trip for another six months.”

Most agreed the fee was ridiculous, though one labelled it a “first work problem”.

The mother took umbrage with that assertion, saying “It is hard, actually.

“When your child runs the risk of missing out on what their peers are doing, that can be very upsetting,” she continued.

The four-day school trip cost the family $1600.

“After having spoken with some other parents, there are children who will have to miss this because parents are financially stressed. It’s all relative.”

To make matters worse, the fee was not itemised – just a square $1600 bill for “Camp and Outdoor Experimental Learning.”

“Yep, this is ludicrous then. Ask the school for a breakdown of costs,” a parent responded.

The mum said it seemed “ridiculously expensive”. Picture: unsplash/Tegan Mierle

Other parents said they had sent their children to school camps interstate and even overseas for comparatively less.

“Maybe inflation is worse than I thought, but only a few short years ago, I sent my year nine son to China for nearly seven weeks for $2600 so,” one parent added.

“Five nights Whitsundays $2600 includes everything. Fifteen kids going,” added another.

Another lamented, “$1600? My eldest went on a school trip to NZ for seven days for $3300. That included everything and the skiing.”

The mother said she was going to question the exorbitant fee.