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AIBU?

School tour aborted, kids now due back at 2:30am. Overreaction?

211 replies

Encolere · 05/03/2019 22:24

My 16 year old is on a school trip. They left on Sunday and were due back tomorrow evening. They were having a great time. After dinner this evening they were told some (unnamed) kids were caught with illegal substances and they were all to pack up immediately to be shipped home. They are a 5 hour drive away and will now get in at 2:30 am. I, and most other parents, have to be up a few hours later for work.

AIBU to think this is an extreme reaction? It was a small number (I presume) of the 40 or so kids on the trip. There was no mention of any of the other students being in danger nor were the police involved as far as we know. If the schools previous MO for dealing with incidents like this are to go by, this will never be mentioned again and the kids involved will remain anonymous.

It is probably revelvant that this school group have been trouble from their first year in secondary. Despite the majority of the group being well behaved they are always (all) in trouble because of the actions of those few who are lacking in the cop on department.

OP posts:

Report

BartonHollow · 05/03/2019 22:25

It is unfortunate for the innocent

But you've got to think of the liability issue from the teachers perspective

Absolute nightmare

BusySnipingOnCallOfDuty · 05/03/2019 22:26

Oh wow.
I dont know what i think to be honest.
Is it too late to transfer to another school?

ladygracie · 05/03/2019 22:28

Somethinh similar happened on a trip at my son’s school. They were abroad and called the parents of those concerned to come and get them. They had to fly out. The rest of them came back as planned. I don’t understand why all of them are having to come back.

MumOfOne92 · 05/03/2019 22:28

@BusySnipingOnCallOfDuty assuming her 16year old is about to sit GCSEs it probably is too late.

Clawdy · 05/03/2019 22:29

Why would the OP transfer her child to another school at 16?

BartonHollow · 05/03/2019 22:30

I am guessing (??) from the use of School Tour and Cop On that the OP is Irish

In which case he'll be doing his JC but could school move before LC

7salmonswimming · 05/03/2019 22:31

Don’t you think hauling them home at significant inconvenience to parents is exactly the sort of response that might get the culprits’ parents to do something about this behaviour?

I’m sure all the kids know who was involved. Which means their parents will know too.

School is not the front line in dealing with drugs. Home is. School are rightly washing their hands of this, sending these kids home to be dealt with.

lyralalala · 05/03/2019 22:31

Bringing the kids home early is a logistical nightmare - sorting transport, contacting all of the parents or emergency contacts etc. I'd bet finding the drugs was the proverbial straw.

Plus you have to remember that the staff on the trip are reponsible for the children's well being. I wouldn't want to be responsible for kids who had already shown such a disregard for the trip that they'd taken/obtained drugs. You have to be twice as carefu with other people's kids or else your career can be utterly fucked.

I'd be focussing your ire on the kids involved rather than the staff - who will be drowned in paperwork over this, not to mention any fall out from the trip falling onto them.

Pinkjellyfish · 05/03/2019 22:33

YANBU! That’s really unfair on the ones who didn’t do anything wrong and annoying for parents who will potentially only get a few hours sleep before work now.

Encolere · 05/03/2019 22:35

Yes ladygracie well that is exactly what we thought.

My feeling is the parents would say "no way!" So they had no choice.

I do feel for the teachers but am inclined to think it was an extreme reaction given they only had to get through tonight. I am also sure I am not the only surprised that the idiots who caused this did so. Surely the school staff can't have been so naive as to think this
particular group would all have been ready to act with maturity and consideration given their historical behaviour.

OP posts:

MichonnesBBF · 05/03/2019 22:36

Could it be possible that the place they are staying has asked the whole group to leave?

The decision may of been taken out of the schools hands.

Horrible for the innocent though.

Encolere · 05/03/2019 22:37

Yes Barton/ Columbo but transition year.

OP posts:

Stompythedinosaur · 05/03/2019 22:40

I'd expect them to ask the parents of the offenders to collect them. But agree that possibly their accommodation has asked for the whole group to leave.

lyralalala · 05/03/2019 22:41

Surely the school staff can't have been so naive as to think this
particular group would all have been ready to act with maturity and consideration given their historical behaviour.

There's a difference between being willing to take on responsibility for a group of kids who are known for being a bit rowdy or whatever and staying responsible for a group where some have been caught with drugs.

Imagine the fall out if one of the kids takes ill... Or spikes the drink of another child. It's not like the teachers can strip search the kids to be sure of there being no more drugs.

BartonHollow · 05/03/2019 22:41

Just two phrases OP and you were given away to the eagle eyed 🇮🇪

OddBodsAndGladRags · 05/03/2019 22:41

I should the staff were trying to deals in the staffroom prior to the trip to get other staff members to go, if the group involved have been badly behaved since they started school.

Bet it wasn't the only 'event' on the trip the staff have dealt with. I'd be pissed off but not with the staff.
As a PP said reorganizing to come home early isnt an easy option.

PinkHeart5914 · 05/03/2019 22:41

I think the school made the right call

You don’t know what drugs the dc have, or who they would of gave them too. If your child had been put in hospital after an illegal drug you wouldn’t think it was an extreme reaction

Unfortunate for the innocent but 100% the right call

PennyMordauntsLadyBrain · 05/03/2019 22:42

Hmm, obviously we’ve only got scant details but I’d be concerned about the school punishing the group collectively for something only a few of them had been involved in.

It must be a total nightmare for the teachers involved, but are they relying on the disappointment and anger from the “innocent” students to act as punishment for the guilty ones?

goldengummybear · 05/03/2019 22:42

It's a shame that the kids with drugs weren't taken home while the others got to complete their trip.

I'm surprised that the school would organize a trip like this and if these kids are regularly misbehaved then I'm surprised that teachers would agree to take them.

bridgetreilly · 05/03/2019 22:44

I don't think it's an over-reaction at all. Kids doing drugs on a school trip? Seriously, you want them to just carry on as normal? I'd be bringing them all back and calling the police to have them meet the ones who were caught as soon as they get off the bus.

Cranky17 · 05/03/2019 22:45

I’d e so cross if I was you, you know they are going to be late as well

bridgetreilly · 05/03/2019 22:45

Also, I don't think this is a punishment for the innocent ones, it's simply a consequence of what the guilty ones did. That's not the same thing at all.

BartonHollow · 05/03/2019 22:46

Would he move for his LC OP or is it too late - they sound a desperate crowd altogether will he even get his points there?

Ginseng1 · 05/03/2019 22:46

It might be the whole group were asked to leave or it might be they don't know exactly who involved (they might 'know' but can't prove) so it's all or nothing going home. Gosh I'd hate to be a teacher in that situation.

cardibach · 05/03/2019 22:47

The only way they could stay would be for staff to stay up all night patrolling corridors and inspecting rooms. Why should they, who have been working 24hr days for the whole trip, do this so that parents don’t have to have a disturbed night?
I’ve done school trips as staff. It’s utterly exhausting even when everything goes well. I agree with a PP who feels this might have been a last straw after lots of bad behaviour.

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