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UK Terror Threat CRITICAL School Trips

91 replies

Webaz999 · 24/05/2017 22:04

My daughter has a school trip coming up
in a few weeks for 4 days in London. My daughter is only 10 and I am really anxious about her going. I was worried after the Westminster attack in March and I did contact the school just after that attack, the headteacher did make me and my husband feel like a pair of drama queens and said that no other parents had contacted him about it and the trip was still going ahead. Obviously now following the shocking attack in Manchester I am even more anxious, I saw today on sky news that police have advised that all tours/events around Westminster are cancelled with immediate effect, however on my daughters school facebook page the headteacher has again said in a post today that he has contacted the Police and has been advised that the trip can still go ahead. The headteacher has said that he wouldn't do anything to put our children in danger, i know he wouldn't but it is not him im worried about!! I really do not want my daughter to go now and I know people say don't let the terrorists win but I am just not willing to take that risk with my daughter. I feel for her though as I seem to be the only parent who is not letting her child go. I personally think it is very irresponsible for schools to take children into central London at this present time with a threat level at Severe or Critical. It puts parents under extreme anxiety, most parents I know are only letting their children go because they don't want them being the only ones not going so it's like peer pressure! I would be interested to hear your thoughts?

OP posts:
MumIsRunningAMarathon · 24/05/2017 22:08

My thoughts are.... if children are now the target then yes, any gathering with kids is going to be an easy target

But that could be school gates at home time really. Theme park. Seaside.

How long do you want to put your life on hold for

originalbiglymavis · 24/05/2017 22:09

Where is she going? I've not noticed a lot of difference to be honest. Armed police at Victoria station but this does happen now and then. You just can't predict where these things happen though. Whodve thought that a concert that would appeal to children would be a target?

elevenclips · 24/05/2017 22:11

I have to say I wouldn't like the thought of the trip. I have similarly aged dc. I don't know if I'd let them go or not. How does your dd feel about it?

livsmommy · 24/05/2017 22:14

I absolutely would not let my child go. It's all very well saying we can't let them win and you have to keep living your life, but with the terror threat critical I just wouldn't take the risk. Disclaimer - I suffer from severe anxiety which I am heavily medicated for so realise my opinion may be at the far end of the scale.

2014newme · 24/05/2017 22:15

Well don't let her go then. It's your decision whether she goes not the teachers

EtonMessi · 24/05/2017 22:19

In all honesty, I agree with Mumisrunning:

My thoughts are.... if children are now the target then yes, any gathering with kids is going to be an easy target

But that could be school gates at home time really. Theme park. Seaside.

How long do you want to put your life on hold for
?

Lots of children live in London, of course, and there are plenty of schools there.

You need to take a look at the facts of why terrorism scares us so effectively even though we are relatively unlikely to get caught up in it (there are some good articles on this).

That said, if it's going to cause you that much stress, then that's a good reason not to allow her to go. Just be very clear with yourself on why you're doing it and that it's not based on rational thought (I am not blaming you for this at all, let me be very clear).

I'm sorry that this is causing you so much upset and I hope you can come to a decision you're comfortable with either way,

HerRoyalNotness · 24/05/2017 22:19

Absolutely your call. Do what you are comfortable with. Odds are nothing will happen to your DD, but still, it's the worrying and what ifs that will cause anxiety.

How does your DD feel about it?

HelsinkiLights · 24/05/2017 22:19

Well considering that fact that my DSis & DNephew were at the Ariana Grande concert. (They're ok just extremely shocked.)
I wouldn not be letting my DD go on a school trip to London or anywhere touristy without me.

Fiddlefaddle2303 · 24/05/2017 22:19

Hi, you certainly won't be the only parent feeling this way. TBH, I don't think a school trip is worth the stress. Personally I would make the decision now, say she isn't going, it will save the worry you are going to have, I would put money on the fact you won't be the only parent to make the decision. And for everyone who says your letting the terrorists win my answer would be 'yes I am but a school trip is not worth the sleepless nights and stress at the moment'.

MyCalmX · 24/05/2017 22:19

I live in Z3 London and my dd would not be going on a 4 day trip into London. I know it could happen at anytime etc but it is too soon for me.

LittleMissCrappy · 24/05/2017 22:20

We are in London, just on the outskirts, and school trips to central London have been postponed. I will try to find the letter from head teacher.

maybeitsbecauseim · 24/05/2017 22:22

Erm, you do realise that this topic is mostly for people who LIVE in London, probably with their kids? And that hundreds of thousands of kids go to school here? What advice exactly do you expect? Shall we all evacuate to the country because it's too dangerous?!

Yes, there is a risk. But everything carries risks. For comparison around 1,800 people die in the UK each year in traffic accidents.

Floralnomad · 24/05/2017 22:23

Your child , your decision . My ds is a teacher and he took a school trip to a London museum today , there was absolutely no question that the trip wouldn't go ahead and rightly so.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 24/05/2017 22:24

Do you live near a road? Do you let your child go outside the house? Do you drive her places?

More people died on the roads in one year (2014-15) than have died as a result of terrorist acts in mainland UK since the year 2000. Yet no-one thinks twice about using the roads on a daily basis.

LittleMissCrappy · 24/05/2017 22:25

Letter from school received today:

As you will all be aware, recent terrorist atrocities in London and Manchester have raised the countries threat alert to ‘critical’. Following advice from the authority and our own assessments of the situation, I have decided to cancel trip details on date.

EtonMessi · 24/05/2017 22:25

And for everyone who says your letting the terrorists win my answer would be 'yes I am but a school trip is not worth the sleepless nights and stress at the moment'.

I have to agree with this, despite what I wrote above - no school trip is worth making yourself ill over, if it's just to prove a point to, well, nobody knows who exactly Wink.

Webaz999 · 24/05/2017 22:25

Hi, my DD is a bit gutted however I think she understands the situation and I have promised her we will do something else, the school trip us going to all of the high profile places in London, I know that these attacks could happen anywhere but I just feel that it's more likely to happen in London or other major cities. As for not letting the terrorists win, try saying that to the 22 grieving families in Manchester. It might me the most boring mum ever but I just can't take the risk even though I feel very alone in my thoughts. The only reason I feel so bad is because I don't want my DD to feel left out when all her classmates will be talking about it etc.... it's just a worry I could do without tbh

OP posts:
TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 24/05/2017 22:28

Well, just don't drive her anywhere when you do your something else...

Februaryjones · 24/05/2017 22:28

You won't be the only parent feeling this way. A school trip simply isn't worth the stress. If you feel uncomfortable with it then don't send her.

EtonMessi · 24/05/2017 22:30

but I just can't take the risk even though I feel very alone in my thoughts

You really do need to read some pieces on the psychology behind it OP. This one's not brilliant but it's a start: www.psychologytoday.com/blog/anxiety-files/201501/how-think-about-terrorism

HopelesslydevotedtoGu · 24/05/2017 22:31

I would take my own child on an outing in London, but not let them on a school trip whilst the threat is critical. The chance of being directly harmed in the attack is tiny, but in the ensuing chaos during and after an incident I would worry about how the teachers would safely get 30 kids out of London. I was on a tube train during the Westminster attack and it was crazily busy and hectic and pretty scary, I saw some school groups navigating all this and it looked v stressful for all concerned with the teachers trying to squeeze 30 kids onto already crowded trains and having to change lines to navigate around Westminster, and that attack had less impact on the general public than others.

Webaz999 · 24/05/2017 22:37

HopelesslydevotedtoGu
Yes I totally agree with you, that in itself can be scary enough if you are not used to tubes etc

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EtonMessi · 24/05/2017 22:42

Thanks newcross

Webaz999 · 24/05/2017 22:42

I was also hoping the police would advise against school trips into central London or any other high profile places for the momrnt but they don't seem to be doing that. Ideally I would prefer the school to just cancel it so that I am not Mrs Bad guy!!!

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