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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Shall I tell her to stick it?

266 replies

PrincessLeia21 · 24/03/2025 02:23

Ds attends school locally. A teacher at that school offered him a lift to and from as they live nearby. I offered petrol money at the outset, and her response was was, no, I’m going anyway so it’s fine.
At the end of each term, I’ve sent her a gift to say thank you. Each time, I’ve had to chase up to check she’s received it- no thanks forthcoming.
Recently, she sent me a message saying, I know I said no to petrol mondy initially, but actually, things are getting more expensive now that DS has got his own car and I would like to take you up on it.
hmmmmm. I asked her for bank details and she has sent me DS’s bank. So effectively she has decided that she wants someone to subsidise her DS’s new car and that someone is me. To be clear her DS drives themselves to and from a different school.
Teacher is still driving to and from our school daily.
if she had given me her own bank details, I would’ve just paid it, despite feeling that she should’ve asked me initially- not a year into this. But being given her DS’s bank details has made me really mad. Feels like a shakedown. Coupled with this, I lost my mum recently and my elderly father has been seriously ill. I’ve had to do an awful lot of juggling and rely on the lifts- she knows this, which makes me feel even more like this is taking the piss. AIBU?

OP posts:
MagdaLenor · 24/03/2025 17:58

Notimeforit · 24/03/2025 17:56

Teachers are allowed to give pupils lifts as long as they have parental permission. Let's just get that straight. It's not a school trip so they don't need special insurance either.

That's not what we've been told in our safeguarding training. Perhaps we have been urged to be more cautious.
We have been clearly told - emergencies only.

Hdjdb42 · 24/03/2025 17:58

If she gives him a lift there and back, I'd send £20 per week. It's better than the alternative, which is no more lifts! Can you afford to do that? If not, think about how much you could pay on a regular basis. Even £40/50 per month is better than nothing. Doesn't really matter where the money goes to. It's probably to cover his petrol.

Notimeforit · 24/03/2025 17:56

Teachers are allowed to give pupils lifts as long as they have parental permission. Let's just get that straight. It's not a school trip so they don't need special insurance either.

Pomegranatecarnage · 24/03/2025 17:54

Teachers wouldn’t usually be allowed to give lifts to pupils. Has she got the correct insurance for this? I was asked by a pupil for a lift and the school said I couldn’t do it.

CaramelVanilla · 24/03/2025 17:53

Barrenfieldoffucks · 24/03/2025 14:37

Hahahaha, says the lady calling a request for petrol money a shakedown 😂😂😂

Exactly - "no I will not pay you for petrol for taking my child to school because I dont like that you want the money to go to your dc account! Fuck you, I'll take my own kid to school" that wont be awkward or anything

Bitofanchange · 24/03/2025 17:51

PrincessLeia21 · 24/03/2025 13:49

It’s called ‘manners’ or just common courtesy! Try it sometime!

And it’s manners to contribute to your child’s transport to school, otherwise what’s your options?

Crackanut · 24/03/2025 17:50

You need to pay her and be extremely thankful for her help.

I lost my mum recently and my elderly father has been seriously ill

I think recent events are clouding your judgement here. I hope things get better for you. It's not easy when we lose a parent.

BlueMum16 · 24/03/2025 17:48

PrincessLeia21 · 24/03/2025 13:49

It’s called ‘manners’ or just common courtesy! Try it sometime!

Same as paying you way.

She's bending the rules by giving the lifts - as many PP have said - the payment to her DS is a way to hide this.

Pay up and be grateful for the lift.

Alwayswonderedwhy · 24/03/2025 17:46

Which country are you in? Teacher's would not do this in the UK. What does your child do before school starts? I assume the teacher starts quite a bit earlier than the kids arrive. It's a strange setup but I don't think she's being unreasonable asking for a bit of money even if she's giving it to her son.

YourLuckyPearlGoose · 24/03/2025 17:43

Has this arrangement been cleared with the school? It’s seen by a lot of schools and colleges as a safeguarding concern.

Tigergirl80 · 24/03/2025 17:39

I would just pay it if she wants it going into her son’s account so be it. If you gave her the cash you wouldn’t know what she would do with it anyway.

BatchCookBabe · 24/03/2025 17:38

TimeForATerf · 24/03/2025 17:33

88% YABU, exit OP.

Who the F thinks she is being reasonable?! Confused

BatchCookBabe · 24/03/2025 17:36

GloryDias · 24/03/2025 17:27

Huge safeguarding issue, I work in a school and under no circumstances should a member of staff give a pupil a 1-1 lift in a car. That's to protect the member of staff as much as the child. I'd be interested to know if the headteacher is happy with this?

100% this. ^ It's all very odd! 🤔

Got a feeling the OP won't be back, but as other posters have said @PrincessLeia21 if it grieves you so much that this teacher has had the temerity to ask for money towards petrol after ferrying your child to school and back for the past YEAR (for FREE,) then yeah tell her to 'stick it!' See how that works out for you! 😆

Hwi · 24/03/2025 17:33

Your post would flag up as 'mad' even in raving socialist countries like China or Cuba. Of course you should pay.
P.S. What a weirdo this teacher is - to offer to drive a pupil???? She is mad, too.

TimeForATerf · 24/03/2025 17:33

88% YABU, exit OP.

Latenightreader · 24/03/2025 17:33

OP are you in Australia or another non-UK location? As so many others have pointed out the set up would be a huge no in the UK on many levels.

GloryDias · 24/03/2025 17:27

Huge safeguarding issue, I work in a school and under no circumstances should a member of staff give a pupil a 1-1 lift in a car. That's to protect the member of staff as much as the child. I'd be interested to know if the headteacher is happy with this?

Maraa · 24/03/2025 17:27

Surely this shouldn’t be allowed due to safeguarding. Teacher has put themselves in a vulnerable position here.

RealEagle · 24/03/2025 17:21

How old is your kid?

MagdaLenor · 24/03/2025 17:13

holamuchgusto · 24/03/2025 17:12

I just want to say I'm completely shocked that any teacher would give a pupil a lift and I'm sure there are rules against such things.

Yep. As pp have said, and I have too - she's breaking the rules.

holamuchgusto · 24/03/2025 17:12

I just want to say I'm completely shocked that any teacher would give a pupil a lift and I'm sure there are rules against such things.

Smallmercies · 24/03/2025 17:09

PrincessLeia21 · 24/03/2025 13:49

It’s called ‘manners’ or just common courtesy! Try it sometime!

Pot, kettle.

MorrisonsBitch · 24/03/2025 17:03

Yeah i agree ,just tell her to “stick it” and actually get your own child to school every day. You know… like every other parent has to do… how entitled can you actually be???
rural or not you should have thought about how you were going to get said child to the school you chose without relying on anyone else. What’s happens if there’s a problem one or 2 days?

MagdaLenor · 24/03/2025 17:01

There's an easy solution: report her to the school.

Delatron · 24/03/2025 16:59

snotathing · 24/03/2025 16:56

Yes, making small talk with a student for an extra two hours a day can't be any teacher's idea of fun.

I mean 2 hours a day every single day?! I can’t imagine it. That’s either 10 hours of small talk with a pupil every week (with zero time to decompress) or of an awkward silence.

I know the OP isn’t coming back but also how does her son feel spending 2 hours every day making small talk with his teacher?

You need to find a new solution!