To be suprised schools still do French exchanges ?what with the safeguard risks

ds did an exchange when he was 16. we all had to get a dbs check and the host families were similarly checked.

it's the only overseas trip that's worth the ££ if your goal is language acquisition - don't learn anything by going to France with all your UK classmates.....

Um, last exchange our kid went on the teachers specifically did have spare accommodation in case of any problem.

No magic involved. Just responsible planning, risk assessment, sensible balance.

The risks are still not high enough to ban these events for all. Many of us and our kids have had positive and educational experiences and have no regrets. I accept many now may disagree, as parental anxiety increases exponentially.

It takes a moment to take their innocence, what is a call or a text afterwards going to do? The damage is done and the child has to live with that.

God, that was so normal when I was young. I was sent to a random US family for a month, I don’t think my parents knew anything other than their name and address. I didn’t have a phone on me either.

There's a big difference between living in halls at 18 to staying in an unknown family's home at 14!

I mean, that is awful and it is inexcusable and traumatising. However, I don’t think it’s the norm by any means. And maybe you wouldn’t have contacted anybody. People know their own children best. Mine would be calling and texting me ASAP, and would prob tell their friends and go en masse to the teacher. It’s still not a big enough risk to ban all exchanges, in my view.

I wouldn't let my child go... I remember some of the kids that went in my school had horrible times! For all those saying that they will miss out, what's wrong with travelling with your child yourself?

Yet only 4 years later we send them off back packing around the world or to live with a bunch of strangers at university. Children need to be pushed outside of their comfort zone to learn resilience, problem solving, build confidence and much more

Giving more freedom means kids walking home alone, less nanny state.

It doesn't mean putting them in strangers houses.
Think about it we spend years telling kids,don't go with strangers, don't get in a strange car....

Then at 14 off you go to a strangers house

Ok but in general British children are growing up with less freedom than children in many other countries. This may come with some advantages in terms of protecting them but there are also disadvantages such as making them less prepared for life as an adult/ work etc. In today’s world these children in other countries are their future job competion. Aside from that from a fulfillment perspective if you shy away from experiences you miss out on having fun and enriching experiences.

yes obviously we don’t just do anything and have to weight up the risks etc and make certain choices - we shouldn’t just do whatever we want. But the school has deemed this to be ok, millions of children around the world will be doing similar things.

They might vet to an extent, overcrowed, dirty, mid divorce or whatever.
Very difficult to vet against sex predators if they haven't been convicted.

As I say, few would have objected to an exchange with Bea but would your really want your kid around AMW?

I think that the school kind of vet the parents and expect the exchange school to do the same. I know of a friend of mine was asked to host two students instead of the one her child did the exchange with as the school were not happy with the circumstances of the house the other student was meant to go to.

I think the Pelicot case, and more stories of men drugging women and children has moved the dial.

What makes Austrians more dangerous than French, Spanish or UK people?

Why?

Why? What in particular? Some German exchanges are in Austria.

I'd be more worried about Austria

Where would you expect the teacher to magic a room up from?

Would you go and stay with strangers that you don't know?

It didn't happen again. It was my last full day there.

Honestly, I feel like sending young teen girls to live in a stranger's house for however long is, in some cases, sending lambs to the slaughter. But hey, at least they can tell their teacher. Because that always happens, doesn't it?

But had you told the teacher, they would have immediately removed you from that situation and it wouldn’t have happened again.

There was a British teenager sleeping in a dorm in a youth hostel, with her mates, 30 years ago, who was murdered while she slept. I’d have thought this was a pretty safe scenario, as would most people.

On most exchange visits, you are out and about all day, in groups, with your mates and exchange partners. Obviously you can’t avoid all risk, but the risk to exchange students must be minimal. And you tell your child, if there is anything at all that they are unhappy with, to speak to the teacher. On one of my exchanges, my exchange partner was very strange, and she - and I - weren’t invited to any evening parties. I told the teacher, and she ensured that we weren’t left out.

I did a Spanish exchange in the late 80s when I was 15. Got drunk most nights, had a fantastic time, felt very safe.

Found out decades later from my mum that she'd caught my dad trying to sexually assault my exchange partner (who my mum referred to as "a little hussy" - she was anything but.) Explains why she never replied to my letters 😔

I think realistically there is probably less risk now than in those days, partly because there are safeguarding guidelines, but mainly because children are taught that they can have boundaries. But because we are more aware that dangers exist, we have made ourselves far more anxious about the possibility.

I could have contacted my teacher, although we didn't have mobiles. I could have used the landline. There's no way I would have. I didn't even tell them when we were all together in person. It wouldn't have prevented the dad coming in my room and taking his clothes off. It had already happened by then.

No they aren't going to be scared of meeting new people.

Theyll know to meet new people safely, first few times you meet, meet in a public place. Don't go back to their house or invite them to yours until you get to know them.

Really whats hard about that?