would you say anything or not?

[northernmusgrave72]

My dd's school is organising an exchange trip to France and one of my dd's friends is going to take part. They go over there and then the French pupils come over here. We've done it before and we know that no-one checks up on your home or who you are - I guess they just trust you.

My dd's friend lives with an assortment of animals. They line the walls of her house - spiders, lizards, snakes, scorpions, dogs, cats, hamsters, fish, etc. Her home is full of animals and it's not very clean either. My dd had a sleepover there once and told me that she felt uncomfortable and slightly scared of the dad who was quite sweary and shouty. She's always refused subsequent sleepovers.

So, knowing that this child wants to be part of the exchange and that a French girl may have to spend a week with them - do I tell the school my concerns or is it none of my business? I just feel for a child a long way from home, who has no idea about the kind of place they are staying in and the school may have no idea either.

bump

Tell the school

Generally with exchanges the school will gather some information about the home to ensure that any placement is suitable and that the students are likely to get on.

I wouldn't get involved, the school will handle it.

Yes, tell the school. There are no checks at all?

We did it last year and there is a form you fill in which details your child's interests and hobbies and a little about their personality. That's it.

There are no checks on who you are or the home life. I think they presume that, as you are sending your child to a French family and they send their child to you, that you will do your best to look after that child. And they have a couple of staff who come over with them as well as their classmates who are also on the exchange, so presumably if anything goes wrong they can tell someone.

My worry is that this girl lives in a small 3 bed terrace which is absolutely overrun with animals. They have had animals escape from their tanks before. The house smells of animals - it's not too clean, is extremely cluttered to the extent of being a hazard. The parents seem lovely in themselves and I would not want to deny this girl the opportunity of going on an exchange but I worry about when it is their turn to have the French girl over. I don't think the school know about the extent of the menagerie they have. Then again, is it my business? Is not a bit judgey of me to go blabbing to the school and should I let them find out for themselves and to sort it out then?