School trip to China

[FarquarKumquatsmama]

If you were a teacher and you were meant to be accompanying a school trip (exchange) to Shanghai in 6 weeks, would you go?

what do you mean you cant get out of it, you just refuse to go. you are not a prisoner in custody.
you have you own health and your child's well-being to consider.

no job would make me jeopardise that.
its a question of priorities. and anyway, could they really sack you, you could bring a grievance claim at least, poss employment tribunal. are you in a union. protect yourself and you child.
no job could reasonably insist you do something poss deleterious to your health. don't be bullied.

I am in a union, yes. And generally I am good at standing up for myself too. I am well travelled, not hysterical in the least and pretty well grounded. I am enthusiastic about teaching and when possible giving other people’s kids the opportunity to travel as I passionately believe it enhances learning and cultural understanding is a key skill for our kids future. However, I am also fiercely protective of my own children and their priority in my life.

Therefore, I think I will sit it out and hope that the trip is cancelled. If it is not cancelled, I will visit the doctor and speak about my concerns and follow the doctors advice. I will also speak to my union and perhaps ask them to write a letter to the management.

The management of my school is appalling by the way. I do not trust them as far as I could throw them. This is a major point affecting my worry about going on the trip.

Thank you all for making me realise my gut feeling was correct 💗

My dcs actually went to Wuhan a few weeks ago. (From the uk)
There'd be no way I'd be letting them go anywhere in China again at the moment. I imagine most other parents would feel similarly. Even passing through airports you're in contact with so many people. No way.

Also this is an exchange - where are the Chinese children coming from and staying? Will the authorities at either end let them leave/arrive?

Immune compromised??? Not a chance I'd be going.

Rest of you, I think I'd stick with foreign office advice - which currently stands at not to travel to Hubei Province, but rest of the country isnt limited, yet.
But also, look at what in your itinerary is closed - country-wide restrictions on places where there are lots of people gathering are being closed.

Not worried about PiL, and extended family, yet......

No I wouldn’t go & tbh as a parent if I had a child at that school I’d be informing the school my child wasn’t going either

I would not go, there is a decent chance that more and more areas of China will be put into a lock down with no travel being allowed in or out. If you are in an area that gets Zoned no travel while you are on the trip, then getting home will be exceptionally difficult. I think the one thing we can be sure of is that the situation is going to get worse before it gets better.

If you are immune compromised you are at significant risk of dying if you are infected. The deaths have mostly been reported in elderly and already sick people. The school would not be taking appropriate care of the children by sending an adult on the trip who is very likely to be ill and incapable of caring for the children at best and likely needing other adults to be redirected to help them. The risk from food poisoning alone is substantial. Have you had the appropriate vaccinations for hepatitis etc.?

I wouldnt go if it were me and if like you i were immunosuppresed i would doubly not be going anywhere near

NO, don't go

No way would I go

Our school and another nearby have canceled trips to China

Well China has apparently cancelled all tours leaving China from Monday so it should follow that all tours to China should be cancelled.

I am immunosuppressed so no way would I go. I would also withdraw my children from the trip. Given the way things are going I suspect it will be cancelled as news this morning said rate of infection is increasing

Family member involved in education in Shanghai and their schools are closed for the next 3 weeks as a precaution.

I used to live in Shanghai and still have many friends there. Big American international school has just gone on extended shut down. I think the two British schools will be next. I wouldn't go. All my friends there are pretty chilled about life in general however have headed out of the country this week (which is normal for the holiday) but are keeping very flexible plans and wearing masks outside at all times. Apart from anything else all the big tourist attractions have just shut down this weekend - Disneyland, YuYuan Gardens, the water villages etc.

Definitely don't go OP.

And don't feel guilty for a second.

I imagine they will have to cancel as most parents won't let their children go. I certainly wouldn't.

I imagine you will be going into emails from every parent whose child is booked onto the trip tomorrow morning OP. No parent is going to be comfortable with this. Events will overtake this and the trip will be cancelled, I'd stake my house on it.

Same here. The trip will be cancelled.

Nephew and his wife live in Shanghai, they posted on FB that it's locked down where they are

I am not sure that I could even get out of the trip if I wanted to - a flight has been booked and paid for in my name and a visa application too

Of course you could, it's completely your decision whether you go. No headteacher/organising teacher would be telling me I had to go in these circumstances. Make your own decisions.

As for the "hysteria" on other threads, there is a difference between being in the UK and travelling to the epicentre of the virus.

Thank you for your comments and for asking.

I wrote an email to the management asking for some details about the insurance and what exactly it covers. This was on Saturday morning. No one has answered it even acknowledged the email yet.

The trip has not been cancelled still.

The foreign office does not yet recommend not visiting Shanghai.

I will contact my union and also book a doctors appointment. I am sure both will support me in not going. It would of course be fair if the school did this first.

To be honest, the lack of engagement from the management in this really serious matter is putting me off more than the virus itself.

I suppose it’s a bit early for them to reply, it was the weekend.

I wouldn't go. I imagine parents will be hoping the trip is cancelled too or considering taking their child out although there will be a lot of people out of pocket. Safety comes first, you can't buy good health.

There is no way this trip will go ahead so try not to worry.