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AIBU?

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Original poster

Could the school have lied?

57 replies

knittedbreast · 18/07/2011 11:25

My son went on a trip about 3/weeks ago. it was a one non residential (he is 5, foundation year).

Anyway the bus broke down when it took them from the place back to the school. they got home at 6pm rather than 3pm. children were crying, over tired and hungry. the school had used the same bus company the previous week and it had broken down at least twice the week before and they still used the company.

Anyway, my son has been telling me that it didnt actually brake down, the coach tried to drive under a bridge and crashed into it as the coach was too tall. now hes 5, and he can talk alot of well.... but he was adament about it, hes been saying it my parents, my boyfs parents and me. he said the coach was dented and that they didnt know the coach couldnt fit under the bridge and it had a crash. then they had to call another.

im not the type of parent to belive every word all the time that their children say, but he seems very sure.

if there was a crash, no matter how small. the coach didnt break down, and they havent told the parents.

what do you think?

OP posts:
AgentZigzag · 18/07/2011 11:28

What did the school say when you asked them?

PiousPrat · 18/07/2011 11:29

I would tend to think that if it happened 3 weeks ago and you haven't heard a sniff of it in the playground by now, then it is the product of a vivid imagination tbh. If it was a reception trip, there would likely have been parent helpers in the coach as well so even if the school were trying to cover it up, the playground gossip mill would soon start churning into life.

If the coach juddered as it died and was near a bridge at the time, it is entirely possible that your son has now sort of made that into a crash in his head, as that sounds much more dramatic and interesting than "and then the bus stopped moving and we just sat there for 3 hours" Wink

TeeBee · 18/07/2011 11:29

I would ask the class teacher in a jokey way. Or some of the other children who went with him. Seems a bit odd.

AMumInScotland · 18/07/2011 11:31

I think the thing to do is to mention it to his teacher - not in an accusing tone, but in a puzzled is-there-anything-in-this sort of tone. 5yos can be very imaginative, so he wouldn't be the first to say things which were not literally true, but that doesn't mean he's wrong....

CogitoErgoSometimes · 18/07/2011 11:31

Ask the school, perhaps? 'Crash' is quite an emotive term but it could have clipped overhanging branches or clipped something on the way through... maybe if it lost a wing-mirror, they'd have to stop then. Speculation is entertaining but it's always best to ask

Salmotrutta · 18/07/2011 11:31

Yes - what have the school said and what would you be doing about it if they have in fact omitted this detail?

DeWe · 18/07/2011 11:35

Are other children saying it?
I'd look at news reports, it's the sort of thing that if there was a crash of a school bus, gets onto the BBC news, you certainly get a number of reports on it every year.
Also weren't there parent helpers? I doubt they'd be keeping quiet about it.
Go and ask the school.

ShatnersBassoon · 18/07/2011 11:38

I am sure you would have heard rumours in the playground before now. The parent helpers wouldn't have lied about it or kept it quiet.

worraliberty · 18/07/2011 11:41

I wouldn't imagine any of the staff or helpers would have lied...why would they?

What did the school staff say when you asked them if it was a crash or a break down?

onadifferentplanettoday · 18/07/2011 11:43

School buses stuck under bridges seem to hit the headlines in the local paper.not sure where you live but there have been several stories about a local company here whose buses keep breaking down,am sure someone else would have heard if there had been a crash.

MsAnnThroppy · 18/07/2011 11:47

Has he been reading Bulgy the Bus (from the Thomas the Tank Engine series)?

Original poster
knittedbreast · 18/07/2011 11:50

i havent asked the school. but he keeps bringing it up.

i did speak to another mum who said she would ask her daughter if she remembers anything. the school took alot of trainee people on the trip with them, people who werent mums who were learning.

i think you are right, he might have just blended two things together.

what do i do if they have lied and there was an incident, obviously no one died as the children are still here i just dont like to think that something other than a break down happened and they didnt tell us.

OP posts:
Original poster
knittedbreast · 18/07/2011 11:51

msann-lol! no :)

OP posts:
worraliberty · 18/07/2011 11:52

But they have no reason to lie...I mean what's wrong with simply telling the truth? It's not like it was a teacher doing the driving is it? Confused

Also, what is the point in asking another Mum who asks her 5yr old and all the 'blah blah' second hand info when you can quite simply pick up the phone and speak to the school about this?

It's a legitimate concern and I'm quite sure they'll be pleased to be able to put a stop to any rumours should they be untrue.

Salmotrutta · 18/07/2011 11:55

Ask the school - then if it does turn out there was any truth in the "incident" story, state your concerns about not being told the true story from the start.

MsAnnThroppy · 18/07/2011 11:56

Grin . Thought I'd ask. It's one of my DD's favourites and we have to reenact the bus stuck under the bridge scenario with toys.

lesley33 · 18/07/2011 11:58

I agree that the school would be very unlikely to lie. If there was a crash, it wouldn't have been their fault. And they would have no chance of keeping this secret with a bus full of excited 5 year olds.

Original poster
knittedbreast · 18/07/2011 12:01

i dunno, i dont think a call from the secretary on the day to all the mums of childrn in foundation saying "sorry, kids wont be home for ages they have been in a small collision with a bridge, please dont worry they are all fine" might not go down too well.

i think i will ask when i collect him, it will still be interesting to here what my friends daughter says. mums sensible she wont ask did you have a crash, just ask her what happened when the coach broke down etc

OP posts:
MrSpoc · 18/07/2011 12:02

does it really matter if it got stuck under the bridge or if it broke down?

nojustificationneeded · 18/07/2011 12:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
knittedbreast · 18/07/2011 12:04

he didnt say it got stuck, he said it crashed.

and yes, because there is a difference between a breakdown and a crash, no matter how small. I would be very upset if they hadent told us the truth.

OP posts:
worraliberty · 18/07/2011 12:06

What MrSpoc said...why does it matter?

You've just said yourself the parents wouldn't appreciate a message saying they crashed into a bridge...so perhaps a break down was the best thing to say at the time?

Also, the school may not have had that information when telling the parents the kids would be late.

MrSpoc · 18/07/2011 12:07

If it was a CRASH then most likely someone would of been injured. Not a cahnce of covering it up, thats why I assumed you meant got stuck. But honestly I think he is just remembering things differently.

Original poster
knittedbreast · 18/07/2011 12:10

the school secretary was in contact by mobile phone to the teacher-of course they had information.

i hope he is remembering things differently. if hes not, then i will be very angry if they have mislead me.

OP posts:
PotteringAlong · 18/07/2011 12:10

I think you can be fairly certain that if it happened the whole of the class would've been full of it when you got back! The school had no reason to lie, and no way to get lots of 5 year olds to keep up that lie for them...