to be shocked by worldwide school trips?

[DelhiCalling]

In the recent teacher and pupil grooming case, it mentioned they had been on a school trip to los Angeles this year?! Since when did educating children require trips across the globe? When I was young, a day trip to a museum was the norm and the absolute most we did was an overnight trip in a youth hostel in wales.

Aibu to think these trips are a ridiculous idea and a jolly for the teachers, as presumably their ticket is included in the fees paid by the parents? Secondly, shouldnt these trips be stopped now that teachers can't be trusted not to groom our children on such trips?

Why do you assume teachers can't be trusted not to groom our children on residential trips?

I did wonder about this too as Los Angeles doesn't seem to be the most stimulating of places to visit for educational reasons. I suppose it depends on what the aim of a school trip is and whether or not that aim can be achieved in the UK or abroad.

Given that some schools go on ski trips etc, I take it they aren't all necessarily educational. I went to Russia for a week when I was 13 and consider that to have been educational rather than a jaunt.

And looking after 50 16-18 year olds in Washington DC for a week is hardly a jolly. It was bloody hard work.

It was very educational, a lot of fun for the students and quite interesting for the staff. But jolly it was not.

YABU on every level I can think of.

Do we need to assume then that all teachers want to groom their pupils.

What a sad out look and a massive insult to teachers........Off all the reasons to stop school trips this is the ost ridiculous yet!

Are these trips optional or do all children go? (My child is too young at the moment) I am terrified my child may be groomed by a teacher if I let him go when he's older.

Oh FFS!

Have my first ever

Mine too

He's a child, not a fuck horse.

There's no reason to fear a teacher will groom him any more than any other adult.

*fucking horse

My keys haven't woken up yet....

I totally disagree that these trips should be stopped in case teachers "groom" kids. the vast majority of teachers are decent, well trained in child protection and not at all like the occasional newsworthy "groomers". besides which, you don't need to go abroad to groom a child or have an inappropriate relationship with them. On that point, YABU.

However, I do agree that some school trips are unnecessarily lavish and when you think of the cost of a family holiday outside term time these days, it puts massive pressure on most ordinary families.

I also think that many of the UK's famously rich heritage and culture are being ignored in favour of glossy trips abroad.

I would like to see school trips going to Hampton court, any of the London Museums, Hadrian's Wall, the National War Memorial, Beamish, St Fagans, Stratford Upon Avon, Edinburgh, etc-- many countries can only look on in envy of our incredible culture and yet schools are taking pupils to LA and Washington and ignoring the beauty and heritage that is right under our noses.

I think if a teacher is going to groom a student they are just as likely to do that on a camping trip to the lake district as they are in LA.

I think it is unfair to the kids who's parents can't afford to send them on such expensive trips.

So its ok for teachers to have relations with a horse?! Do many children go on these trips?

Why on earth risk sending you children to school at all then? Surely they can do all the grooming they want there?

Wow, that's the most reactionary OP I've read in ages!

You do know that not all teachers groom children don't you? A teacher is no more or less likely to be a paedophile than any other adult. Are you planning to stop your child from ever being in the company of any adult?

I was lucky enugh to go on lots of school trips and while they weren't all educational they were all valuable. I made new friends, gained a real love of travel, learnt to ski, saw how a french family lived. I also think it helps to encourage independence as we were supervised but expected to get ourselves up for breakfast and manage our own money etc.

Yeah, it's a bit like saying ban cars because of car crashes.

(I still stand by what I say about school trips being too lavish though).

Our school had a NYC trip in the 90s.

Oh dear op..... Go and get the proper information!!

Yes, these trips are NORMAL
No, they are not obligatory
No, teachers don't use them for 'grooming'
Yes, most teachers are wonderful and go out of there way for our young people.

Have my very first . It's nice to know that when I slog my guts out on a residential school trip, barely sleep for a week and spend months planning and working on it beforehand in order to give the kids an amazing experience that you think I'm off on my jollies and/or using it as a way to groom children. Because teachers are all either lazy lay-a-bouts in search of free foreign holidays or sexual predators. Of course.

Ignoring your hysterical grooming comment. I do think that trips should be capped in price and distance. Europe has so much to offer and it's cheaper on the whole than transatlantic.

I went to Austria and France at school and it was amazing, so good it was part of the reason I took an Art History degree...

I think if they do these trips they should be chaperoned, I.e a child protection agent should accompany the trip to watch the teachers. If that had happened on the LA trip maybe that poor girl wouldnt have been groomed by the teacher.

Aldi I agree with your price and geography cap too.

Ahh yes, every school trip should have a child protection agent lurking in the bushes with long range binoculars.