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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think teachers should not be drinking when on a school trip?

150 replies

KimbettyBooBah · 27/03/2013 13:28

DD (14) came back from her school France trip saying that the teachers had been drinking beer at lunch time, and one time in the evening too.

AIBU to be angry about this?

OP posts:
TeamEdward · 27/03/2013 13:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

diddl · 27/03/2013 13:42

It sounds OK to me as well tbh.

Daughter was recently on a school trip & they went to a disco.

Where the teachers sat in the "teacher's lounge" & monitored them remotely!

How great is that?

YoothaJoist · 27/03/2013 13:44

Did your daughter have anything to drink on this trip, OP?

Only when I used to take school trips abroad, I spent the entire time dealing with teenagers who were trying to sneak booze and fags, and shagging each other/the locals. Nightmare.

YABU. Be more grateful to the professionals who give up their free time UNPAID for your DC's benefit.

DrSeuss · 27/03/2013 13:46

Teachers do not get paid any extra for taking on a massive, round the clock job on a school trip. A drink with lunch seems fine to me. Presumably the op will volunteer to run the next trip, as taking a bus load of teens away and having 24 hr responsibility is such fun. Presumably she has also ensured that she thanked the staff when she collected her child and has asked her daughter to write short notes of thanks?

Sidge · 27/03/2013 13:48

In France it's practically compulsory to drink with meals. They'd have been sacked if they hadn't had a drink as it wouldn't have been an authentic French trip.

Wink
Poppet48 · 27/03/2013 13:50

YABU if it was just the two beers.

YANBU if they were drinking excessively.

Original poster
KimbettyBooBah · 27/03/2013 13:51

So where do you draw the line, out of curiosity?

OP posts:
AuntieStella · 27/03/2013 13:53

This has just reminded me of a trip when I was a pupil, and Teacher A was caught sneaking out of Teacher B's bedroom. Both left the school shortly after that one.

A couple of beers seems positively tame.

badguider · 27/03/2013 13:55

French lager can be as low as 2.2% and they don't serve it in pints but in smaller glasses, having one with lunch is very french and I wouldn't consider it a problem at all. In fact, I wouldn't consider a french-sized glass of wine with lunch an issue either (their glasses are usually just 125ml).

Where do you draw the line? I think you trust the teachers to use their own judgement. They are no more insensible after a half lager at lunch than after a night of broken sleep or long coach journey.

Dawndonna · 27/03/2013 13:56

I think most people have said fairly explicitly where they draw the line. If a teacher is out of their tree, or drinking excessively then obviously it's too much. But, as has been pointed out, a glass or two of wine with a meal, or a beer at lunchtime are fine and none of your business.
I'm a bit concerned about the attitude of you and your dd toward alcohol. Is she not allowed a little now and then? Let's face it, I can guarantee that a french child would not have questioned this.

BaronessBomburst · 27/03/2013 13:56

I personally would draw the line at being under the limit to drive.

MeSoFunny · 27/03/2013 14:02

Been there, done that. Trust me, you need a drink at the end of the day when you take teenagers on a residential.

EuroShaggleton · 27/03/2013 14:16

Sounds fine to me. Our teachers always had a few drinks on school trips to France. I'm not seeing the problem if they weren't falling out of bars and mooning the students, frankly.

EndoplasmicReticulum · 27/03/2013 14:20

I'm a teacher. I never drink on school trips, can imagine that it would not look good if there was some sort of disaster and I'd been drinking.

Movingtimes · 27/03/2013 14:21

OP - have you thanked the teachers for giving up so much of their free time to take your daughter on a residential trip? Or were you saving your breath to give them a blasting over daring to drink a small amount of alcohol with a meal.

IloveJudgeJudy · 27/03/2013 14:24

I think your DD is trying to get you to cause trouble for the teachers who took her on the trip, instead of her and you being grateful for the opportunity to go away with people who don't get paid for looking after the DC for that time.

Do you really want to cause trouble for people who are doing so much? I really cannot understand your attitude.

YABVU.

complexnumber · 27/03/2013 14:26

"So where do you draw the line, out of curiosity?"

I imagine if any teacher is 'dad dancing' then they have probably crossed the line.

toomuch2young · 27/03/2013 14:29

Be grateful -when I was 14 we were taken on a school trip that involved wine binging tasting.

The pupils and staff alike were various stages of drunk/tipsy for the whole after noon and evening and the news had somehow filtered back (well before facebook etc) and coach home was met by angry parents!!

Hulababy · 27/03/2013 14:30

As with the thread about scout trips the other day.

I would have absolutely no problem with this at all, if it is just one or two drinks, taken with food, drank sensibly.

When my DD was in Y3 and Y4 they had a 3 night residential. I know that the teachers shared a bottle of wine in the evening, with their meal. It meant a glass each.

Likewise when DD goes on a day trip, in the holidays, to London, I would have no issue with the teachers having a glass of wine with their evening meal before coming home, should they wish.

The teachers are on duty 24/7 on a school trip. It is a very long day, and not actually a jolly - hard work. If they wish to have a glass of wine or beer whilst eating, or in the evening, I think good on them tbh!

So long as there is a designated first aider and driver available, in case of emergencies, really what is the problem?

Hulababy · 27/03/2013 14:32

Drawing the line - is getting drunk, not having a responsible adult available in case of emergency, or teachers behaving irresponsibly.

livinginwonderland · 27/03/2013 14:35

we went on a school trip to paris when i was in sixth form (we were all 17) and we were allowed out to drink on our own, and when we came back to "check in" with our teacher at night, he was only upright because was supporting himself on the doorframe!

however, other teachers were totally sober.

scarlettsmummy2 · 27/03/2013 14:53

If I was on a school trip with a pile of hyper teenagers I would be having a drink too!Grin

seeker · 27/03/2013 14:58

Another mother and I delivered some wine to a school trip venue once- it was an outdoor centre and it had rained every day for 6 days. We reckoned the only chance our children had of coming home alive was to let the teachers have a glass of wine or two.......!!!

blackteaplease · 27/03/2013 15:05

Would you drink at home when in charge of your dc's? It's just the same thing as long as the teachers aren't over the limit, I wouldn't have a problem with it.

DH is off on a week's ski trip next week with 40 12-16 year olds, over 24 hours on a coach each way. I'd want a drink in the evenings if that was me.

Wolfiefan · 27/03/2013 15:05

A drink with a meal would be fine.
Drinking all afternoon and/or evening. Far from fine.
It's easy.
If you are that bothered then I'd offer to go on future trips and be the responsible/sober adult so a teacher can have a holiday (instead of working unpaid on a school trip) and enjoy a drink with friends/families without being judged unprofessional.