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

[KimbettyBooBah]

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?

[YouTheCat]

I'd say it's perfectly reasonable for the poor buggers to have a glass of wine or a beer.

It is a good example for the kids as well. One drink with a meal, not staggering about getting wankered.

[FierceBadIggi]

I think ime there is a lot less drinking amongst staff. Probably linked to the attitudes of some parents.
Children, on the other hand, drink as much as ever.

[Ilovesunflowers]

I completely agree with you OP. I used to be a teacher and would NEVER have had a drink when on a trip. Yes we work bloody hard while we are there but I still think it's unacceptable to have any drinks in your system if you are in charge of pupils. Most teachers wouldn't drink on trips. It amazes me that some think it's ok.

[IAmLouisWalsh]

When I started teaching we would regularly go to the pub at lunchtime on Friday. On teaching practice, in fact, I went back having had a pint and a half of Guinness and was bloody hopeless in the afternoon. My mentor had bought it for me, so he couldn't complain!

[breatheslowly]

Most people don't seem to be aware that teachers are not paid for weekend and out of term trips (or term time overnight ones). They are completely voluntary and without volunteers they don't happen. Even the teacher's food isn't paid for on some trips. I found it amazing how few parents and pupils took the time to thank the staff after trips, I assume that this is because they think of it as part of the job.

If your children do go on a trip then please take the time to thank the staff and get your children to thank them too - is is appreciated.

[Hullygully]

I HAVE NEVER EVER HEARD ANYTHING SO DISCUSTING

[freddiefrog]

A couple of glasses of wine/beers - fine
Enough that they couldn't deal with a problem - not fine

My eldest is going on a 4 night residential to France in July. The staff are going voluntarily, and paying for their own fair share of the trip - I would not begrudge them a couple of glasses of wine in the evenings. I'd be surprised if they didn't

[DebK2012]

When my dd went to France she said that all the teachers were very drunk from about 4 pm so much so that one sang YMCA without music!!!

[freddiefrog]

When I went to France in high school, the teachers got plastered on all the alcohol they confiscated from us

My DD's teacher is quite a good friend of ours, from experience, I know a bottle of wine wouldn't touch the sides

[StuffezLaBouche]

I'm off for two nights with my year sixes in June and will most definitely be partaking in a glass or two of wine in the evenings with my book. I will not be anything other than sober, but bollocks if I'm going away unpaid and incurring cattery charges AND denying myself a drink after a long day.
PGL was great like that - free wine provided of an evening at their cheese and wine evenings.

[Rainbowinthesky]

I find it sad that there are adults who cannot get that some people can drink alcohol without the need to get plastered. It's perfectly possible to have a drink and stop at one. Lots of adults do this.

[Celticlassie]

I definitely agree that it's a good lesson for kids to see that it is possible to have one glass of wine with a meal and then stop. When I've taken kids on school trips (unpaid) I've generally had a glass of wine with dinner.

[gobbin]

Of course we drink on tour.

What the children won't see is any of us hammered, drinking outside of a pub/bar setting during the day or any of the staff incapable of making decisions in case of an emergency.

However, once the kids are settled in bed we generally repair to one of the staff bedrooms for a goodnight snifter or two.

During our tours we've coped with three pupils needing A&E/Out of hours pharmacy, one with sunstroke, a possible broken toe, one stranded in a European city on their own (wandered off from a group) and a stolen phone requiring a visit to the police station - all abroad.

A few glasses to drink was never a factor in us being able to deal with this.

It depends on individual staffs' standards. On one previous tour where I wasn't tour leader but my group were part of the touring party, our kids had to deal with seeing teenagers (age 15-17) from the other group being allowed to drink in public bars and running around the hotel drunk. Our kids were wide eyed because they knew that a) if they did that I'd kill 'em b) they knew that at some point I would be making my views known to the leaders of the other group (and were gleefully waiting for the ensuing exchange of views! I won and they weren't allowed out the second night...)

[ravenAK]

The residentials I have done include coach tours around Greece (unpaid 18 hour days over my half term), PGhelling for a week with 12 year olds (in term-time, but long days & paying extra childcare to cover my own absence from home), DofE weekends (unpaid, missing out on weekends with my own family) & theatre trips to the other end of the country (ditto).

The arrangement has always been that certain staff are 'on duty' & don't drink, others are 'on call' & might have a couple, & over a week-long trip, everyone gets at least one 'night off' when they can bugger off to their room with a bottle & a book & won't be bothered unless the hotel's on fire. It works perfectly well.

I know a LOT of teaching staff who just won't volunteer for any of these trips. Too much hard work & stress, too much precious free time given up, & frankly, far too little appreciation in the current climate.

Realistically, I'm going to carry on doing them for as long as I enjoy them. One of the more enjoyable bits is relaxing with your colleagues over a glass of something in the evenings. Take that out, & you'll be needing someone else to replace me I'm afraid.

[YouTheCat]

So does mine, Euphemia.

[Fleecyslippers]

Am in your camp OP - can't imagine the shower of shit which would fall if a child was ill or injured and the kids reported back that the teachers had been drinking (However sensible they feel that they are being)
Just not needed IMO.

And another question about school trips, who pays for your trip if you take a group of children skiing in Italy for example? Do you pay the full rate? Or get a discount?

[Fleecyslippers]

And I'd quite like ALL teachers to refuse to do residentials - then I wouldn't have to shell out £300 odd for DD to spend 4 nights in a travel lodge near Runcorn.......

[LadyBeaEGGleEyes]

I ran a youth hostel for many years, and we had a group from the same school every year, 3rd year teens so about 13/14.
We got to know the teachers/leaders very well, they were always the same three, with a different two or three annually covering the trip too.
We had some lovely nights sitting in the Common Room drinking, the teens had all gone to sleep anyway as they'd been out on the hill all day, and there was always someone to keep an eye on them.
Good times.

[StuffezLaBouche]

Fleecy, IME the cost of the staff member is often included onto the price of the attendees, but before people leap on that and say it makes up for the unpaid aspect, it really doesn't. If a staff member is on a ski trip in Italy, they are still working unpaid.
You wouldn't say, for example, a life guard doesn't need paying because they're having a nice time on the beach. It's work.

Also, many places that accept school parties do not charge for the accompanying adults.

[simplesusan]

Thinking about it I don't think I could look after a bunch of teenagers in my own time without having a glass of wine.
Either that or start smoking.

[inabeautifulplace]

You don't need to wait for that Fleecy, you are at liberty to refuse your child access to these trips right now...

OP, YABU. Totally reasonable for the teachers to have a civilised drink in that scenario. Perhaps your DD has specifically told you this to try and cause trouble? I wonder if she was reprimanded for poor behaviour on the trip?

[ImperialBlether]

OP, please don't forget to thank the teachers for giving up their time and their freedom to take your child away. A gift would be nice, too - perhaps some wine?