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?

[wherearemysocka]

Fleecy, do you really think that these trips are a holiday for the teachers? 18 hour days, very little personal time, being at the beck and call of teenagers all hours of the day and night?

I love running residentials and have been lucky in that the majority of parents and children thank me for them. But they are not holidays in any sense of the word, they are pleasurable but unpaid overtime.

[thebody]

Strange attitudes here on teachers and on alcohol. Very strange.

Absolutely amazed teachers do trips to be honest.

But as we all know its not the kids who are a massive pain in the arse its the parents.

[Celticlassie]

The school trip company pay for the adult. If you think about it, they're getting on average 20 paying customers due to the teachers' willingness to take them, so the teachers' places are covered by the company.

[mumblecrumble]

Loco Parentis (or however the spelling )t
Would you as a parent stay tee total, get drunk or have a beer? Probably have one beer, same s the teacher.

Personally I wouldn;lt as I am a lightweight... but unless he needed to drive its not a problem.

What did your child say about it?

[mumblecrumble]

However I did used to teach on a residential course in hte summer with kids and ate my weight in humus, raw cauliflower, cheese and cooked meats in the middle of the night whilst planning amazing things for the kids. We wrote songs, had a day of writing in rhyming couplets and created our own system of money. The creative atmosphere did us the world of good, and the kids.

[Doingthedo]

But as we all know its not the kids who are a massive pain in the arse its the parents.

Well said!!!!

[poppypebble]

We always work it that two members of staff at any one time are completely alcohol free - one to go with a child in case of emergency and one to remain with the rest of the group. The others might have a glass of wine with dinner of a beer.

I don't drink and I'm usually group leader, so I would remain with the group whilst the other sober member of staff would accompany a child to hospital etc.

Even day trips are knackering and stressful. It is amazing that some parents think we do it for a jolly, or are paid extra for it. It actually costs me a fortune in terms of care for my animals, spending money, travel etc.

[alistron1]

DP once got a 'free' holiday on a school trip to France. Shelling out cash to sub kids who'd lost/forgotten their spending money, sleep deprivation, worry - he had a great time!!

Our oldest son went on a ski trip this year. The staff had drinks with meals - I don't bloody blame them.

[gobbin]

LOLing at Fleecy and anyone else who screws their face up at teachers getting a 'freebie holiday' when they take children on school visits.

Hell yeah, I'm going to New York in July. My 'freebie holiday' will consist of doing some regular touristy stuff like Statue of Lib, a show on Broadway, shopping at Macy's, Central Park etc.

The flipside is that I can't change on a whim where to go/what to do/where to eat/what to see. My days there will be pre-mapped out to the half-hour. I will act as guide, finance manager, entertainer, mother hen, hopefully not nurse for approx 18 hours a day. My brain will be constantly engaged ensuring everyone is ok, everyone is where they should be, everyone's having (hopefully) a good time, everyone's in their OWN room, everyone's ASLEEP, NOW!

All accompanied by 34 hormone driven ratbags children of mixed age group.

Do you think I'd perhaps rather be visitng New York with my family?!

[quoteunquote]

I was walking around Wells the other day, visiting a child at the school, there was a big group of french children sat by the moat of the bishop's palace,

We noticed their teachers were enjoying a glass of red with their lunch, it seemed so civilised, none of the french teenagers were in the least bit interested in their teachers having a bottle of red wine sitting in the middle of their picnic.

Having a glass of wine or beer with a meal, is not really a problem unless someone makes it one.

[sweetiepie1979]

Your been completely unreasonable!

[Feenie]

Most teachers will do a rota for supervision. They do get some off-time.

Not necessarily - that isn't the norm. Maybe this is why only 1 out of around 30 sets of parents will say thank you to me after a week's residential trip; they obviously don't realise we are looking after their children 24 hours a day.

[Maggie111]

YABU.

On my school trip to Belgium (14) the teachers had a beer or two. I think someone should stay completely sober in case of an emergency.

I would trust them as adults to have a drink and not get drunk.

[Feenie]

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?

You think teachers pay for the privilege of looking after your children?

How can anyone be quite that ignorant?

[seeker]

Teachers shouldn't get paid at all. They should be so awed by the splendiferousness of the universally gifted and talented children of mumsnetters the teach-no, sorry, not teach, they don't need teaching- guide that they should do it for nothing.

[sauvignonismydrug]

Am off taking a bunch of 14-17 yr olds to Spain on Saturday ..... Eeek!
Although the teacher places have been funded by the travel company, I have already paid for my own airport parking and suitcase - the kids are taking hand luggage but as group leader I have a fair bit of paperwork and a medical kit to take too. When there I'll be paying for my own lunches every day as thanks for being allowed to take my lovely students away.
I will certainly be having a glass of wine once we are back in the hotel at night!

[ClippedPhoenix]

Taking school kids away is not a "holiday" for the teachers believe me! I'd be having a few too.

[breatheslowly]

Are parents queueing up to take groups of other people's children on holiday or offering to accompany school trips to make up the numbers?

[ripsishere]

My DH loves his 'free' holidays with school childen.
He looks foreword all year to the responsibility of worrying about safety, peer pressure, friendship issues, girls starting their periods on his watch.
I'd say it was the highlight of his year.

[wherearemysocka]

Did you know that bus drivers don't have to pay for tickets on the buses they're driving?

In fact - get this - they actually get PAID themselves for all that bus travel!

(Do hope they aren't drinking on the job though)

[ubik]

Our teachers used to get hammered on school journey. And give us fags. This was the 80's though.

[ubik]

Our Geography teacher got us lost up a mountain They took us to a creepy glen at midnight and read us ghost stories. It was so much fun. We did so many thing; rock climbing. horse riding, mountain biking. Really grateful to them all, still good memories and I am nearly 40.

Thankyou teachers!

[ComposHat]

My parents were both teachers and went on these trips and they are bloody endless work. It is about as far from a holiday as you can imagine. Holidays Reps and Tour guides don't pay for these trips, why should teachers?

If teachers were required to pay to go on these school trips and then work their knackers off I can imagine how many that a grand total of zero teachers would be prepared to take these trips, which would be a detriment to the students.