To think teachers shouldn't be drinking on trips?

[Newyeardontcare]

Dc just back from trip overseas. Apparently as soon as they were in their rooms the teachers went to the hotel bar. (The kids snuck down to check on them so they could all go into each other's rooms).Were also drinking wine and cocktails at dinner (before walking kids around an overseas city for an hour to their hotel at 11pm)

Is this normal? In charge of 13yr olds?

Why would your 13 year old even be bothered by that?!
Tbh he sounds like a brat sneaking out of his room and spying on the teachers and then telling tales to mummy
No wonder the poor teachers wanted a drink

OP: 'Am I being unreasonable'
Everyone else: 'Yes you are!'
Op:'No I'm not! *flounce'

Where is this dangerous city. And if it is dangerous, and you are so very risk averse, why have you allowed your children to go there?

And it's all well and good saying 'one glass is fine' but who knows what their tolerance levels are?

Errr they do, I imagine

Still interested in the ‘dangerous’ city.

I wouldn’t drink as a teacher on a school trip because my medication means I have very little tolerance for alcohol.
But if a grown, professional decides they can manage a whole glass of wine and still remain able to do their job? I couldn’t care less.

Jesus wept. I take your kids away for 5 nights at a time, during my own holiday time having had to find childcare for my own children, and I can’t have a glass of wine in the evening? For many reasons - this one included - I am one teacher who no longer runs trips and who will not support colleagues who are leading trips. It’s not worth it.

Think twice, OP, efore you complain. Think of the hours of unpaid work those teachers have had to undertake before leaving the school car park. No to mention 24 hour on call over a number of days to give your child a positive experience.

Get a grip, teachers are human!

I'm a secondary school teacher and I go on a lot of trips. The standard protocol is to have a rota where one member of staff doesn't drink at all each evening in case of emergency. The others will have a glass or two of wine with/after dinner. I'd never get drunk on a trip - largely because it's exhausting and I'm ready for bed about ten minutes after we've made sure the kids are asleep, but also because it would be inappropriate to get trolleyed.

Let the teachers have a drink - they've earned it!

You have no way of knowing that all the teachers were drinking. Some could have had non alcoholic drinks. I'm not a big drinker so often will have a non alcoholic cocktail or beer, no way a spying kid could tell the difference.

I am so surprised that the majority seem to think this is ok because its stressful etc.... feel free to go home and drink alcohol but on a school trip that's really not ok. Unprofessional and irresponsible. If they cant cope with the stress for a couple of days without any alcohol thats worrying, they really need to develop some other coping strategies. Also i wouldnt worry they werent being paid 24/7 . . . The 13 weeks paid holidays more than makes up for it

Jesus wept. I take your kids away for 5 nights at a time, during my own holiday time having had to find childcare for my own children, and I can’t have a glass of wine in the evening?

No. You can't. You''re supposed to be sat in the dark in your curlers and buttoned up dressing gown, a'la Mrs Doyle Father Ted, just waiting to spring into action if one of the little darlings sneezes and needs so much as a tissue in the middle of the night.

I bet it's Paris. Really dangerous - what with the yellow vests and all the rest of it. Can't imagine the OP letting her DC go somewhere like Aleppo or Baghdad.
I've been involved in several school trips. There are always a couple of teachers who don't drink anything in case an emergency happens. Others drink in moderation.
Where on earth do you expect the teachers to go when the kids are in bed? They'll be in the hotel bar discussing the plans for the next day - it doesn't get more exciting than that.

We're not paid for the 13 weeks

Oh my gosh - it's people like the OP that complain which will stop teachers giving up their own time for free and stopping school trips.
Parents like OP need to realise that teachers are aware of what they can do and obviously won't be getting drunk!
My husband goes away for 3 to 4 days 3 times a year to help with school trips (DofE awards etc..) losing time with his family (3 kids) for free. He doesn't get a day off and has many parents demands to deal with - in charge of medicine, social, emotional and everything else. 1 drink does not effect this. X

One time we came back from France at 11pm and I spent 20 minutes searching for a student's phone they had lost on the bus (it was in their bag).

Another time a kid went home with a teacher's bag (leaving theirs) and I had to ring round three or four parents to find out whose bag we had!

One memorable time a mum didn't come to fetch her DD (11yo, 11.30pm) and when we finally raised her on the phone she said, oh sorry, I'm two hours away, her brother is coming for her. We waited another 30 mins for him. None of these people said thank you. School trips are great because of the kids (tho not if they are misbehaving like the OP's son) but sometimes the parents forget what teachers do.

Btw I organised the trip the last two times we went and I didn't drink anything all trip. I made sure my colleagues had a glass or two tho.

TBF if any teacher is taking my youngest away on a residential then I may have to supply a case of or even a bottle of per teacher.

I am so surprised that the majority seem to think this is ok because its stressful etc.... feel free to go home and drink alcohol but on a school trip that's really not ok. Unprofessional and irresponsible

I highly doubt it was ALL of them having a drink. There'll have been one designated not drinker.
Even if they did have a drink, (a drink, I don't mean getting rat arsed) that's still not OMIGOD territory.

How do you know they were "all drinking" not all drinks have alcohol in them. It could have been sparking water or the like.

*If my child was on a school trip - I’d hope that the people that volunteered to go could keep there need for alcohol in check for a day or two till their charges got home safe.

Then they can go and get pissed.*

I find this remark offensive. I am a veteran or many school trips and I don't drink alcohol. For that reason I am frequently one of the adults having to sort out late night misbehavers among the pupils. A group of teachers is a group of reasonably intelligent adults who can divide their responsibilities without pupils sneaking out of their bedrooms at night when they've almost certainly been told not to.

So much judgement based on the amazing powers of observation of a 13 year old who was out of his room when told not to be.

The teachers deserve a drink if they want one.

Having been on week long trips as a teacher to see kids hop off the coach and straight into their waiting cars without a thank you from them or their parents, I think that some parents think that they’ve somehow done US a favour letting us take their little darling away.

Also i wouldnt worry they werent being paid 24/7 . . . The 13 weeks paid holidays more than makes up for it
I'm pastoral staff and not paid for the 13 weeks holiday, and not paid anything for the extra hours on a trip. I've recently been on a 7 day residential.

Get a grip, teachers are human

So at pick up on Monday afternoon and your kids teacher had a bottle of bud in her hand you would be ok?

Motherofcreek
If my child was on a school trip - I’d hope that the people that volunteered to go could keep there need for alcohol in check for a day or two till their charges got home safe.

Then they can go and get pissed.

You could always volunteer and show us how its done.

Completely normal. My kids go on the school trip each year and always report back about the teachers having a few (some more than others). Can't blame them really.