Drinking on a school trip?

[Flower64]

I contacted my child's school after a camping trip to ask about the teachers drinking on one of the evenings. My child said there was a lot of laughing, screeching and in her opinion the teachers were drunk. She's 13 so not a young child and I think she'd recognise someone drinking. I got an email reply today and part of it says "some staff did stay up later than the children one night, but at no point were any staff drunk. As an additional precaution two staff members consumed no alcohol at all".

AIBU to surmise then that the remaining staff members did have a drink - but in their opinion they weren't drunk - and is this actually acceptable? I don't think any teachers should be drinking on a school trip but now I am doubting myself and looking for opinions please!

the fallen madonna

Those were the days weren't they! We used to phone our food orders through to the pub at playtime, (mine was always chips, beans and fried onions) , OMG just realised, we didn't have mobiles, so we must have used the school phone. Shame on us. Wasting righteous taxpayers money, oh hold on a minute, we were taxpayers too.

With little kids, prob wouldn't have time for a drink as likely to be toileting issues, crying etc. Teenagers? Must be a nightmare. No wonder they need a drink.

What @flamingjune123 said.

YABVU

I always assumed that the teachers would have a drink 🤔 you definitely are unreasonable. I guess you won't be letting your daughter go on any more school trips then

You really are that parent.

*@BasilTheGreat *
There are kids who have to live with alcoholic parents, wouldn’t it be great if they didn’t have to see drinking on the school trip

From the OP the children didn't SEE teachers drinking.

They heard teachers being loud and enjoying themselves. The OP contacted school before she was able to actually confirm any drinking may have happened.
The teachers were not doing anything illegal and they, I assume, not alcoholics.

God seriously?

You should come into our staff room at break time. Lots of loud laughter and raucous behaviour. No one has had a drop of alcohol.

YABU.
Do you not drink a glass or 2 when your kids are in bed? The adults taking your child are giving up their time,time away from their own family, to take your child on a residential trip. I doubt very much that the staff were drunk, the children were not around and at least 2 adults were totally sober in case of an emergency. With regard to ratios, there are always more adults than required and 1 is usually a member of SLT.

YABU.
It has been explained why.
Feel free not to send your dc in future if the off duty teachers having a glass of wine and laughing upsets your family. That is entirely your prerogative.
I would be quite hysterical without alcohol after a day with 13 year olds. I find volunteering for school day trips exhausting enough.

I’m embarrassed for you OP!

There are kids who have to live with alcoholic parents, wouldn’t it be great if they didn’t have to see drinking on the school trip

When I was younger it did me the world of good to learn that adults drinking didn’t automatically mean kids getting the crap slapped out them later.

It also did me a lot of good to realise that most adults don’t drink until they are angry, sick or comatose.

Seeing normal behaviour, which can include a couple of glasses of wine when socialising, isn’t a bad thing.

YABVU. No I don't drink alcohol myself so if anything I'd be biased against them drinking.

Without any alcohol needed. Just the 13 year olds would make me sound like that.

When we went on school holidays 30+ years ago, we were in the pub WITH the teachers 😂

Pity you hadn’t started this thread before you made a tit of yourself with the school!

I'm not sure I would trust a 13 year old's opinion regarding being drunk.

I think you've probably accused some non-drunk staff members of being drunk on the word of a 13 yo :/

Seriously? You complained to the school based on your 13 yr olds opinion they were drunk?
Christ what an embarrassment 🙄
Putting up with all those kids I’m surprised any were sober, nothing but admiration for the teachers who take these trips⭐️

Going against the grain here it seems but personally I don’t think they should be drinking around the students. It’s a few days. Can’t they cope until they go home. Yes two teachers weren’t drinking and could deal with any emergencies but I still don’t think it’s appropriate. They wouldn’t drink in the staff room at lunch so the fact it was a trip off the premises makes no difference. I don’t think it sets the right example personally

I would just hope your daughters school continues to bother with residential trips at all after your call.

YABVU

Right example?

Doing something perfectly legal and doing it responsibly?

Pretty good example to me given all the fights and piss heads I see pretty much daily

I am interested in the idea that a teacher who has had a drink cannot act as a "responsible adult", as surely this rules out more than one parent ever imbibing at the same time, unless you've hired a babysitter.

But @sadandtired01 - the OP says her child only heard the teachers. The child didn't see the teachers drinking at all, and the DC only assumed they might have been due to loud noises. OP only knows they had a drink because she got school to confirm it.

So, the only 'bad example' the children could hear at the time was making too much noise.

What they said ^

OP - did you also take time to thank the school and staff for taking your child away and giving them the opportunity to camp with their friends, whilst you were emailing in about the drinking? Did your DD thank them too?