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!

I don’t think it sets the right example personally

How so? It is perfectly legal for adults to drink a little alcohol, so why is it setting a bad example?

Yes I guess it’s no different to her child hearing the next door neighbours in their garden or noise from a pub opposite etc. I am most likely (I admit) projecting as my ex was an absolute nightmare around drink and listening to their merriment would have made me feel very on edge and anxious (another poster mentioned similar upthread) I am still learning that not everyone having a drink or two equals violance carnage and fear. I am still learning it so a child on the trip may find it hard to handle

We used to laugh ourselves silly in the staff room at lunchtime, no alcohol at all. (Then the school became an Academy 😒.) There is no evidence the teachers were drunk.

My school do not allow drinking on school trips after governors and parents complained. I suggest you contact your parent representative in school and put your complaint in writing.

Despite the school's reply staff may well have got into bother over this, at the very least they've had to justify their behaviour. Did you also email to say thank you?

I used to go on school trips in the 80’s. Teachers were always plastered. When we got to 17, they didn’t mind us having a beer or two either!

Where's the OP gone?

The OP is probably too embarrassed to reply now!

YABU. Very. Two non drinkers and I highly doubt the others were legless.

Basilthegreat the good thing is that trips are not compulsory and staff can decide not to run them next year, if they are going to have their behaviour micromanaged by parents. That's not good for the children obviously.

Ffs. You are so far over the line of being unreasonable, the line is a dot to you.

My school do not allow drinking on school trips after governors and parents complained. I suggest you contact your parent representative in school and put your complaint in writing

FFS really? Do we really want to see the end of all school trips because of that twattish moaning parents? How about just not sending your child on a trip if they need to live in a hermetically sealed alcohol free bubble?
As others have said, teachers give up there time for no extra pay to do this for the children, and rather than thanks they get complaints.

sadandtired

It wasn't lunchtime.

It was the evening. When the students were in bed (apart from little miss flower 64 who was on screech patrol)

They had probably been up since 6 in the morning, busy all day doing activities, counting and re counting heads to make sure they hadn't lost anyone, sorting out breakfasts, lunches, supper, snacks, lost socks, misplaced walking boots, kids with wet sleeping bags, homesick kids, kids whose period had started unexpectedly etc etc etc.

And you resent them relaxing, laughing, possibly having a drink (no real evidence offered apart from little miss flower 64s opinion)

I take it you will be volunteering for your kids/grandkids next school trip. And good luck to you doing it without a glass of wine or a bottle of low alcohol beer.

*their

Wow

Brilliant.

Bet you anything the camping trip doesn't run next year. The staff who gave up their time this year will have turned up at work knackered after it, to be met with this. I'll lay odds that every one of them despaired and said never again.

So 2 staff don’t drink in case anything happens, eg someone needs taken to hospital? This would mean both going to hospital with child, or whoever needs to go hospital? Fair enough, but what happens when the 2 sober teachers take someone to hospital? Who’s left in charge?? 🤔 I know they give up their time, but I really think there should be a no drink policy on trips, in case something happens! Plus these teachers are supposed to be role models for the pupils in their care! Op is NBU, I would be concerned too.

@Playmytune why would 2 teachers have to accompany 1 child to hospital?

Others have said it all for me. YABVVVVVU, OP.

I am amazed , teachers and volunteers deserve a medal taking kids on a school trip. I certainly don't begrudge them a drink after lights out . OP is being unreasonable.

Plus these teachers are supposed to be role models for the pupils in their care!

What’s wrong with having a couple of drinks? How is that being a poor role model?

And on going to hospital... the drinking (if they were) is in the evening, when the pupils are in bed. How likely is it that there will be an emergency, really? Are you staying teetotal until your DC are over 18?

YABU any adult willing to take my child away on their free time will probably be sent off with a bottle from me.

Our teachers all drank when we were on school trips to London and Paris. So what?
They were camping. Two teachers didn’t drink at all and could deal with any (very unlikely) emergency. That’s fine.

The best bit of this is that you'll definitely have a nickname in the staffroom now. If you're lucky, it'll be something like 'Temperance'. We had a parent who complained that she'd seen a teacher in a pub on a Saturday night. She was 'Pious Pete' to us for years

Yabu. I've been on residential with kids as a TA. You absolutely will be 'that parent' forevermore. I hope you said thank you to the staff.