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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Drinking on a school trip?

333 replies

Flower64 · 03/09/2019 16:19

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!

OP posts:
Purplepeonies · 03/09/2019 18:40

Sorry but yabvu.

I thought this was going to be about pupils drinking!

StoneofDestiny · 03/09/2019 18:41

And this is why I don't do school trips any more. Having given up weekends nd evenings with my family to take other people's children on an unpaid trip and ensured that a responsible adult is on duty at all times some bastard will still find something to complain about

Yes - a big thank you to the staff from your child and you would be a better way to proceed.

Petrichor11 · 03/09/2019 18:41

YABVU

I’ve been on numerous Guiding trips as a leader and there’s generally a glass or two of wine in the evenings (I don’t actually drink though) but nobody gets drunk. On the other hand I’ve laughed til I cried occasionally on them while stone cold sober because I have the pleasure of Guiding with some hilarious people, and in that environment when everyone is knackered sometimes things just seem funnier (and sometimes it’s “if we don’t laugh we’d cry”!). Never done school trips as an adult but I imagine it’s similar in that sense.

They’re teenagers, none of the adults were drunk, there were two who were totally sober. You complaining about this nonevent has probably reduced the likelihood of them running similar trips in the future. So well done you. Hope you never touch a drop of alcohol while your DC are in the house, even if there’s another sober adult with you!

Ghostontoast · 03/09/2019 18:41

These trips take a lot if planning, risk assessments etc. beforehand plus the teachers are giving up their free-time unpaid, not to mention all the supervision on the trips themselves so if one or two would like a glass of wine or a beer with their evening meal then why the hell not?

lyralalala · 03/09/2019 18:41

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

That’s true, what a shocking example they are setting...

I mean I’m appalled at the idea what my children might grow up to be the kind of people who give you their own time to go on school trips and who have a social glass of wine/beer in the evening without getting drunk and actually laughing with their colleagues in the earshot of teenagers...

Mushypeasandchipstogo · 03/09/2019 18:43

YABVVU . I have been on many residential trips with students where in the evening some members of staff have consumed moderate amounts of alcohol but at least two members of staff remained totally sober in case they were needed to do a hospital journey.
13 year olds have been known to exaggerate, how about saying thank you to your daughter’s teachers for taking her away!

HowManyToes · 03/09/2019 18:43

Parents like you are why so many teachers have stopped doing residential trips.

Congratulations on being a total misery guts.

gingerbiscuits · 03/09/2019 18:44

Believe me, on residential trips when YOU'RE AWAY FROM YOUR OWN CHILDREN in order to be substitute parents for 60 other people's children for NO EXTRA MONEY, you need to unwind at the end of a VERY LONG DAY!! Can you tell I'm a teacher?? You were DEF being unreasonable- especially in making a complaint based on the opinion of a child with absolutely no facts!!!

ItsGoingTibiaK · 03/09/2019 18:47

Can you please outline how you and, if applicable, your partner ensure that you ensure, at all times, that neither of you have any alcohol in your system at any time while you are responsible for your child/ren?

Tractorgirlz · 03/09/2019 18:47

YABU, I’d need alcohol if I was looking after 30 kids!

Mushypeasandchipstogo · 03/09/2019 18:47

gingerbiscuits exactly!

Sparklesocks · 03/09/2019 18:47

They said they weren’t drunk and not all of them were drinking, why don’t you believe them? Honestly even at 13 I’m not sure she would know if they were drunk or not, a lot of kids/teens have quite a caricature idea of what drunkenness looks like.
It’s perfectly possibly the teachers were just having a lively, boisterous conversation without being steaming. You can have a glass of wine/beer or two without losing the plot entirely, and even then it wasn’t the whole staff.
Did it impact on the trip, your child or the other kids in any way?

BloodyhellMartha · 03/09/2019 18:50

13 Year Old. Oh joy - that's Y8 is it? Or just heading into Y9. Even if you don't teach you can imagine how every teacher loves these two year groups. Who wouldn't want to give up their own (unpaid) holiday with their own family to take a bunch of 13 year olds away on an (unpaid) work trip.

Yep. Love those parents who then complain about it. Take your own fucking kid camping next time. This is why I've just about given up running trips. The sheer bloody ingratitude - and you can see where some students get their entitled ideas from. Never a bloody thank you.

Mushypeasandchipstogo · 03/09/2019 18:51

Looks like the OP is not coming back. Do you think that she has got the message and is running off to write an apology to the teachers concerned?

Mrskeats · 03/09/2019 18:52

The love the hypocrisy of mumsnet. On one thread 'Can I leave my 11 year old home alone? majority answer-yes fine, crack on.
But now some teachers need to not be drinking even though there were other adults and their peers around.
One rule for parents but a much, much higher standard required from teachers,
Ditto weed smoking which is now apparently fine in the family home according to some.
Obviously the op is being ridiculous.

guest2013 · 03/09/2019 18:54

Whilst I don't have a problem with it, I drink when I have my children. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect people to go a couple of days without alcohol, when they are in fact in work, in a profession they chose to do. Why are teachers held in such high regard here? The sycophantic blathering is so sickly.
Whilst I wouldn't complain I probably would think less of the teachers involved.

AlexaAmbidextra · 03/09/2019 18:56

OP will probably ask MNHQ to pull the thread as it’s outing. Nothing to do with everyone thinking she’s BVVU. 🙄

Actionhasmagic · 03/09/2019 18:56

YABVVVVVVU

2 were not drinking at all

The others were giving up their time so your kid could go away

They are humans too not just droids

HollyGoLoudly1 · 03/09/2019 18:57

YABU.

Playmytune · 03/09/2019 18:58

@ kaytee87 @ Playmytune why would 2 teachers have to accompany 1 child to hospital?

Presume you have heard of safeguarding children??

NSPCC recommendations state that ”If you are travelling in a vehicle it is recommended that there is one adult driving and one adult supervising the children”

Sparklesocks · 03/09/2019 18:59

guest2013 why would you think less of them?

MsAwesomeDragon · 03/09/2019 18:59

Teachers are not paid extra for residential trips. There were 2 teachers on duty for emergencies. The others were therefore not on duty and were within their rights to have a drink, without getting drunk.

On one of the trips I ran, some of the teachers choose to have a glass of wine with their evening meal or at the theatre. Nobody was driving, nobody got drunk, the kids (y9) didn't bat an eyelid and if they did we certainly didn't have any complaints from the parents. One other teacher and I did not have any alcohol at any time, so we were the teachers on duty for any emergencies, such as first aid situations or medical requirements. All teachers took a full role in the trip, were on duty at the times they were needed, and would have been acceptably responsible in a real emergency.

guest2013 · 03/09/2019 19:02

@sparklesocks because it's a bit pathetic to not be able to go without alcohol when you're in work. There's plenty of holidays and all weekend to do that. Do it with your own kids.

Missbdhfc · 03/09/2019 19:05

YABVU
How dare teachers perhaps take it in turns to have a break from looking after your darlings and kick back with a drink?
Your child coming back and telling tales as well. Grin

mbosnz · 03/09/2019 19:05

@sparklesocks because it's a bit pathetic to not be able to go without alcohol when you're in work. There's plenty of holidays and all weekend to do that. Do it with your own kids.

Good plan. Teachers - do it with your own kids. And for goodness sakes, stop giving up your free time to give other people's kids opportunities that they're too bloody lazy to provide for them on their own, when they don't appreciate it anyway, and resent you having a drink on your unpaid overtime.