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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

lovelyupnorth · 03/09/2019 20:17

@guest2013

You sound lovely.

Guessing you’re that parent too.

Aragog · 03/09/2019 20:18

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”

Chances are it isn't a teacher driving though. Not that many schools have their own coaches which the teacher drives. Some may have the odd small minibus granted.

If it was a medical emergency it would be an ambulance so only one staff would accompany them.

Teachers would be very unlikely to be driving a child in their personal car anyway.

sorrythisusernameistaken · 03/09/2019 20:19

If I had spent my weekend away with a bunch of 13 yr olds I'd need a drink. Sounds like the kids were in bed and looked after why wouldn't they have a drink? Don't you when your kids go to bed?

NerrSnerr · 03/09/2019 20:21

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”

Ok. Sounds completely practical.

Aragog · 03/09/2019 20:27

I work unpaid a fucking lot and manage not to crack the wine until I'm on my time. Grow up.

To be soar there are very few jobs where you may be 'on duty ' for 24 hours of the day for a number of days.

I know many people in other professions who go on conferences, courses, days out, meetings, etc who drink during their paid employment and people couldn't care less. May be a drink with a meal at lunch or dinner, may be several drinks in an evening or even during the day. And most often than not paid for for them too - I like the teacher scenario would be.

For example, I know profession people who 'whilst on work business' they've spent the day drinking and chatting for a full day at the races, been on a brewery tour in the late afternoon with many sampling going on, some conferences which include drinks and food during the day and evening overnight, several working lunches, etc. Nobody calls these events unprofessional and 'they just can't go without for a day or two.' Isn't it just called team building and networking elsewhere?!

GreenTulips · 03/09/2019 20:28

In my opinion there should be no alcohol when looking after minors on a school camping trip

Then that should apply to all parents.

spanglydangly · 03/09/2019 20:30

Yes it's acceptable, don't let your children go on any more school trips, problem solved and everyone including the teachers are hip hop happy!

ultrablue · 03/09/2019 20:40

Oh hell my mates and I can go out, sound absolutely roaring drunk and all be on diet coke all night..

Same with my work colleagues when we are out of view of customers

Was there any proof of alcohol being drunk?

spanglydangly · 03/09/2019 20:42

@guest2013 @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.

Are they in work for 24 hours a day? Surely that would be a massive health and safety issue? Do trips never include weekends then?

So you're basically saying they're not allowed anytime off at all.

You sound like a horror parent!

stoplickingthetelly · 03/09/2019 20:48

There were 2 teachers not drinking at all so they were very much still on duty and I very much doubt the others were drunk. Particularly to the stage of not being able to function. I know for a fact that I would still be able to deal with an emergency after 1 drink just as I would be able to with my own children at home.

ArtieFufkinPolymerRecords · 03/09/2019 20:49

I work unpaid a fucking lot

A whole week on duty with no time off at all?

OrchidInTheSun · 03/09/2019 20:50

at NSPCC recommendations. I'm a single parent. Shall I just pickup a random to supervise the kids?

Lind57 · 03/09/2019 20:54

Managed to avoid ever going on a residential trip as it seems like hell to me. You give up evenings with your own family to spend all that time with other people's kids, and then at the end, very few parents say thank you and there's always some tosspot with a complaint. How dare you complain to the school on no evidence at all? If your 13 year old recognises drunkenness, she hasn't learned that at school. Look closer to home before you kick off.

donquixotedelamancha · 03/09/2019 20:57

Well the simple solution is don't send your child next time.

This. It's fine to want to be able to micromanage your child's teachers and have them always on duty- pay for an expensive private schools which can afford to fund that.

spanglydangly · 03/09/2019 20:57

@Flower64 wonderful goady post and you've disappeared!

Are you down the pub?

TwatCat · 03/09/2019 21:04

I used to be a scout leader and it's one thing I hated when we took the kids on camp. The leaders drinking. I personally found it irresponsible and never drank myself. I've done camps with 60 kids and never felt the need to drink once they were in bed. I'm with you op. I don't agree with drinking when you are in charge of other people's kids. But then I rarely drink anyway.

rededucator · 03/09/2019 21:05

Lind57 Good point! How does the OPs clipe of a daughter so readily identify drunkenness? Or is OPs gone so miserable that the daughter assumes any adults laughing and having fun must be off their faces?

rededucator · 03/09/2019 21:06

*home

Woodchiponthewall · 03/09/2019 21:07

Are you sure your daughter’s account is reliable? 13 year old on a camping trip, she was probably pissed.

waterrat · 03/09/2019 21:15

The worst bit of this story is the 13 year old snitching on her teachers - what a loathsome way to behave - and worse that you allowed her to tell tales on adults in that way.

AmIRightOrAMeringue · 03/09/2019 21:16

If it was was looking after toddlers at lunchtime you may have had a point.

How would your daughter have known the difference in them having a couple of drinks, and being drunk. You can drive after a drink or two, so I think being in charge of some 13 year olds would be ok and not illegal or against guidelines (obviously it would be unprofessional if they were wasted but I doubt this as the only thing I can imagine that's worse than looking after a load of 13 year olds in my own time, is looking after a load of 13 year olds in my own time with a hangover).

The people that complain - you do realise that with every complaint, there will be less teachers willing to go on school trips in the future?

IWentAwayIStayedAway · 03/09/2019 21:21

Love it when the op disappears @Flower64

Mrskeats · 03/09/2019 21:22

I agree with the snitching comment water
Grim.

TheYeaSayer · 03/09/2019 21:35

The worst bit of this story is the 13 year old snitching on her teachers

No, it was worse than that: she snitched without any actual evidence, (just presumption based on her extensive expert knowledge of adult drunkenness )

Loathsome indeed.

Ithinkmycatisevil · 03/09/2019 21:37

Shy would you have a problem with this? Two teacher drank nothing at all, which is sensible. I doubt the rest were properly drunk, do you really begrudge them a couple of drinks when they’ve given up their time to take a bunch of kids on a residential?!

We went on a school trip abroad when I was about 15. Our teacher had a couple of civilised glasses of wine with dinner, not drunk at all and I expect she needed it to deal with us lot! We went to the mini market next door, brought a litre of vodka and got rat arsed! Happy times.

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