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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder who funds a teacher's school trip

482 replies

iwasjustwonderingreally · 06/04/2022 10:41

My daughter went skiing with her school in February half term.

Four teachers accompanied them.

Do teachers pay for themselves, or a contribution, (I appreciate they are working though), or is the cost to the pupil inflated to cover the cost of the teachers?

OP posts:
QuertyQuordle · 06/04/2022 14:32

Also, I’ve never had time off in lieu. In a week a few nights ‘off’ for a few hours I think is reasonable!

Daffodilz · 06/04/2022 14:32

Thinking back to my own school trips in the 90s... we went to Nurnberg in late 90s & stayed in the Jugendberghe (yoof hostel). The not so friendly German lads couldn't decide if they wanted us "make love to us" or called us snakes. One of our more forthright girls replied in polished German, "Nein, du bist hasslich" (No, you're ugly). The look on their faces was priceless. Our teachers went and nagged theirs who were ahem noticeably absent

Same trip and a Southern teacher came up and started screaming at me in English. (My School was a top 20 Northern State School featured reguarly in The Times). I was a bit lost. She told me I'd never go on a school trip again. I replied I probably would as a prefect and a YL in school Christian Union. I was a little unkind when I told her I wasn't giving her my name and was extremely glad I went to a civilised school where students knew how to behave and screamed for my French Teacher Miss W (she had blocked me physically in a corner. Miss W didn't appear but my friends did. I was 14 and I was v small (height and weight). We complained to Mr F (Lead Teacher) and Ms W who put complaints in to the school not to pester their students. Our school were a bit lost that they had no idea which rooms/students were theirs...

So long story short I think they're angels to take others children abroad.

I'd never stay in a German YH ever again. Nuttier than a fruitcake.

Lulu1919 · 06/04/2022 14:36

Plus we are not paid for the time...I got paid my normal hours...which are 5 hours a day even though we were there there 72 hours !!!

Crystalvas · 06/04/2022 14:42

@Shinyandnew1

This has nothing at all to do with who pays for teacher trips really has it, OP?

There are a lot of posts about teachers on here this morning…

I agree.
Ilovewillow · 06/04/2022 14:42

I cannot imagine anything worse than a going on a school trip as a Teacher (probably one of the reasons I'm not a Teacher), they certainly shouldn't have to pay for the privilege. I would just be incredible grateful they are taking them.

ClarkWesterfeld · 06/04/2022 14:46

Why do you feel the need to add your name to any complaint if it was not your child involved?

Also, the students should not have been filming the staff and sharing their images without their consent. Students at our school have been sanctioned pretty heavily for that.

Now, if a child was genuinely ill, and it's absolutely true that the teachers were too drunk to help them, that is a safeguarding risk and definitely merits action by the head, but unless it's your child, I really don't know what it's got to do with you. Otherwise you're just contributing to the whipping up of panic and rumours against staff, which is poor behaviour.

I wouldn't be one bit surprised if the ski trip doesn't run again after this.

QuertyQuordle · 06/04/2022 14:46

@Ilovewillow that’s normal. I only went on school trips early in my career, and when persuaded heavily/ begged. Once I had kids I point blank refused to miss my own children for a whole week.

The upset when I went to primary school to teach year 6 and refused to do the yearly residential was high! I had a 4,3 and 1 year old the first year and I refused to go, it was considered very unreasonable behaviour by parents. Surely if I was paid for it was just a treat I missed 😆

passport123 · 06/04/2022 14:52

@iwasjustwonderingreally

The complaint is that their child was ill and they'd have expected there to be at least one teacher who wasn't drunk and who could take responsibility.

I would imagine we'd all hope that when sending our kids away with the school.

There is video/photographic evidence of drunken teachers. The Head Mistress has actually contacted some pupils asking them to delete the photos.

If genuinely true that all the staff were blind drunk, that's not on. Some should be available to care for the kids. But I would be sure of your facts before rushing in.....
ginghamstarfish · 06/04/2022 14:53

Very amusing. As if anyone in their right mind would pay out of their own pocket to do this!

Awalkintime · 06/04/2022 14:55

MySecretHistory
Yes I can.

Ewock · 06/04/2022 14:56

All school trips I have gone on, there was a free adult place with a certain number of children. So the parents may not have paid for the teachers places but they would have needed x amount of pupils to receive a free adult place. However my school has and always have had a strict no drinking policy. Other schools I know they ensure there is at least 1 adult who has not had a drink each day/night. But getting drunk on a school trip is pretty bad and I wouldn't be happy

Musmerian · 06/04/2022 15:00

I think it’s unlikely that any schools still allow Alcohol on trips. I’ve been teaching for 27 years and the safeguarding landscape has changed hugely in that time. The risks are too great .

Cakeandcardio · 06/04/2022 15:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Maireas · 06/04/2022 15:04

@Musmerian

I think it’s unlikely that any schools still allow Alcohol on trips. I’ve been teaching for 27 years and the safeguarding landscape has changed hugely in that time. The risks are too great .

You're right. No teaching staff are allowed to consume any alcohol on school trips now, where I work. The whole safeguarding issue is very different.

maddy68 · 06/04/2022 15:04

Re teachers drinking. .... Teachers technically have certain nights where they are not on duty and the others are so yes they are allowed to drink.

While the other nominated teachers are the ones who have to be the emergency care rgar evening

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 06/04/2022 15:10

It sounds as though the OP doesn’t have direct information , but that it’s second/third/fourth hand, in which case, probably best to leave it to those who actually know what went on. I wonder if her daughter enjoyed the trip. Perhaps that doesn’t matter if you’re deciding to find fault.

Every trip I’ve been on has involved at least two members of staff not drinking in the evening on each day and no one at all having more than a very limited glass of wine or beer. I’ve also been to a doctor’s office, with a girl who was concussed, hospital with a boy who broke his arm, on call throughout the night to ensure that some of the students weren’t fraternising with students from another school. I’ve been the one with the Epipens , the medication that might be needed and the emergency phone numbers. The one handing out the sick bags and dealing with the consequences.

Every trip I’ve been on has also involved hanging around at the end of the trip, because one or more parent hasn’t collected a child. Not fun at 1am, when the coach is late because the driver ran out of hours an another had to be organised.

QuertyQuordle · 06/04/2022 15:12

I’ve worked in totally different school cultures,
Some drinking lightly, whilst at least two remain sober, is so normal the head would pack a few bottles for us as a thank you, others it was a big no.
When it was a big no though, very strict ‘on duty’ we used to instead rotate being off-site if possible for a breather (not to drink, just to not be on duty mentally

beattieedny · 06/04/2022 15:14

I am a teacher and always pay my own. Some teachers are funded, and one at our school is awful. He adds extra to the kids so they pay for his. Which I think is awful behaviour. A lot of families struggle, and eg my own kids didn't always get school trips when we hadn't enough to spare, so that really pisses me off.

Dentistlakes · 06/04/2022 15:17

I can’t imagine it’s much of a holiday! Generally their expenses are covered by the pupil’s fee for the trip. I’m always amazed they have the energy to chaperone the children 24/7 for a solid week. I’m sure I would collapse from exhaustion and stress after 24 hours!

ClarkWesterfeld · 06/04/2022 15:20

beattieedny that teacher is doing exactly what pretty much every school does as standard. Speaking from experience, we spend a significant amount of time negotiating with the companies in order to make the cost as reasonable as possible. Why on earth should he have to pay for the significant worry and responsibility of taking students, and sometimes in his own holiday time?

luxxlisbon · 06/04/2022 15:21

@beattieedny

I am a teacher and always pay my own. Some teachers are funded, and one at our school is awful. He adds extra to the kids so they pay for his. Which I think is awful behaviour. A lot of families struggle, and eg my own kids didn't always get school trips when we hadn't enough to spare, so that really pisses me off.
You think it’s awful for a teacher to not pay when they are chaperoning a trip? It’s perfectly normal for the pupil’s cost to include the teacher, they aren’t exactly choosing to go.

Are you saying you choose to pay the cost of your trip? Do you really view it as a holiday rather than working?

When I have to go somewhere for work I don’t pay the hotel, transport or meals … surely this is the exact same?

beattieedny · 06/04/2022 15:24

The problem is it is a deprived area and few have money. If the school can find the teacher then they should, but children should not, no. I pay my own when I go with them. It's not part of work, it's voluntary.

Jupiter92 · 06/04/2022 15:24

Thank god I don't teach at the school your kids go to...

beattieedny · 06/04/2022 15:25

I also know that it is, in our area, the teachers who set up the trips. If they don't want to go, don't.

beattieedny · 06/04/2022 15:27

Honestly, most teachers who organise these trips, including me, lol, want to go. Yeah, it's not relaxing, but it's not required. A lot of people in teaching these days aren't particularly nice