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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:
Original poster
iwasjustwonderingreally · 06/04/2022 11:04

@AndAsIfByMagic

How petty. I doubt the school will do another trip if the parents are going to be so pathetic.

Well the parent complaining is unhappy as their teenager was unwell and the teachers who were meant to be caring for them were all tipsy (one particularly drunk)!

OP posts:
PartyPlan · 06/04/2022 11:04

Does it matter? Do you honestly think the teachers would pay to take your little darlings “on holiday”? They deserve a glass of wine in the evening too, as long as they are still responsible.

OutingHobby · 06/04/2022 11:05

Well the parent complaining is unhappy as their teenager was unwell and the teachers who were meant to be caring for them were all tipsy (one particularly drunk)! Ah see now thats bad. One of them should have been sober.

MichelleScarn · 06/04/2022 11:06

@iwasjustwonderingreally

For those surprised that I ask ...

The teachers aren't with the children during the day as they are off skiing on their own (as the children are in ski school).

They are all also drinking at night and one got particularly drunk.

It has been raised as a complaint and, before I decide whether or not I want to put my name to any complaint, I want to find out if it's been paid for by parents or not!

Right so this really is a stealth 'we want teacher flogged because my child says X' thread.

Has the school confirmed teacher X was 'drunk while in loco parentis' or is this the goss from the kids as someone saw teacher X with a glass of wine so told everyone they were rip-roaring off their face?

Justkeeppedaling · 06/04/2022 11:06

There will be some "free" teacher places offered by the holiday company, but the cost is obviously included in the children's places.

However, as an ex Brownie Leader, any extra adults' costs, if there were more adults than free places, would be covered by the children.

Taking kids away even just for a day is not a walk in the park, it's bloody hard work and a huge responsibility.

Iloveacurry · 06/04/2022 11:06

Of course they don’t. It gets factored in the cost to the students surely. If you had to travel for work, you wouldn’t expect to pay would you?

littlemisslozza · 06/04/2022 11:07

Ski school is only a few hours of the day. The teachers are also 'on call' that time to deal with injuries and unpredictable things like someone feeling ill. Maybe they do get a bit of down time to enjoy the slopes, but surely that's a good thing as they will have more energy for the rest of the day and evening.

School trips are utterly exhausting but teachers know how important they are and the memories that children will always keep.

I would not expect all the teachers to get drunk every evening, however a glass of wine is not unusual, much like you would as a parent. Perhaps they take it in turns to have an evening 'off.' I'd keep out of this unless you want teachers to decide that school trips aren't worth the hassle anymore.

IceVolcanoes · 06/04/2022 11:07

Well the parent complaining is unhappy as their teenager was unwell and the teachers who were meant to be caring for them were all tipsy (one particularly drunk)!

And the source for this tale of awful teachers not tending to the poor wee lamb is… the teenager her/himself? And maybe her/his mates?

I mean, when my DS comes home and tells me some tale of unfair mistreatment by the teachers, I tend to take it with a large pinch of salt.

Original poster
iwasjustwonderingreally · 06/04/2022 11:09

Jeez, it was just a simple question to clarify a situation as a parent is complaining that the teachers were drunk when their child was ill.

I'm not saying teachers should pay!!!!

OP posts:
AndAsIfByMagic · 06/04/2022 11:09

And pupils always tell the truth about teachers ....

MewYorker · 06/04/2022 11:09

When I worked on longer school trips there was a rota and each teacher got a night off at some point. Perhaps this particular teacher wasn't on duty at the time? Thought it's not appropriate that they got so drink, and nor that pupils were made aware.

NameChangeNameShange · 06/04/2022 11:09

Kids may be with a ski school, and teachers may get a day where nothing happens, but the teachers are on call so just as likely to have spent the day sorting out Johnny who hurt himself, Bella who lost a glove, or Bob who fell out with Paul over who can ski better/faster and disrupted the class and drove the ski instructor mad.

Equally there's 'drunk' and there's teenagers' description of a teacher who's had a couple of beers.

I'd be very clear on my facts about what happened rather than who paid for what before I made a complaint.

erinaceus · 06/04/2022 11:10

If the teacher is drunk when in loco parentis, does it matter who paid for their trip?

MichelleScarn · 06/04/2022 11:10

And of course not a single parent in this lovely multiple complaint will have ever been drinking or tipsy while their child is at home.....

IceVolcanoes · 06/04/2022 11:11

@iwasjustwonderingreally

Jeez, it was just a simple question to clarify a situation as a parent is complaining that the teachers were drunk when their child was ill.

I'm not saying teachers should pay!!!!

Why is it relevant to whether you want to complain based on third hand hearsay?
Lovebroccoli · 06/04/2022 11:12

I was a teacher on a junior school trip - not skiing. I don't know why we bothered.
Many years later, one of my former pupils put a Facebook message to her friend, saying, "Do you remember those God awful trips we had to go on?"

PAFMO · 06/04/2022 11:12

It's not that the students pay for the teachers. It's that companies offer one free accompanying adult place for every, say, 10 paying students.
So relax OP. You're not paying us over the odds to stop your kids getting pissed or pregnant. Hmm

AnxiousHeffalump · 06/04/2022 11:13

Well that kid won’t be going on a school trip ever again.

SW1amp · 06/04/2022 11:13

This complaint is giving me serious “my taxes pay your wages” vibes…

Any half decent parent would be grateful and thankful that the teachers volunteered, not making complaints and checking the hours they worked

How ill was this child that they needed several teachers looking after them anyway?

LiberteEgaliteBeyonce · 06/04/2022 11:13

I remember my last school ski trip as a teacher. A student buggered their knee on day 1 and I stay with them in the slope cafeteria for the rest of the week (which suited me fine as I found out I was pregnant the week before the trip). This was a superb holiday Grin
Be mindful of confirmation bias: one teacher has a glass of wine and then laughs= teacher is pissed.
In normal circumstances, there is always someone stone cold sober.

poshme · 06/04/2022 11:14

So the teachers got their 'own time' in the middle of the day when the kids were at ski school.
Ski school maximum of 2 x 3 hours.

So teachers start the work day at 7 getting the kids up. Supervise breakfast & getting out to ski school at 930. Supervise lunch 1230-130. Then collect all kids and supervise 430-1030 (if they're lucky and the kids go to bed.

So that's 10 hours working every day. And being on call all day, and all night.

Having worked 24 hours en-route supervising the bus.

So if the trip is in the school holidays, that's 60 hours daytime working, plus being on call, plus the journeys at either end.
For which the overtime is... £0.

So yes, they might get a few hours 'off' (yet still on call) while the kids are at ski school.

Of course they should ensure sober supervision at night, but unless it was your child, and you are certain that there wasn't appellate care, then just be thankful there are people willing to run these trips.

MrsHamlet · 06/04/2022 11:14

The teachers aren't with the children during the day as they are off skiing on their own (as the children are in ski school).
It's usually 1 free place for every ten students. But for an overseas residential you'd need male and female staff in a better ratio than 1:10. So staff places are contributed towards by the trip cost. When I do trips (and I never do ski trips) I ask staff to contribute. They always do 🤷‍♀️

Original poster
iwasjustwonderingreally · 06/04/2022 11:14

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.

OP posts:
PAFMO · 06/04/2022 11:15

And the parent will look very foolish complaining on the hearsay of the kid that the teachers were drunk.
How ill was the child?

123rd · 06/04/2022 11:15

@pastapestoparmesan

Four teachers accompanied them. I’m incredibly grateful to them for giving up their half term with family and friends to keep my child and their friends safe, and ensure they had a great time. I made sure to thank them all in person when they returned.

There you go OP, fixed it for you.

This!