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AIBU?

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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:
HollaHolla · 06/04/2022 12:18

Actually, my Dad went on one too - as there was only one male teacher in the school, who was due to go, and then a family situation meant he couldn't. They needed a male teacher in the party. There was a sudden scramble, my Dad is appropriately criminal record/child safeguarding cleared (in his job too), and could get the time off. He also gave up his Annual Leave, and went to help Mum and the other teacher.
His trip was paid for too. (But he probably did drink some of the comedy beer stein.)

SamphirethePogoingStickerist · 06/04/2022 12:18

@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!

Then, if you have proof of drunken conduct, complain about that.

But don't throw the kitchen sink at it!

Maray1967 · 06/04/2022 12:18

Uni lecturer here who has taken plenty of field trips to European cities - not skiing though.
We are not in loco parentis but are representing the university abroad as are the students. We would have a couple of drinks but would never be drunk. I can tell you that a field trip ends up costing us a fair bit of money over and above the basic cost being covered and a meal allowance at night. We have had to take students to police stations when phones/passports have been lost/stolen, been to the British embassy to help student get new passport, gone to hospitals to deal with sprained ankles, suspected cellulitis, infections etc, dealt with the occasional falling out, complaints over snoring etc while being with the students all day in sites, museums etc. I enjoy it - mostly- but I work very hard before and during the trip. I then get back and catch up on marking and admin not done while away. Our students almost always show appreciation - loads of thanks from them plus family collecting them at the airport.
When DC1 went on a school trip which ran partly into the Easter holidays I made sure we both thanked the staff because it is definitely not teachers’/lecturers’ idea of a holiday.

It would be a serious disciplinary offence I’m sure if a teacher is drunk on a school trip. Does the video footage actually show that?

MsTSwift · 06/04/2022 12:18

What utter idiots are complaining! WY to go your child never having a school trip to go on. Not enough eye rolls possible.

Responsiveroo · 06/04/2022 12:18

The question about financing muddies the waters
Irrelevant

Responsiveroo · 06/04/2022 12:20

@MsTSwift

What utter idiots are complaining! WY to go your child never having a school trip to go on. Not enough eye rolls possible.
Read the updates

The “idiot” is complaint because her daughter was Ill and all the teachers were pissed

BigSandyBalls2015 · 06/04/2022 12:21

Any of the complainers who have younger kids in that school will not be on future trips.

Everyone goes on about how it's a fair system, names out of the hat etc, if over subscribed.

That's not true IME ..... my DDs went on a fab long haul trip and the kids that went were miraculously in friendship groups already, making it far easier to share rooms and all get along as well as possible.

This was a very over subscribed trip with a long waiting list.

Christ the teachers deserve several drinks after a day sorting out teens - this group were were 15 year olds .... shudder.

Responsiveroo · 06/04/2022 12:23

Fgs they don’t “deserve” to have a few drinks at the end of the day that renders them not able to drive for example

There should have been a rota ie two can drink but the other refrain completely

There were ALL drinking

Clymene · 06/04/2022 12:24

@Responsiveroo

Fgs they don’t “deserve” to have a few drinks at the end of the day that renders them not able to drive for example

There should have been a rota ie two can drink but the other refrain completely

There were ALL drinking

How do you know? Were you there?
DigsDilemma · 06/04/2022 12:24

Imagine if your work said that they were sending you on a work trip to a nice location, but you were expected to be on duty and look after clients for 24 hours a day, oh, and you'd have to pay for it. Would you go?

rosesarebluey · 06/04/2022 12:24

@DelphiniumBlue

Ffs! Have you ever been on a school trip? It's not a holiday, and you don't even paid for the the extra hours you work, which is normally about 5 am till after midnight, getting woken up by homesick kids in between. Why would any teacher pay for that? The trips can be fun, but they are really hard work long long hours and absolutely exhausting!
Why the need to swear?
MsTSwift · 06/04/2022 12:25

Our school trips are over subscribed and names picked out of a hat. We need them more than they need us. I wouldn’t care if a teacher got pissed I would love for my child to have the experience of a fun school trip but thanks to covid and lack of space on trips this is looking increasingly unlikely 😔

theemperorhasnoclothes · 06/04/2022 12:26

If there genuinely were no sober teachers to take care of a sick kid, that's a serious safeguarding breach.

But there is a severe lack of facts - it actually shouldn't be too difficult to get some evidence if they were staying in a hotel or somewhere with staff. Hopefully the HT is doing this.

I wouldn't add my name to a letter making unfounded accusations on the basis of pictures of people holding alcoholic drinks and the payment issue is totally irrelevant and will make you look idiotic.

I would conceivably add my name to a letter saying that there had been rumours that X had happened and I just wanted reassurance the school was investigating to establish the facts.

ReadyToMoveIt · 06/04/2022 12:27

@rosesarebluey you’re offended by ‘FFS’?!

MichelleScarn · 06/04/2022 12:27

@Responsiveroo

Who pays what is utterly irrelevant

The teachers has a duty of care

They have failed in that duty

So no investigation or anything then? Complaint upheld just because and stamped that they have failed in their duty because somebody says so?
Boxerbinky · 06/04/2022 12:27

When I was at school I went on a trip to Paris, my mum came as a helper. Paid for my place but she didn't pay for her place. I remember on a couple of trips some of the teachers having a wine with dinner, but no memories of them getting wasted.

toomuchlaundry · 06/04/2022 12:28

The problem is being drunk not whether they pay for the trip.

For scout trips, there will be designated leaders who will be on duty at night (will be a rota if more than one night), and other leaders can then relax (getting drunk would be going too far in my opinion but can have a drink away from the young people). I would assume the same on a school trip

Responsiveroo · 06/04/2022 12:30

* 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)!*

Responsiveroo · 06/04/2022 12:31

Of course an investigation!!!

But the financing question is irrelevant

An attendee is claiming that when they were Ill all those with a duty of care were drinking

That is the basis of the claim and hopefully ensuing investigation

ilovesooty · 06/04/2022 12:31

@Responsiveroo you have absolutely no grounds for asserting that the teachers were all pissed and failed in their duty of care.

GiantHaystacks2021 · 06/04/2022 12:31

Teachers are covered by the students' payment of the holiday.
Teachers do not pay themselves.
Teachers should not be drinking on a school trip, at all.

theemperorhasnoclothes · 06/04/2022 12:32

And I do think that it's quite normal for children who are used to the undivided attention they get from their parents to have a rude awakening / exposure to real life on a school trip. It's impossible to know from what the OPs said whether it's genuinely a safeguarding breach or just the children being fed up that some of the teachers were drinking and perhaps feeling they didn't get the attention they'd have received from their parents.

DD went on a one night residential (they couldn't do the week planned due to covid restrictions) and she came back very disgruntled that the staff at the place hadn't run around catering for every dietary whim stating that one of the children was 'literally starving' because the only thing they said they could eat from the breakfast buffet was an apple.

I responded by saying that apples were very healthy and 'were there bananas there too?' well, yes, but apparently 'no-one liked the bananas'. Hmmmm.

MichelleScarn · 06/04/2022 12:32

@Responsiveroo

Of course an investigation!!!

But the financing question is irrelevant

An attendee is claiming that when they were Ill all those with a duty of care were drinking

That is the basis of the claim and hopefully ensuing investigation

But your post states they have failed in their duty of care, not that there should be an investigation.

Judge and jury in one.

robocracker · 06/04/2022 12:33

As a teacher I have never had more than one beer/glass of wine in the evening. I don't think teachers should get drunk on school trips ever. The end. There's no reason to, it's not a holiday.

I also don't have more than one or two drinks when I'm away with my own kids

ExtraOnion · 06/04/2022 12:34

… we went on a school trip to France in the 80s - the OP would have a meltdown if she found out what went on.
It’s was epic, we all had a great time, nobody died .. still spoken about now.