Train delay and School comments

[HarrowToCroydon]

This article where a school trip got affected due to a train issue.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/train-passenger-describes-insane-11-hour-journey-to-edinburgh/ar-AA1hgSJm?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=25bfc61851b34909a01cbacaf117e103&ei=34

Pasting some statements -
"An X account for Greenfaulds High School posted images of the stranded children eating chips while sitting on the concourse floor at Preston station."

“If we had not, we would have 50 young children abandoned on the streets of Preston once the station closes."

AIBU to think that such events would contribute towards building some form of resiliency in the Children?

Rather than complain, should the school and parents be a little happy that the children were pushed out of their comfort zone?

Yes, my thought process too. Being expected in school next day would be effect of Central Government Education policy, which then needs to be looked at.

They're Scottish kids, schools are much more sensible about attendance - they won’t be expected in the next day but it would impact their parents in terms of childcare for the day.

We had that at our school.

A selected group of children were taken to a sporting event. A very expensive sporting event, and they went for free. A teacher drove them into London on the school mini bus, about a two hour drive from school. On the way back they hit really bad traffic and the children were getting hungry. So the teacher pulled into a service station and got the children something to eat. Most picked McDonalds or KFC. But one boy didn’t want that, fair enough. So the teacher took him to all the possible food vendors, noodle places, pizza, jacket potatoes and the like. Nope, he didn’t want any of it. So the teacher asked him if he had anything left in his packed lunch that he could have. He did, so he had some of that.

They eventually got back to school at 10pm. The parents of the boy put in a complaint that he hadn’t had a hot meal that evening.

Really? You are aware one or more of those children may have been abused as a result of this trip but you still think it will make them less stressed if they have the same situation in the future?

What exactly would you like the train operator to do in this situation given the alternative transport offered wasn’t acceptable to the customer.
Train companies would always prefer to offer a single vehicle big enough to fit all of the passengers rather than multiple smaller vehicles that work out significantly more expensive but given the restrictions on which vehicles they are able to use it is next to impossible to source large coaches at no notice. The school was almost certainly able to source a coach where the railway company could not solely because the school is able to use coaches that the railway company cannot legally use.

Ideally we'd like the train operator to run their scheduled services as advertised to their paying customers....

"They eventually got back to school at 10pm. The parents of the boy put in a complaint that he hadn’t had a hot meal that evening"

I deserve all the beating I get from teachers on this thread, there is quite likely an entire set of parents, devoid of reality, who school-rage instead of road-rage.

If the teachers had a free hand, not tightened by shifting rules from schools, maybe the experience would be enjoyable. But their worry as to which parents will complain, that chips were fed instead of a "healthier" alternative, has to be taken into account.

Yes, 100% agree.

This thread started because one of our Sons, has the same trip planned, and I showed him the article. His reply "whatever".

If we just remove, who is to blame here, then simply the Children have had an experience. Will that be remembered? We tend to forget most things, bar exceptional events. Will this be an exceptional event, which into the distance future, be a part of the child's memory.

There are a few posters who have recounted similar experiences, none seem to say that "I was scarred for life" because of it.

Why are you so obsessed with kids learning things don't always go to plan? I'm pretty sure lots of things in their lives don't go to plans

Because the current rigid structures of learning developed over 3 decades have dumbed down, or instilled fear in Children.

This, in spades

Why do we jump to "abuse", is this not a little too overplayed in the system?

Imagine a teacher planning the next school trip thinking "Is there a kid likely to be abused in whatsoever way", "Yes", "Best to avoid this trip".
Sad.

Agreed. As I mentioned earlier, this thread was started when I showed our son the news of the same trip he will undergo in November, same operator, same destination. His response "whatever", he is smarter than me.

But nobody is saying the kids will be scarred for life, just that it's ok to call a rubbish experience, a rubbish experience and not be 'a bit happy' about it. They managed fine from the sounds of it, but they were (I believe) the only passengers left without an appropriate way home. It's OK for them not to enjoy that!

I have no exp of secondary that's why I asked which one, but surely all primaries are back to normal. Obv shit for the kids in those end years that lost it due to COVID

And if the teachers hadn't managed to get a coach? Which was pure luck. You'd be so cool with your kid sleeping in Preston train station overnight with just a handful of teachers who would have been exhausted?
The news isn't just for the catastrophic but will be part of a wider commentary on the state of the railways and Avanti, some positive press for teachers etc.

Because the current rigid structures of learning developed over 3 decades have dumbed down, or instilled fear in Children.

As opposed to caning children in school? That didn't instil fear?

As I mentioned earlier, this thread was started when I showed our son the news of the same trip he will undergo in November, same operator, same destination. His response "whatever", he is smarter than me.

As would most other people, 12 year olds or adults!
Literally no one has said they would be scared for life, but the opposite of that isn't to be happy with something. Someone is allowed to be unhappy with poor service and not be labelled as not being resilient, fearful or worried about future journeys.
You're arguing with yourself at this point because no one is saying the things you keep repeating.

🤣 I meant yeah, this.
They're 12 so would have been 8/9 so plenty old enough to understand being pulled out of school and locked up indoors. They'll have missed school experiences they knew older years had and younger years will have. Possibly their end of school parties and residentials. They'll be old enough to have understood losing family members to COVID without the usual rituals that ease death like family goodbyes and funerals.

These kids aren't living some halcyon existence!!

So school has made your kids stupid / scared, they already feel like it's best to expect disappointment and yet what you want for your kids is more experiences where they're left cold, hungry and vulnerable because that'll make their adult life ... more devoid of hope and expectations??

You mean me talking about my own personal abuse and how this would have played out for me is "a little too overplayed"

But you talking about your sons experiences is fine

Sure sure

Imagine a teacher planning the next school trip thinking "Is there a kid likely to be abused in whatsoever way", "Yes", "Best to avoid this trip".
Sad

Explain where I said this. You are just making things up here.

What do you expect other kids to do? Throw themselves at your feet fearful for their life and beg you to keep them home forever? Your child reacted in a typical way, he isn't especially resilient or cooler or smarter than other kids for not instantly assuming something similar but worse will happen to him

But her child is the best don't you know, and all other children are wholly devoid of resilience due to substandard parenting and teaching

Not really. I remember it as an entirely passive experience. We sat around eating from the vending machines. As an adult you would just make your own way home or to a hotel, not sit around all night waiting for someone else to sort it out. If i wanted my children to learn resilience and problem solving, this isn't how I would do it.

Yes, 100% agree.

This thread started because one of our Sons, has the same trip planned, and I showed him the article. His reply "whatever".

Perhaps he was baffled why you were showing him. Or a news story about an event that has already been resolved is not as stressful as being in the middle of that event, not knowing how or if it will be resolved. Knowing some kids got a coach late at night is not as stressful as it being late at night and not knowing if you will be able to get home or not.

Perhaps your son (and you) need a bit more empathy.

Very sorry to hear that you were subjected to abuse on a school trip. Please understand that if we do live with this fear, then there will be no school trips.

We harbour the same for our 3 children.