No snowboarding on school ski trip

[Gentillie]

This is so frivolous I know!

My DD is Y8 she has two very close friends and they are all going on the school ski trip in January. Today one of the friends dad has complained in our group chat non stop about how they aren’t allowing his daughter to do any Snowboarding, he claims he’s offered to send her with equipment etc.
Now when it comes to it, it’s because his daughter is better at snowboarding, she’s been going on a trip with her dad every half term since she was a child and always doing private snowboarding lessons. He keeps making it clear she can ski but isn’t as advanced.
He’s now asked a slightly larger group chat of parents 7 kids worth, to join him in complaining to the school as it’s unfair she won’t get to snowboard.
One of the parents has pointed out that it will be because for lessons they will split into ability groups and even if they made a snowboard group she’d probably be too advanced as it would be a small minority who would pick it.
Others have agreed it’s very unfair and will be joining him in complaining.

AIBU to think he’s being very precious and his DD can ski with everyone else for 5 days? Is this normal in your kids school or do they let them ski or snowboard.

A ski holiday is not the same as a school ski trip. School trips are not holidays they are structured activities with restrictions on what you can do and where you can go.

What an utter bell end. His poor daughter must be so embarrassed.

I feel like a lot of people commenting haven't skied very much.
The extra equipment is trivial, it all comes from the same place.
The staff ratios are the same, teachers wouldn't ski with the kids anyway.
The slopes are the same
The only thing that is different is you would have a dedicated snowboard lesson.

OP I dare you to write “ but isn’t snowboarding basically dying out?” and watch the dad lose his shit.

About to embark on my 25th trip in January. What has swimming in half a pool got to do with it?

I think it’s naive to think a school trip would allow the same sort of flexibility as a family trip. However, lots of people are a bit naive about how constrained group travel often needs to be and I think it’s very common for the term “ski trip” to include snowboarding. So if she prefers to snowboard, which she probably does if she’s better at it, and the school wasn’t very clear that the trip was only skiing I can see how it would seem unreasonable if you’ve singed up, paid, and only then found that she’s not going to be able to do what she had expected and wanted to.

It’s not clear to me why you’re assuming that it’s about wanting to show off. I would assume she likes snowboarding more if she’s better at it.

The temptation is there … will I get crucified?

I’d have to write a message back. I hate a man prick.
“yes probably best if your daughter doesn’t go”

fecking man

I expect every other parent in the group will love you.

Maybe tell him it'd be good for his dd to work on her skiing with school, because when she's grown up and wanting to go on winter sports holidays with her mates, chances are they're much more likely to ski than snowboard and it'd be a pity for her if she couldn't keep up with them.

Why would the mother be fined? Indeed, why would the father be ‘fined’? He might have to lose deposit/payments if he pulls her out, but not a fine.

I'm a teacher who used to organise a regular ski trips. By far the most common injury on school ski trips is beginner snowboarders falling forward and spraining wrists. Doctors will plaster everything to be in the safe side / make lots of money, even if they could carry on later in the week.
We therefore don't let our students snowboard as as soon as there's an injury, a member of staff has to stay with them! It's really only beginners that are more of a problem than skiers but we thought it was fairest to just not offer boarding!
He does sound like a dick though and this reminds me why I don't do it anymore!

Yes but that difference is a pain in the arse and expensive to supply for 1 child. If the school wanted to they could have found out how many wanted to do which and tried to arrange lessons for both. BUT they didn't. The school wants to run a ski only ski trip and one self important twat isn't going to change that

Because I know what this dad is like.
His daughter has to be the best at everything especially sports and academia. His very musical and creative son may as well not exist though!

I'm sure the daughter will be thrilled for a week with daddy instead of a week with her peers 🙄

Because he's threatening to take her snowboarding during term time.

The school have to risk assess everything and sending one child off on a higher level route on their own without other group members and just an instructor is a huge risk on their behalf. They would have to send an adult which would put the adult at risk if they are not as competent as the child and it will also reduce supervision on a high risk activity in the other groups or they would have to take another adult. The risk assessment has to be completed with supervision, level of competency of staff, risks to adults, children, ratios etc. It is all very structured and especially for a type B trip as this is, they have additional risks to assess and submit before they go. Some activities are not allowed, my council will say no to a particular activity due to the risk. They point blank have said no to any submissions for that activity so this also could be the case. I work with assessing the risk assessments for schools and the level of checks they undergo (4 tier checks before they get signed off) is unreal. So by all means complain but if you lack the knowledge of what risk assessments are done and the level of assessment prior to the trip that is needed then you are being unreasonable and it'll still be a no.

Because it’s in term time so if he pulls her out and takes her snowboarding it will be a term time holiday.

Teachers ski with the kids on some ski trips, they have at all the schools I've worked in.

One school I worked at used to do snowboarding on ski trips but then stopped because the number of injuries was ridiculous.

Whatever their reasons are, they're entitled to decide what activities happen or don't happen on a school trip.

Suggest you screenshot the abusive WhatsApp message for the mother to clear her with the school.

If he wants a trip centred around his DD, then he needs to take her. If he wants the school to take her, then she has to fit in around the school. It’s as simple as that!

I also get the idea a lot of people don’t understand how interchangeable skiing and snowboarding are under the banner of “skiing”.

So another parent has joined in noting that this is the first year no snowboarding has been offered. Historically you had to be “above beginner level” and there had to be at least 4 kids wanting to do it. If only 4 wanted to it though they would have to pay more as the instructor would cost more per child.
Apparently the teacher who went with the snowboarders has left now so they just don’t offer it.

I’ve been on dozens of ski holidays and actually am a boarder, I’ve never been on a pair of skis. It’s a school trip, not a holiday. The structure (on DC’s anyway), is kids have lessons in the morning and afternoon, split into ability but for their school groups only, not in public groups. A teacher accompanies each group. Having one random boarder would mean either the boarder have a private lesson (expensive) or joining a public lesson/group (safeguarding). Or potentially, if she’s so brilliant she doesn’t need lessons, she just spends the day riding by herself (dangerous and miserable).

That solo boarder needs accompanying to that lesson, which may well be at different times/slopes to everyone else and takes one member of staff out of the picture. It’s a logistical nightmare for the staff because one child wants special treatment.