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Original poster

School trip to France

30 replies

BlackInk · 04/03/2020 17:05

Hello

I posted about this in another thread recently, but since noticed this topic.

My 10 year old son is due to go on a school trip to Normandy in France in less than 2 weeks time. They are travelling by coach/channel tunnel not plane.

At this stage the school still plan to go ahead with the trip, but I wondered what people here think about it. It's not so much that I worry he will be more at risk of catching the virus in France than here, but that they could get stuck there if restrictions on travel come into place.

I haven't heard that any other parents are considering not allowing their child to go (DS would be devastated, he's never been abroad before and is sooooo excited), but am starting to feel uneasy...

Thank you :)

OP posts:
LIZS · 04/03/2020 17:14

Normandy is far less densely populated than much of UK. I can't imagine the risk is any greater.

MyFavouritePlace · 04/03/2020 18:14

We have a similar dilemma, my DD is due to go to Belgium next week. Will wait and see how things pan out over the next few days but I wouldn't be surprised if it all gets cancelled.

boredorboard · 04/03/2020 18:18

I think schools will continue with all trips unless the government tell them not to. If the school makes the decision parents will want their money back and I assume this won't be covered by insurance. Schools can't afford thousands of pounds to pay back to parents. Really difficult situation!

StoorieHoose · 04/03/2020 18:20

DD is off to battlefields in Belgium/France at end of April and I assume that unless the foreign office say not to travel it will go ahead

KoalasandRabbit · 04/03/2020 18:29

My DD is due to go on a school trip to Italy and I queried what was happening with the school - atm just deposits have been paid but they are asking for whole amount and say trip is running unless government advice changes to they shouldn't run them. Presumably then you lose the money unless FCO advice has changed too and insurance pays out but looks unlikely at present.

I'll let mine go if they are running but she is quite mature and could manage a 14 day lockdown, not sure who pays for that though. I do wonder if some parents will pull kids out.

Drivemybluecar · 04/03/2020 18:32

My sons schools student exchange has been cancelled. But this is due to the French school stopping the trip due to virus not this end.

Aragog · 04/03/2020 18:33

I can't see schools cancelling unless insurance will pay out.So, if the FOC says you can't travel there generally.

Schools couldn't afford to lose the money, and if school cancel parents will expect their money back.

Parents can always choose not to send their children, but they can't then expect to be refunded.

MrsWombat · 04/03/2020 18:39

My DS is going on a similar trip in May and I'm not worried. I can't see them cancelling unless insurance pays out. It's only a day trip though. If it was residential I would have to seriously thing about it.

Howmanysleepsnow · 04/03/2020 18:40

My dc is due to travel in July. Her school plan to follow government advice, and advice from French government eg re school closures etc, but have agreed should anyone pull out that we would only lose the deposit.

peoplepleaser1 · 04/03/2020 18:41

Similar situation here- 12 YO DD due to go to Austria on a school ski trip by coach at the start of April.

At the moment the trip is going ahead and I'm really not sure how I feel about it, or what to do. I do feel extremely uneasy.

I would not be demanding money from the school if they cancelled the trip. That would be immoral IMO. Who could blame teachers for not wanting to go ahead!

LillianGish · 04/03/2020 18:49

If it’s running I’d let him go. I live in France and was just reading up on the situation - apparently the situation is likely to be upgraded to epidemic level any day now. In terms of what that means though, it’s worth knowing that France declared an epidemic of flu at the start of February and I can’t say I’d even noticed. You are probably no more or less likely to get infected in France than you are in Britain - well possibly marginally less as the French are generally far more obsessive about “les microbes” than anyone I’ve ever met in the UK.

concernedforthefuture · 04/03/2020 19:12

France has banned school trips (for French schools travelling within France or abroad) so I can't see that they'd be happy to allow foreigners on school trips into their country. I'm sure it will be cancelled.

CatMuffin · 04/03/2020 19:22

Yes, dd had a French exchange student due to come this weekend on a school exchange, but the trip's been cancelled due to the French government banning their schools from doing school trips

LillianGish · 04/03/2020 19:39

Our school has no trips abroad, but trips within France are still going ahead.

salty78 · 04/03/2020 19:43

Our school's ski trip to Lombardy at the beginning of April is still going ahead.

Original poster
BlackInk · 05/03/2020 09:56

Hmm thanks everyone. I don't think I would stop him going if it was still going ahead, unless lots of other parents did so.

As I said in OP, it's not particularly that I'm worried about him catching the virus in France, more concerned that travel or quarantine restrictions may be brought in whilst he's there that mean he can't get home.

Having said that though, Normandy neighbours one of the worst-hit regions of France, and France has cancelled large public events already. Interesting to hear that France are restricting French children from going on school trips abroad. How likely I wonder that public places like tourist attractions will be closed...

School have called a meeting now for Monday evening, so I guess I'll find out then what people are thinking!

OP posts:
LeNil · 05/03/2020 10:06

Still only 16 cases in Brittany and they’re in the south of Brittany (if my info is up to date).

I’ve just had an email about a school science fair organized in Bordeaux for mid March, it has just been pushed back to July. There are only 4 cases in our region, two of whom have recovered. I haven’t heard about trips abroad being cancelled tho, school where I teach has class in Greece at the moment.

missclimpson · 05/03/2020 10:11

Yes the cases in Brittany are in the Morbihan, which is a very long way from Calvados. Nothing round here at the moment and life going on normally apart from a lack of hand gel.

Mistigri · 05/03/2020 10:19

I'd be astonished if it goes ahead tbh.

The epidemic in France is accelerating - case numbers are significantly underestimated because they are only testing people who are sick and are known contacts.

OP posts:
FingonTheValiant · 05/03/2020 16:36

LeNil all school trips overseas are suspended until further notice, and those ongoing are to return immediately. We've just had all our trips cancelled, including incoming exchange trips. Your students ought to be on their way back from Greece. A neighbouring school sent children to India on Friday and has had to bring them back on the first available flight.

Original poster
BlackInk · 05/03/2020 16:40

Surely if France are banning all school trips for their own children, it's only a matter of time before they ban children visiting France from other countries?

OP posts:
NurseNancyandDoctorDavid · 05/03/2020 18:03

Same worry here, though DD is of to Russia at the start of April, St Petersburg then overnight train to Moscow. Numbers confirmed in Russia are being reported as low. The school has said it will follow government advice, but at the moment all trips are going ahead.

cologne4711 · 05/03/2020 18:18

all school trips overseas are suspended until further notice, and those ongoing are to return immediately

Returning immediately isn't always that easy - although I suppose flights aren't full at the moment.

FingonTheValiant · 05/03/2020 20:15

I think immediately assumes first available - certainly for the trip in India it took around 4 days. But no school should be shrugging off that their students are overseas.